We all keep hearing that this recession is a game-changer. That it will alter Americans’ behavior forever.

Maybe hereafter we will all live more within our means.

It is a message that has been pounded into us all winter by news media of all types, including this newspaper.

But golfers are a different breed. The most avid among us will find a way to play the sport as long as the family is fed and has a roof over its head.

Still, people everywhere are looking for ways to do what they love while saving a little bit of money along the way.

Many golfers will be no different. Which is why it is so important for those golfers to spend their golf money carefully.

Golfers who play it right may be able to play just as much golf as — or even more than — they played before.

Here is a list of my suggestions for getting the most out of your golfing buck this year:

• Need a new club? Go bargain shopping.

That doesn’t necessarily mean hitting Web sites such as eBay or Craigs- list for some used sticks, though that is an option.

Most pro shops in the region, as well as Pro Golf of Bend, often offer discounts on the previous year’s golf equipment and demonstration models.

It is a good way to get a new club in your hands without suffering the sticker shock.

So if you can handle the stigma of swinging a year-old model, buying “new to you” could be a good way to go.

Think of it this way: The $100 you save on a new driver will pay for four midweek rounds at Meadow Lakes Golf Course in Prineville.

• Gear down on the golf ball, Tiger.

Titleist Pro-V1s and Nike Ones are tremendous golf balls. For players with faster swing speeds, they fly far and spin like a politician. And if you are a single-digit handicapper trying to save a stroke wherever you can find it, paying $45 a dozen might be worthwhile.

But for the rest of us hackers looking to play as much regulation golf as possible on a mini-golf budget, a less-expensive ball could pay dividends.

• Hit the greens-fee specials hard.

I’m big on this.

We cheapskates aren’t necessarily a golf course’s favorite customers. But retail is for out-of-towners, and Central Oregon golf courses know it.

Courses will be helping our cause this year, valuing locals more than they have in years. (More on this inside the section.)

Nearly every public golf course in the area is expanding its discounting this year. Even Sunriver Resort, whose fees are typically among the highest in the region, has drastically cut its locals rates at its Woodlands and Meadows courses.

And for those who play a lot of golf, say two or three times a week, this might be the time to consider an annual membership. Joining a club is more affordable now than it has been in years.

• As with every year, choose off-peak times to play a round.

Midweek days, and afternoons any day, tend to be less expensive at most golf courses.

The earliest twilight rate in Bend is at Widgi Creek Golf Club. Beginning at 1 p.m., golfers can play the track for $39 on weekdays and $49 on weekends. Both are $25 cheaper than the morning rates on those days.

Most golf courses offer similarly significant discounts, though the times at which twilight rates kick in vary from course to course.

• Forgo a golfing trip or two.

A round of golf at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort on the southern Oregon Coast might not be so easy to give up. It is a must-play for an avid golfer in Oregon.

But the greens fees during summer time ($220 for Bandon Dunes hotel guests, $275 for others) — not to mention the costs of lodging and transportation — could buy a whole lot of golf closer to home.

Even Tetherow Golf Club in Bend, designed by famed Bandon Dunes architect and Bend resident David McLay Kidd, is a bargain in comparison. Locals can play Tetherow for $80 through May 15 and still get a similar Scottish-links experience.

With that savings, a golfer will have enough money left over for a fall trip to Bandon, which costs an Oregonian $130 in November (and is even cheaper in winter months).

The point is that there are plenty of opportunities to save money and still play the game you love. And there is nothing wrong with a golfer trying to find value in his or her golf season.

For most of us in these times, it is a necessity.