Many people who have quit playing paintball tell me it's partly because the cost just becomes prohibitive. Unfortunately, cost is a part of the sport that we just have to live with. You can play economically, but no matter what, it will still cost you something.

One area where you seem to get what you pay for is field fees. Typically, if you have to pay $20 to get in somewhere and then pay another $50-$60 for field paint, it's going to be a pretty nice setup with multiple fields to cater to all types of player. If you pay $10 and bring your own paint, you're typically going to get a smaller, less improved field. If you're really cheap, you play on someone's land and don't pay anything for the privilege. The quality, though, is usually greatly inferior to a professional field.

I realize that field owners want to turn a profit (or at least break even) and to do that they need to charge what they do to cover the costs of field improvements, insurance and refs. I don't hold anything against them for that. But, sometimes I wonder if the improved quality really leads to an improved experience. I've had some pretty exciting games on a professional field, but some of my most memorable paintball experiences have happened out in the woods.

For the beginner who wants to rent equipment and try out a field, there's nothing better than a professional field with a trained staff, a variety of playing choices and competent refs. For the more advanced player, it can be pretty frustrating to spend hundreds of dollars over the course of a season just for the chance to play with the same people each week. I know that sponsorships, friendships and season passes can minimize this cost, but it's usually still a significant financial investment.

Ideally, well-designed paintball fields would exist where you can play for free. I've played at a few of them. Unfortunately, there just aren't as many as I'd like.