I haven't spent any money on the game yet. I got my foot in the door by watching ads (never managed to finish a survey until recently) and playing weekly free tournaments. I stuck to 10c balls so I could save up for good clubs. Meanwhile I practiced, practiced, practiced.
This week I realized I can be competitive in Ready Go tournaments, and I've won 2500 credits since Monday. That did bump me up to TM, so I don't expect the windfall to last, but it's enough for my next set of irons or some nice Cleveland wedges.