The Most Expensive Sports

One of the great things about sports is that anyone with at least a modicum of talent and a heart full of desire can participate competently at something regardless of the size of their bank account.

That's right: Despite what the marketing wizzes at Nike (nyse: NKE - news - people ) might lead you to believe, it doesn't take a $200 pair of Air Jordans to play a decent game of pick-up basketball, any more than it requires a $2,000 driver to land a lucky hole-in-one on No. 7 at Pebble Beach, or nearly a $100,000 Holland & Holland side-by-side to plug a partridge in mid-flight.

And yet, as anyone who has ever dabbled seriously at such pursuits knows, throwing money around can have a positive effect on your game. From boosting your confidence, comfort and ability levels, to inspiring awe--or, even better, intimidation--in your opponents, highest-end training and equipment can be a worthy investment.

Nowhere does this hold truer than in sports that are expensive by their very nature. An auto racer behind the wheel of the finest sports car money can buy, a racing yacht crewed by high-salaried and seasoned sailors, or a mountaineer trained by experts and outfitted in premium gear are all forces to be reckoned with, regardless of their opponents'--or mountain's--will to stop them.

"The benefit of expensive sporting assets is almost incalculable on the field of play," notes Rege Ludwig, former coach of the U.S. Polo Team, who now runs first-rate polo clinics from his base in Palm Springs, Calif. Ludwig illustrates his point with the tale of a high-goal professional polo player with a stable full of horses, including a favorite named Chessy. "Every time he was on Chessy, he would score two goals, no matter what. His skills were basically the same, but the way he used them were different, and he would try stuff on Chessy he wouldn't try on other horses. Opponents got so nervous when they saw the two together, they'd start worrying and stop playing their game."

The result? The owner of an opposing team offered £225,000 (about $405,000) for Chessy--not to ride him, but to keep the two apart. In the end, the player realized Chessy's value went well beyond money and refused to sell.

Of course, as anyone who wants to sink his change into expensive sports will quickly learn, high-priced assets are only part of the price. There's also the cost of maintaining those assets, as well as of moving them around from one event to the next. A vintage Ferrari or Bentley not only has to get to the track and back each weekend, but must also be maintained before, during and after every race. A cycling team may ride like the wind, but only if it has transportation capable of hauling both bikes and riders to the starting line. And nobody can compete in anything without the necessary membership fees, licenses, and insurance to qualify them in the first place. How fast can such costs add up? You'd be amazed.

To give you a good idea of what you're getting yourself into as you pursue high-priced excellence on the field, we've compiled some of the world's most expensive sports and the anticipated costs should you bankroll them yourself. Presented on a "give-or-take" basis, they reflect actual prices and authoritative estimates. Just remember--no matter how much money you throw at a sport, it still takes heart to win.