£270 for the Old Course?

[Blue in Munich]

Just had a quick look at Royal County Down. Summer Green Fee £290. The Old Course is starting to look a bit more reasonable.

 

[IanM]

Don't know about every business, but we used to go to the same holiday home every year and they put their prices up by over 50% when they opened up again. Don't know if they're recouping their losses but I'm not using them any more.

We've been to a nice place in Cornwall regularly... was £550 a week in May ...they've doubled price in 2 years .

They're empty for peak season currently

 

[TigerBear]

I've not played the OC, played every other course in the St Andrews Links setup.

Was hoping to play the OC at some point this year, especially given the 150th open. Out of principal I won't be doing that, if ever at all now.

Disgraceful.

 

[Fabia999]

Two thoughts go through my mind.

St Andrew’s is the most famous, significant and revered golf course in the world. £270 although steep is one of a kind.

On the other hand, the course was bought by James Cheape to give back to the golfers, they say they don’t put gates up to keep it open to everyone but £270 isn’t for everyone.

It’s a tough one

 

[Bobthesock]

Played the new and the jubilee the last week, decent value at £45 each. Both tougher courses than the old as well

 

[davidy233]

Sky Sports showing St Andrews film right now

 

[Foxholer]

Played the new and the jubilee the last week, decent value at £45 each. Both tougher courses than the old as well

Played the New, for about the 3rd time, with a workmate many years ago in a howling wind - gusting 40-50 on their meter straight off the North Sea. Only got halfway down the 9th and didn't reach the green on 13 - both with solid Driver! Great fun though! Definitely excellent value for either of those courses on that hallowed land,

 

[GreiginFife]

Played the new and the jubilee the last week, decent value at £45 each. Both tougher courses than the old as well

Love the joob joob and always try to play it several times a year. Always great value by comparison.

 

[CliveW]

Played the new and the jubilee the last week, decent value at £45 each. Both tougher courses than the old as well

Winter rates and mats on fairways at this time of the year though.

 

[bobmac]

I wonder how much it would cost to play tennis on the centre court at Wimbledon, or play football with your mates at Wembley, or even a game of cricket at Lords.

 

[IanM]

Got me thinking.

If Newport charges £60. How many times extra should the OC.

Four and a bit isnt far off when you look at it like that.

 

[Smiffy]

I wonder how much it would cost to play tennis on the centre court at Wimbledon, or play football with your mates at Wembley, or even a game of cricket at Lords.

Easy to say when you pay nothing anyway
???

 

[bobmac]

Easy to say when you pay nothing anyway
???

Not any more, I've got to pay now.

 

[big_matt]

Probably an unpopular view here but whilst its a steep increase overnight, i still dont think the new cost is unreasonable. It's the global home of the sport and holds the Open every 5 years, and at this new rate its still cheaper than many courses in the uk and significantly cheaper than playing on the famous professional courses in the states. I think the price has just gone from being great value before to more in line with modern pricing now.

As someone above said, if it was even permitted what would you be charged to play 4 hours of cricket on the square at lords or an afternoon of tennis at wimbledon centre court. I suspect it would be many multiples of £270.

And i say this as someone to who £270 is a lot of money and would need to save to play there.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Compared to some of the top English courses it is still pretty cheap, probably better quality as well.

I recall attending a Scottish tourism lecture given by an ex Gleneagles Hotel manager.
He started.........there are over 40 million golfers in the world and they all want to play one course.

 

[Jaco]

£270 , a 40% rise in fee, ridiculous. Golfing authorities need to get a grip of gouging like this, does nothing for the game https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/news/st-andrews-old-course-green-fees/

Agree that it’s a ridiculous price, but at least it’s a once in a lifetime experience to play such a course.
What I can’t get my head around are the prices in Spain and Portugal. I go there infrequently and play maybe 2 rounds, but how do ex pats afford to play a few rounds a week?

 

[evemccc]

There’s always the option to play in winter…after all, it’s a links course - it’s supposed to be year-round excellent turf conditions

 

[davidy233]

There’s always the option to play in winter…after all, it’s a links course - it’s supposed to be year-round excellent turf conditions

Turf is brilliant - even this time of year - I walked it last week and it's in excellent shape - but you'd be playing off mats

 

[Deleted member 23270]

The rise in fees is disproportionate with inflation. My uncle was at RAF Leuchars in the late 60's and used to play TOC for 7/6' (37.5p for you youngsters). There is no way that is equivalent to £270 now yet the courses were still maintained and run correctly back then.

 

[davidy233]

The rise in fees is disproportionate with inflation. My uncle was at RAF Leuchars in the late 60's and used to play TOC for 7/6' (37.5p for you youngsters). There is now way that is equivalent to £270 now yet the courses were still maintained and run correctly back then.

I played the Old Course several times in the late 80s, early 90s - the Old is very definitely groomed, presented better than it was back then - a lot. It's not always obvious when wandering around the edges or watching on TV but when walking down the fairways/looking at bunkers etc. up close it's much more manicured than your normal decent links course.

Whether that's a good thing for a links course is of course another matter - but it's obvious that a heap of money gets spent on conditioning - much, much more than 30 years ago.

It also went up a lot from 1971 when it was 75p to the first time I played it in 1988 - it cost me £6 then because I got signed on my an RAF Leuchars member - that was a third of the £18 green fee. Fours years late in Spring 1992 it had nearly doubled to £33.