£270 for the Old Course?

[chellie]

It’s one course I’ve never had any interest in playing. I certainly wouldn’t pay anything like £270 for the privilege.

Same for us.

 

[davidy233]

Kingsbarns £346 this summer
Muirfield £310
Carnoustie £270 (no rise from 2021)
Royal Troon £285
Dumbarnie £270

 

[louise_a]

I payed £175 to play it about 5 years ago, don;t think I could justify paying £270 if I was looking to play it now.

 

[Zig]

Is it mats on fairways only? Do you have the option to go to the side? What about chipping from surrounds etc?

Mats for all closely mown areas. Did notice that you get a lot more spin chipping from a mat!

I'd say it doesn't detract from the experience. Was more disappointed that the road hole bunker was out of play... I hit my second shot in it and dropping it out behind left me with a tougher shot than if I'd have tried it from the bunker!

 

[tugglesf239]

Bet they are skint yeah. Have to feel really sorry for them on this Open year….

Anyone dressing up the green fees of open rota clubs jumping through the roof as justifiable, needs to give their head a wobble frankly.

 

[davidy233]

Mats for all closely mown areas. Did notice that you get a lot more spin chipping from a mat!

I'd say it doesn't detract from the experience. Was more disappointed that the road hole bunker was out of play... I hit my second shot in it and dropping it out behind left me with a tougher shot than if I'd have tried it from the bunker!

I walked it on Sunday (Link to pics), was surprised by how many bunkers were out of play, though understand why they are doing lots of work. I'd be happy to play it off mats but kind of think that the bunkers are the main thing that would scare visitors to the Old Course so that takes a bit away from the experience.

 

[Zig]

Kingsbarns £346 this summer
Muirfield £310
Carnoustie £270 (no rise from 2021)
Royal Troon £285
Dumbarnie £270

I haven't played Troon or Dunbarnie and the headline prices here look very expensive. Have managed to play a few of these more cheaply though...
Carnoustie: they had a three course offer (Champ, Burnside and Buddon) for less than the full fee here - well worth it.
Kingsbarns: Played it for my brother's 30th, so did pay the price (think £200ish at the time) but they offered a repeat round for £80, so we did that over two days, which made it feel a bit more affordable. One of the most spectacular places I've played. Worth it for the holes along the water's edge.
Muirfield: 18 holes plus carvery. Winter (Feb) for £100. Awesome.

 

[davidy233]

Bet they are skint yeah. Have to feel really sorry for them on this Open year….

Anyone dressing up the green fees of open rota clubs jumping through the roof as justifiable, needs to give their head a wobble frankly.

It's not just Open rota courses - £100 plus for a round of golf at a rated course isn't unusual around Tayside/Fife/East Lothian now.

 

[davidy233]

I haven't played Troon or Dunbarnie and the headline prices here look very expensive. Have managed to play a few of these more cheaply though...
Carnoustie: they had a three course offer (Champ, Burnside and Buddon) for less than the full fee here - well worth it.
Kingsbarns: Played it for my brother's 30th, so did pay the price (think £200ish at the time) but they offered a repeat round for £80, so we did that over two days, which made it feel a bit more affordable. One of the most spectacular places I've played. Worth it for the holes along the water's edge.
Muirfield: 18 holes plus carvery. Winter (Feb) for £100. Awesome.

There are lots of offers/ways of getting cheaper for a fair few of expensive courses.

I can get half price at Carnoustie because I am an Angus Council tax payer
Dumbarnie does £129 price for Scottish Golf members in mid summer and a bigger discount for Fife residents
Gleneagles do twilight rates which are a fair bit less than half price

Sadly short of getting a St Andrews Links ticket or getting signed on by a links ticket holder I can't think of a cheap way of getting on the Old Course.

 

[patricks148]

I payed £175 to play it about 5 years ago, don;t think I could justify paying £270 if I was looking to play it now.

There are lots of offers/ways of getting cheaper for a fair few of expensive courses.

I can get half price at Carnoustie because I am an Angus Council tax payer
Dumbarnie does £129 price for Scottish Golf members in mid summer and a bigger discount for Fife residents
Gleneagles do twilight rates which are a fair bit less than half price

Sadly short of getting a St Andrews Links ticket or getting signed on by a links ticket holder I can't think of a cheap way of getting on the Old Course.

Play it on a sunday?

 

[Bobthesock]

Mats for all closely mown areas. Did notice that you get a lot more spin chipping from a mat!

I'd say it doesn't detract from the experience. Was more disappointed that the road hole bunker was out of play... I hit my second shot in it and dropping it out behind left me with a tougher shot than if I'd have tried it from the bunker!

Thanks for that, thinking of going up next month so I'll make sure I look if the road bunker is in play first ?. I sort of want to go in it to see what happens

 

[davidy233]

Play it on a sunday?

Naw - hundreds of dog walkers littering the place - could always do what the university students do - get drunk and wander out for a few holes in the late summer evenings

 

[Pin-seeker]

£270 for a round of golf is ridiculous imo.

 

[Jimaroid]

That's not how market forces work.

The reason they have upped the price is because there is a huge demand for tee times in excess of supply.

It really isn’t, they have to recover lost income due to a lack of visitors over the last two years. As a charitable trust they had already communicated to ticket members some very strong indicators of “cost containment” being required until at least 2023.

It’s never been easier to get a tee time on the links, the availability and lack of visitors this year has been notable amongst local members. We are nowhere near what used to be normal. One simple indicator is the very low number of caddies we see out working.

Demand is low. Not supply.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Not just the big names; Machrihanish £120 per round summer peak, The Berkshire £190 or £255 for 36 holes, Littlestone £110, and so it goes on. I'm grateful to have played most of the ones that I've wanted to as I'd begrudge paying some of the prices being asked here. But as long as enough people pay it, they will continue to charge it.

 

[Bratty]

I paid £75 to play the old course last year... with a member! Happy days!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Several thoughts - they are no do doubt trying to recoup lost earning for the last two years so can understand that. It is also now in line with other Open venues and given its iconic status I think they have simply applied a "levy" for the the St Andrews name.

Having said that, if it is on the bucket list then it is worth the effort of saving for it and playing. It isn't the best Open course (that has to be Carnoustie but thats a whole different argument) but I still think it'll attract a large overseas contingent so they'll get the money

 

[sunshine]

It really isn’t, they have to recover lost income due to a lack of visitors over the last two years. As a charitable trust they had already communicated to ticket members some very strong indicators of “cost containment” being required until at least 2023.

It’s never been easier to get a tee time on the links, the availability and lack of visitors this year has been notable amongst local members. We are nowhere near what used to be normal. One simple indicator is the very low number of caddies we see out working.

Demand is low. Not supply.

Interesting. If there are loads of tee times available why don't they drop the rates to fill them? Does the same apply for Carnoustie etc?

I really thought Covid would create the conditions for me to head off to some of these bucket list courses at more affordable rates (silver lining) but it hasn't materialised.

 

[davidy233]

Interested to see a tweet from UKGofGuy on Twitter in August which featured a magazine cutting from Golf World which listed the public golf courses you could play back in 1972 - the Old Course was 75p - the New course was 30p. Carnoustie Championship was 60p. Been a while since those sort of prices were kicking about.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

It really isn’t, they have to recover lost income due to a lack of visitors over the last two years. As a charitable trust they had already communicated to ticket members some very strong indicators of “cost containment” being required until at least 2023.

It’s never been easier to get a tee time on the links, the availability and lack of visitors this year has been notable amongst local members. We are nowhere near what used to be normal. One simple indicator is the very low number of caddies we see out working.

Demand is low. Not supply.

So if demand is low, why go for a massive price increase? Just drives visitors away.

Doesn’t make any economic sense.

It was on my bucket list,