Are Top 100 Green Fees worth it

[Deleted member 21258]

Got me thinking after now playing a number of these and a couple of times with them, just left thinking that really was not worth £x.

On the other hand played a couple of £20 courses recently and got much more enjoyment that I have from several of the 'top courses'. Think I am going to reassess my outlook to playing them as VFM is pretty pants imho

How are these courses worth more than say £50-£75 I really don't understand, other than they can charge the fees as people will pay the green fee and due to them being on a top 100 list.

I understand the course condition is normally spot on, normally service is very good and that costs a lot of money but...

My question is how do justify to yourself that a course is worth much more than say £50/£75 ?

 

[duncan mackie]

They are worth it to those who decide they are worth it - like anything premium in life.

One of the real challenges is that you can normally only know if it was really worth it after you have experienced it yourself, because it's so subjective.

 

[patricks148]

Got me thinking after now playing a number of these and a couple of times with them, just left thinking that really was not worth £x.

On the other hand played a couple of £20 courses recently and got much more enjoyment that I have from several of the 'top courses'. Think I am going to reassess my outlook to playing them as VFM is pretty pants imho

How are these courses worth more than say £50-£75 I really don't understand, other than they can charge the fees as people will pay the green fee and due to them being on a top 100 list.

I understand the course condition is normally spot on, normally service is very good and that costs a lot of money but...

My question is how do justify to yourself that a course is worth much more than say £50/£75 ?

TBH £50 to £75 i think is quite exceptable for a top 100 course however, i doubt many in the to 50 would be that low and esp Open Rota courses would be 4 times that at least, which is a bit over the top, but its what the going rate is and what American visitors will pay, any less than that and they assume the course in no good if its cheap.

 

[Jacko_G]

Golf is ridiculously priced now.

Wouldn't entertain the majority of "top" courses prices.

 

[IanM]

Some prices are daft, some offer great value...

Eg Siloth - cheap as chips! Wonderful

Sunningdale - stupid expensive!! Would pay it again tomorrow? Yes, without hesitation!

I never said it was logical!

 

[jim8flog]

I would not even pay the visitor fee for my own course let alone what some of these so called top courses charge.

I suppose it is my age etc etc but I think golf course green fees have become somewhat ridiculous over the years. The argument on the other hand is that these course would be inundated with visitors if the fees were set at reasonable levels.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

The only club in the top 100 that I have played that I couldn’t justify the visitors green fee is Woburn - it’s stupidly priced now but all the others whatever I have paid either guest or visitor or society I have been able to justify the price and some an absolute steal - Woodhall being a perfect example

 

[Orikoru]

Personally I would never pay more than £40-50 to play anywhere. As nice as a golf course may be, you're still just paying more money to play the same game. As I say, for a great, great course I'd pay as much as 50 but any higher than that would just be too expensive for me.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I wonder if anyone has kept a running total of what they have spent on green fees

 

[Deleted member 21258]

all the others whatever I have paid either guest or visitor or society I have been able to justify the price and some an absolute steal - Woodhall being a perfect example

For example, do you consider the following value for money and how do you justify it to yourself :-

Royal St Georges £210, North Berwick £120, Royal Liverpool £185, Muirfield £250, Royal Cinque Ports £150, Sunningdale £230, Royal St Lytham £195, Troon £250 (some of these I have paid full rate, some I haven't as played on forum days, twilight rates[not sure if that is such a great thing either given weather and work being down on the courses], winter rates, H4H vouchers but the figures are eye watering to me and I am starting to question the whole play the top 100 thing I was doing)

Interested to hear how people justify it to themselves ?

For a couple of those green fees above I could have a whole years country membership at say (using your example) Woodhall or similar and play a number of times or whilst on holiday.

Patrick148, yeah been quite surprised at the number of 'non UK' people playing, spoke to 3 americans at RSG around our tee time, that were playing on their own with a caddy(saw similar at Ganton).

 

[IanM]

I wonder if anyone has kept a running total of what they have spent on green fees

Eeeek!

But it is shocking how much green fees have gone up, and beer, and going to football, and housing, and just about everything! Mind you the cost of borrowing is now tiny!! (even if the amounts folk need to borrow are not!)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The problem I have always had with paying top $$$ for playing a course is the very nature of our sport - if I play rubbish then I am unlikely to enjoy my round. And it can be a lot of money to not enjoy yourself.

In general over the last 25 yrs my Mrs would look at the cost of my club membership and our disposable income (not that much) and I just wouldn't get the OK to spend £100+ on playing golf in the UK - not with the cost of bringing up the children. Great if you've got the $$$s. we just didn't.

And so I haven't - other than the £150 I paid to play the Emirates Faldo last year as I was in Dubai and thought I might never again get the opportunity. I could also justify the expense by calling it a 25th anniversary present from my Mrs as she had the previous day bought a £700 diamond ring and called it a present from me

There will many excellent and very enthusiastic golfers who will never be able to afford to play our better - never mind great - courses. And I rather think that is a pity. I don't think it was quite ever thus. About 1980-81 me and a mate drove up to Auchterarder very early one Saturday morning and played two rounds of Gleneagles for the princely sum of £13 IIRC - and even as a poor student I could afford that. But things are as they are today.

 

[Slab]

I wonder if anyone has kept a running total of what they have spent on green fees

One of my mates tried to tell me what I'd paid last year but I just stuck fingers in ears and ran away, and I 'only' pay the resident rate!


Just about every course here is £150-£200 for a non-resident walk in visitor without a deal/discount/offer etc, shuddery or what

 

[NorwichBanana]

All depends on the person playing, interest in playing that course and finances.

Would I currently (based on money not growing on trees) pay £200 to play Sunningdale, absolutely not as I have no interest in it. Would I pay £200 to play Royal Birkdale, more likely as I went to the Open in 2017 and would love to play the same course as I have seens the Pros play.

If money wasnt an issue then absolutely I'd love to play all the top 100 courses.

 

[hairball_89]

...
And so I haven't - other than the £150 I paid to play the Emirates Faldo last year as I was in Dubai and thought I might never again get the opportunity. I could also justify the expense by calling it a 25th anniversary present from my Mrs as she had the previous day bought a £700 diamond ring and called it a present from me

Sounds like she owes you a few top courses!

I haven't yet played any courses anywhere near the top 100 lists. Yes, they're expensive, but what's stopping me outside of the expenditure is I don't see myself as anywhere good enough to enjoy them. I'm getting there, but I'd definitely like to drop a 4/5 shots before I attempt them.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Sounds like she owes you a few top courses!

I haven't yet played any courses anywhere near the top 100 lists. Yes, they're expensive, but what's stopping me outside of the expenditure is I don't see myself as anywhere good enough to enjoy them. I'm getting there, but I'd definitely like to drop a 4/5 shots before I attempt them.

She does But I don't think she sees it that way...

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I spoke to the GM at one of the big Irish courses near Dublin, he said that if they do not charge at least 160-180 euro minimum then the Americans and Japanese will not play the course. It seems they have no concept of quality, if a course is expensive then it is good and worth playing in their eyes

 

[patricks148]

For example, do you consider the following value for money and how do you justify it to yourself :-

Royal St Georges £210, North Berwick £120, Royal Liverpool £185, Muirfield £250, Royal Cinque Ports £150, Sunningdale £230, Royal St Lytham £195, Troon £250 (some of these I have paid full rate, some I haven't as played on forum days, twilight rates[not sure if that is such a great thing either given weather and work being down on the courses], winter rates, H4H vouchers but the figures are eye watering to me and I am starting to question the whole play the top 100 thing I was doing)

Interested to hear how people justify it to themselves ?

For a couple of those green fees above I could have a whole years country membership at say (using your example) Woodhall or similar and play a number of times or whilst on holiday.

Patrick148, yeah been quite surprised at the number of 'non UK' people playing, spoke to 3 americans at RSG around our tee time, that were playing on their own with a caddy(saw similar at Ganton).

I suppose the exchange rate helps with visitors, Yanks for instance are paying much less than they were say 5 years ago so well worth it for them and they are used to paying top dollar to play TBH

TBH ive be lucky and got to play a load of top 100 for free in either club matches or as a guest. most i've paid recently is £90 for Trump but that was only after we got a freebee and enjoyed it so much went back. playing Turnberry in a couple of weeks , but the wife paid for that

 

[Deleted member 15344]

For example, do you consider the following value for money and how do you justify it to yourself :-

Royal St Georges £210, North Berwick £120, Royal Liverpool £185, Muirfield £250, Royal Cinque Ports £150, Sunningdale £230, Royal St Lytham £195, Troon £250 (some of these I have paid full rate, some I haven't as played on forum days, twilight rates[not sure if that is such a great thing either given weather and work being down on the courses], winter rates, H4H vouchers but the figures are eye watering to me and I am starting to question the whole play the top 100 thing I was doing)

Interested to hear how people justify it to themselves ?

For a couple of those green fees above I could have a whole years country membership at say (using your example) Woodhall or similar and play a number of times or whilst on holiday.

Patrick148, yeah been quite surprised at the number of 'non UK' people playing, spoke to 3 americans at RSG around our tee time, that were playing on their own with a caddy(saw similar at Ganton).

From that list I would happily pay the fee required

I justify that by deciding that I’m playing one of the best sporting venues in the world , in amazing settings playing the sport I love - I couldn’t ever play at another sports top venues - these golf courses are courses that the best players in the world through history have played , im playing the same course that a Tiger Woods won an Open or Rory or Darren Clarke , I’m playing a course that I grew up watching my golfing heroes in the 80’s play , as long as I can afford it then I’m happy to pay it

 

[clubchamp98]

I spoke to the GM at one of the big Irish courses near Dublin, he said that if they do not charge at least 160-180 euro minimum then the Americans and Japanese will not play the course. It seems they have no concept of quality, if a course is expensive then it is good and worth playing in their eyes

If this is the excuse then just do what the yanks do and charge a resident rate and for the yanks a non resident rate.
Thats just an excuse imo and they will charge everyone what they can get away with .