Extortionate green fees!

[Backache]

I see this sort of thing fairly often, but there's just no way it's true, is it. Such nonsense. That's easily a $2000 trip (obviously a lot more now) - where can they not play in the states for that?

Pebble beach which is one of the top USA courses that is actually open to the public You have to book accommodation at around$1300 per night before green fees. So I guess it depends where you are comparing in the USA.

 

[D-S]

Pebble beach which is one of the top USA courses that is actually open to the public You have to book accommodation at around$1300 per night before green fees. So I guess it depends where you are comparing in the USA.

I’ve been lucky enough to play 3 US Major courses and a couple of US Ryder Cup courses as well as a few PGA tour courses, none of them are anywhere near the price of Pebble Beach. If the Open Rota current and past courses start charging £500-1000 each then you could fly to the US and play some really top courses cheaper than playing the the UK ones.

 

[VVega]

Pebble beach which is one of the top USA courses that is actually open to the public You have to book accommodation at around$1300 per night before green fees. So I guess it depends where you are comparing in the USA.

Plenty of top courses for much more reasonable rates are available, if this thread to be believed:

https://www.reddit.com/r/golf/comments/1dekpen/what_was_the_most_expensive_round_youve_ever_paid

 

[RedEyes]

I'm bored on my night shift so I've just done a bit of research, if this year you wanted to play all 14 courses that have held The Open, it would cost you £ 4341.
Madness, average cost £310. Musselburgh the cheapest at £110.

 

[KenL]

I'm bored on my night shift so I've just done a bit of research, if this year you wanted to play all 14 courses that have held The Open, it would cost you £ 4341.
Madness, average cost £310. Musselburgh the cheapest at £110.

You picked the wrong course at Musselburgh.

Course Season Ticket

Musselburgh Links, The Old Course

www.musselburgholdlinks.co.uk

 

[Crazyface]

No concessions that I know of other than to Scottish residents. Wrong in my opinion.

Very wrong. I could get on a very political rant about that place.

 

[evemccc]

I'm bored on my night shift so I've just done a bit of research, if this year you wanted to play all 14 courses that have held The Open, it would cost you £ 4341.
Madness, average cost £310. Musselburgh the cheapest at £110.

I played all 14 with the exception of Troon, Portrush and Musselburgh (so 11) for approx £1835…played Carnoustie Champ 4 times as it was in the Tassie. All since 2021…there’ll be plenty who’ll have done them so much cheaper in years gone by..

Winter / Shoulder rates are your friend
Especially when I had sunshine for all 11 of those

Obvs need to factor in transport, accommodation, the ‘cost’ of time off work etc…Really key to factor all that in as well as the green fee

Approx £1835 - certainly money very well spent IMO, “we pass this way but once”

 

[IanM]

I know folk who'll moan at a £150 green fee, but spend more than that on booze over a weekend.

Not to say that green fee inflation hasn't been eye watering!

 

[Mandofred]

And now.....£1000

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8nlgz2j24o

 

[IanM]

Ah, it's only at "some" times in peak season. So, play at another time then. Different owner, wouldn't be covered. Other courses are available, actually, thousands of them.

 

[sunshine]

I think the St Andrews Links Trust could do a bit more to remember they look after a national monument.

Obviously run by local people looking out for themselves, rather than acting as custodians of a heritage site available to all.

 

[doublebogey7]

Obviously run by local people looking out for themselves, rather than acting as custodians of a heritage site available to all.

Which they’ve been doing for a very long time, rather successfully I'd say.

 

[CliveW]

Obviously run by local people looking out for themselves, rather than acting as custodians of a heritage site available to all.

Why should they act as custodians of a "Heritage Site" when neither the courses or the R&A golf club are the oldest in the world?

 

[Backache]

Why should they act as custodians of a "Heritage Site" when neither the courses or the R&A golf club are the oldest in the world?

Don't think the links trust are custodians at all of the R&A but The Old course would be regarded as having great Heritage even if it isn't actually the oldest in the world. It's certainly probably got more Heritage than any other site in golf.

 

[doublebogey7]

Why should they act as custodians of a "Heritage Site" when neither the courses or the R&A golf club are the oldest in the world?

Guiness world records says otherwise but what do they know.

Oldest golf course

www.guinnessworldrecords.com

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

This may well have been discussed before, but so be it.
I was looking to plan a golf trip to Southern Ireland next year, I already am aware of rising fees, however!
I looked, as an example at Tralee, its £300 this year in high season, already vastly overpriced in my view, then they have posed next years fee, it will be £375!!!
I'm sorry, and I am not singling out Tralee here particularly, because all the top courses everywhere in the UK are at it!!
The dollar is so so strong the Americans have invaded the top links courses, and quite simply don't mind paying top dollar for it!
I understand business is business, BUT there will come a time, when the dollar weakens, and the American silly money dries up, what will all the courses who have, essentially priced out their own countries golfers do then! I only hope they might see sense and lower their rates, because quite frankly the bucket list trips that people in the UK want to do are no longer financially viable, and these courses have all but turned their back of the golfers who have in the past made them what they are by continually travelling to them, and arranging golf trips to Ireland, Scotland etc.
The days are gone when you see groups of guys in the bars in St Andrews all there ,having a break from the everyday grind.It's become too costly, end of.
I was in St Andrews a few years ago, and it was apparent then that the American invasion was coming, heard more American voices than any other in/around the town!
I can only hope the R&A who oversee it all are happy that all the "jewels in the crown" of UK golf have ostracised their UK visitor potential for the American dollar!!
It is actually cheaper now to travel abroad for a golf trip, and so so many groups are doing that now too.
Rant over, but I genuinely feel very strongly about this, it should not be £350plus for one round of golf ANYWHERE!!!

I'm an American who's not arguing with you, Don Vincenzo!
I agree 100%.
Golf can't be inexpensive, we know.
Manicuring 150 acres is no small task.

Still, milking every penny to be gotten from it CAN'T be a successful long term strategy, I wouldn't think.

 

[sunshine]

Why should they act as custodians of a "Heritage Site" when neither the courses or the R&A golf club are the oldest in the world?

What a bizarre statement. The Taj Mahal isn’t the oldest building in the world but clearly an important heritage site that should be preserved.

The old course is a famous and historic place.

 

[sunshine]

Which they’ve been doing for a very long time, rather successfully I'd say.

Yes, a very long time. But suddenly in the last couple of years things have changed.

Doubling the green fee to extract the maximum amount possible from visitors is ok for a private club but not ok for a trust.

 

[doublebogey7]

Yes, a very long time. But suddenly in the last couple of years things have changed.

Doubling the green fee to extract the maximum amount possible from visitors is ok for a private club but not ok for a trust.

The Trust lost millions over the Covid years so, as a not for profit organisation, they need to recoup that money somehow.

 

[IanM]

In that case they could make a statement to explain the rate hike is temporary to fix the hole in their revenue.

But, the real reason for the big price is "cos they can!" Folk are queuing to pay it.