Fair price for a round of golf?

[Golfnut1957]

That’s because those aren’t top courses. You won’t find them in any objective top 100 list. Play a genuine top course and you will understand why you paid a premium.

Apparently you're wrong. I have just googled the top 100 courses in England* and it turns out I've played a few top courses (using your criteria). Silloth (No 20) and Goswick (No 87) I mentioned as having enjoyed immensely, without paying large sums of money. The best thing about Wentworth (No 13) was the walk past the donated golf clubs from past PGA champions in the club house. I've played Seaton Carew (No 68) dozens of times and find it the most nonedescript of courses.
I'm going to play Seacroft (No 74) in a couple of weeks heres hoping it is worthy of a top 100 ranking.

 

[Orikoru]

That is fine. You’ve established your boundaries. But...

What’s the best course you’ve ever played? And what’s the most you’ve ever spent?

Most I've ever paid was probably £36, something like that. I've played loads of courses I enjoyed, I can't really pick one that stands above the others. The fact is I'm a man of simple tastes, I enjoy playing golf, I don't have a huge interest in the history of it, or in scenery and so on. Any well-kept course is fine for me. As I say, I'd pay £80 as a rare one for a highly rated course just to see what the fuss is about. Anything above that I couldn't really justify.

 

[sunshine]

Apparently you're wrong. I have just googled the top 100 courses in England* and it turns out I've played a few top courses (using your criteria). Silloth (No 20) and Goswick (No 87) I mentioned as having enjoyed immensely, without paying large sums of money. The best thing about Wentworth (No 13) was the walk past the donated golf clubs from past PGA champions in the club house. I've played Seaton Carew (No 68) dozens of times and find it the most nonedescript of courses.
I'm going to play Seacroft (No 74) in a couple of weeks heres hoping it is worthy of a top 100 ranking.

What a confusing post. You referred to slaley and rockliffe, I was commenting on those. But then you refer to silloth and goswick, were they worth a premium? Sounds like it but I’m struggling to understand what your point is. Sorry.

 

[davidy233]

What a confusing post. You referred to slaley and rockliffe, I was commenting on those. But then you refer to silloth and goswick, were they worth a premium? Sounds like it but I’m struggling to understand what your point is. Sorry.

He mentions Silloth in his original post - as one of the courses which cost £50 or less I think

 

[Gowferdee]

been enjoying some golfnow deals between 12 and 20 - brilliant value

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

We will pay £50 a head for a decent meal out in a decent restaurant - so no issues paying that or a bit more for a knock round a decent course. Good restaurant in London plus Pre and post dinner Drinks plus travel in and back will easy cost £100-£125 each so would pay that for a Really good/quality track. Wouldn’t pay £200 a head for a meal and so wouldn’t pay that for a round of golf.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

A fair price from the clubs point of view, is whatever they can charged and still receive enough income to run the club.

A fair price from my point of view, hmmm often thought about that and the silly prices that the 'top' clubs are. Some of the ones I have played, with hindsight I wouldn't have paid a 10% of what did, others have been a great experience and great golf course(so can kind of justify it to myself).

Some of the most memorable courses I have played have been really cheap ones, like Cleeve Hill and Bamburgh Castle(less than £20 a round iirc)

Golf as with a lots of things, is you spend your money and roll the dice and it could be a 1 or 6 score.

 

[Backache]

I am not sure what is 'fair' is it to the members the greenstaff the owners if any the players etc? The cost of owning and maintaining the course may vary quite a bit and the duration of the season through which you can expect to draw income varies as well.

Personally I play most of my golf on my home course for which I pay just about a three figure sub though now very close to four figures, I get a lot of golf out of this and regard it as very fair.

I have an annual golf trip with friends and we try to make it to an area with good courses in UK and Ireland, usually there are one or two more famous courses which command premium prices. I invariably come back having enjoyed the trip and many of the courses have provided me with great memories. The prices have varied a bit usually we try and find a favourable rate and usually still pay just under three figures for the best ones.

I don't know if these are fair prices but I have been very happy with what I have had for them for the money paid.
I will also play other local courses with friends on an occasional basis and the price varies quite a bit again I often look for discounted rates and generally enjoy the day. Once I've decided to pay whatever the gree fee is it is usually the state of the course the weather and the surroundings that give me pleasure and I forget how much I have paid.

 

[GB72]

Most I've ever paid was probably £36, something like that. I've played loads of courses I enjoyed, I can't really pick one that stands above the others. The fact is I'm a man of simple tastes, I enjoy playing golf, I don't have a huge interest in the history of it, or in scenery and so on. Any well-kept course is fine for me. As I say, I'd pay £80 as a rare one for a highly rated course just to see what the fuss is about. Anything above that I couldn't really justify.

I think that this sums me up perfectly. I am no golf historian (cannot actually remember when I last even watched any golf) and have no interest in playing where the greats have. Golf is about a day out with mates for me and as long as the course is OK and the company is good them I am fine with that. If I was out with mates playing an away course, we would be looking at £30-£35 for the round and would be looking for a bacon roll as part of that.

There are certain benefits I can see to paying more if, for example, they very much limited the numbers on the course so you rarely saw anyone ahead or behind, that would be worth paying extra to me.

 

[IanM]

He mentions Silloth in his original post - as one of the courses which cost £50 or less I think

I wonder what Siloth would change if it was in Fife, E Lothian, Southport or Kent??? (It would still be worth it!)

We will pay £50 a head for a decent meal out in a decent restaurant - so no issues paying that or a bit more for a knock round a decent course. Good restaurant in London plus Pre and post dinner Drinks plus travel in and back will easy cost £100-£125 each so would pay that for a Really good/quality track. Wouldn’t pay £200 a head for a meal and so wouldn’t pay that for a round of golf.

I would normally agree, but Donna and I were in Quinta do Lago for our Silver Wedding a couple of years ago. The hotel recommended a Michelin Star place in QdL for our anniversary dinner. The restaurant sent an S Class Merc to pick us up, the wine and food was amazing. I'd rather not say what the bill was, but it blew me away it was that good.

Although I am saddened by how much the Birkdales and Royal St Georges of this world have put their prices up in the last 10 years or so, I've still paid £200 plus to play golf and I have had the same great reaction. (But i am sure it is not guaranteed.)

We pass this way but once.

 

[IanM]

Where can I bid on this item?

Cost and Value are quite different things. People also have different priorities. There is no correct answer to the one posed by this thread.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I think that this sums me up perfectly. I am no golf historian (cannot actually remember when I last even watched any golf) and have no interest in playing where the greats have. Golf is about a day out with mates for me and as long as the course is OK and the company is good them I am fine with that. If I was out with mates playing an away course, we would be looking at £30-£35 for the round and would be looking for a bacon roll as part of that.

There are certain benefits I can see to paying more if, for example, they very much limited the numbers on the course so you rarely saw anyone ahead or behind, that would be worth paying extra to me.

I largely agree with this. I also don't care if an old great has walked the course before me, St Andrews holds no allure whatsoever, blasphemy on here I know . Where I disagree is having played at a couple of premium courses, a few other close to premium and certainly in the top 100 list, the difference in quality of everything is marked. The tee boxes, fairways, bunkers, greens are all pristine and sharp. The designs are just that bit better, they take your eye and make you smile. The scenery, for those who like that sore of thing, seems to coincide as well on the whole. It is hard to convince someone who has not been to one of these, I was a non believer previously as well, you have to see for yourself. If we convert it into football terms, it is the difference between Anfield, Old Trafford, The Emirates etc and playing at non league grounds, Ch2, CH1 etc.

Your golfing career will be no worse for not playing top courses, you can't miss something you have never done before, but I would suggest every golfer, if they can afford it, should try to play one premium course at some stage and then make their own mind up. You may never want to do it again, or it may want you to make a little list . Play it out of season, April is a good compromise, for a significantly reduced rate and the pain is less.

 

[IanM]

Your golfing career will be no worse for not playing top courses, you can't miss something you have never done before,

The two halves of this sentence do not fit together in my view. Your golfing career would definitely be enhanced by playing St Andrews and Augusta ( ) BUT I agree, you don't really miss something you've never had!

 

[Grant85]

I think this question is somewhat skewed with the fact that most weekly golfers will be members somewhere and might pay £600 to £1,200 to play their own course as often as they like.

With this in mind, you want to get moneys worth out of your membership you need to play there regularly and an away game every other week has a dual cost in terms of the cost to play away and the opportunity cost of missing a game at your home course and diluting your cost per round.

Other factor is that your membership allows you to invite guests at your course (around where I am this is usually £10) and so as time goes on and you build up a network of golf friends, you can get invited to other courses at low cost. This is personally how I have played most courses in my area that might otherwise be £30 to £60 to play.

I find that a decent members course is a very suitable place to play golf. If you have good company and reasonable weather I will get full enjoyment and rarely walk off somewhere thinking it was really poor or not enjoyable, and even if it was, it has cost you next to nothing. Sure members courses are often over played and might not be in as good condition as resort courses, but is this really worth an additional £70 to £150?

The most I have ever paid for around of golf is £190 to play the Old Course. Was it worth it? Probably it was, but I wouldn't be in a rush to go more than once a year, or even as often as that. And I can't really see myself paying more than the Old Course rate for a game of golf. I'd like to play the other Open venues, but these are mostly around the £250 mark, and I really can't justify that with a young family and a house to maintain.

In reality my golf game is ok (high teens handicap) but it's not of a standard where I can rock up to Championship Courses and score well or even feel that I can score well with my best shots. Which is probably my hesitation to go and pay a few hundred pounds to hit Driver, Hybrid at almost every hole. If / when I get better this may change.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

The two halves of this sentence do not fit together in my view. Your golfing career would definitely be enhanced by playing St Andrews and Augusta ( ) BUT I agree, you don't really miss something you've never had!

That was my point, poorly made . Your golfing career is all the better for playing a top course but it can be no worse.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

In reality my golf game is ok (high teens handicap) but it's not of a standard where I can rock up to Championship Courses and score well or even feel that I can score well with my best shots. Which is probably my hesitation to go and pay a few hundred pounds to hit Driver, Hybrid at almost every hole. If / when I get better this may change.

I'm off 20 and have played at Turnberry, Gleneagles, Close House, 3 tournament courses. Play off the correct tee, yellows for me, and you will have a great time. Play off the wrong tees and they will beat you up and the enjoyment disappears. Don't be put off thinking you are not good enough to play them, you are.

I'm with you in that unless you are have a lot of cash, these are special occasion courses. You also, for many, need to be at the right stage of life to have the money to play them. A young family makes expensive rounds unlikely, priorities etc, but as the kids get older and less dependent this should change. The good news for you is that you have a good number within easy driving distance when the situation alters for you. (I hope this doesn't sound patronising, I don't mean it to. I just recognise the situation as it mirrors myself. My kids are now older though so the time and money is a little more free)

 

[Grant85]

I'm off 20 and have played at Turnberry, Gleneagles, Close House, 3 tournament courses. Play off the correct tee, yellows for me, and you will have a great time. Play off the wrong tees and they will beat you up and the enjoyment disappears. Don't be put off thinking you are not good enough to play them, you are.

I'm with you in that unless you are have a lot of cash, these are special occasion courses. You also, for many, need to be at the right stage of life to have the money to play them. A young family makes expensive rounds unlikely, priorities etc, but as the kids get older and less dependent this should change. The good news for you is that you have a good number within easy driving distance when the situation alters for you.

Don't get me wrong, I can play them and get round them, it's just not as enjoyable. Even setting yourself a target of trying to break 100... I'm very happy on a 5,000 yard something with 5 fewer shots. I guess it just suits my game... I'm not short (for an 18 handicap) and can usually keep it in play but it's still a long way round something that's well over 6,000 yards.

 

[sunshine]

I largely agree with this. I also don't care if an old great has walked the course before me, St Andrews holds no allure whatsoever, blasphemy on here I know . Where I disagree is having played at a couple of premium courses, a few other close to premium and certainly in the top 100 list, the difference in quality of everything is marked. The tee boxes, fairways, bunkers, greens are all pristine and sharp. The designs are just that bit better, they take your eye and make you smile. The scenery, for those who like that sore of thing, seems to coincide as well on the whole. It is hard to convince someone who has not been to one of these, I was a non believer previously as well, you have to see for yourself. If we convert it into football terms, it is the difference between Anfield, Old Trafford, The Emirates etc and playing at non league grounds, Ch2, CH1 etc.

Your golfing career will be no worse for not playing top courses, you can't miss something you have never done before, but I would suggest every golfer, if they can afford it, should try to play one premium course at some stage and then make their own mind up. You may never want to do it again, or it may want you to make a little list . Play it out of season, April is a good compromise, for a significantly reduced rate and the pain is less.

Well said. Those who have never played a top course should experience it at least once.

It's a bit like only ever eating out at MacDonalds and KFC. Worth trying somewhere with a Michelin star just the once.

 

[GB72]

Well said. Those who have never played a top course should experience it at least once.

It's a bit like only ever eating out at MacDonalds and KFC. Worth trying somewhere with a Michelin star just the once.

I have experienced it a few times, not many but a few and it was good but I think you are being a bit disingenuous with your simile. I suspect that most people on here play at courses that are far above the level of 'fast food' golf in the same way that I suspect that not every high end course is a Michelin star experience.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Pay and plays my way are at least £30 now. My club is £45 a round I think, whereas my membership is £1165 which is £22 for 1 round every week of the year ( and I play more). Membership works out so much cheaper than playing different courses all the time, as I often hear “it’s a no brainier”