What was ure opinion when the japanese owned Turnberry? Im pretty confident that many folk dont care who owns a course. Its the more about the money spent on the course and people they see day to day.
Please don’t get me started on the many awful people in this world - like the Trumps. I can never stop! 😂
On the previous owners, well they didn’t cause incalculable damage to innocent people, incite violence, divide an entire nation, constantly spout racist abuse at opponents, all after having spent a lifetime behaving like a truly shitty person, not to mention committing numerous crimes then hiding behind lawyers to save their skin. Plus there’s stiffing many hard working people, and corruptly evading taxes and bankrupting your businesses, yet never facing any consequences.
It’s beyond me a) how ANYONE can stomach playing at his courses and b) how our leaders continue to allow such a wholly unfit family to own such important, trophy assets.
I forgot they charge the highest rates of anyone, further compounding their losses, as there just aren’t enough idiots around to pay these inflated rates, especially after all this disgusting family have done. Indeed, most non-Americans play these courses at discounted rates.
The sooner they’re gone the better. It’s coming, but could be a while...
Not really. It's just supply and demand, and these courses have plenty of members wanting to play so it makes sense to manage visitors by increasing the green fee.
I want an Aston Martin but I can't afford one. I'm not accusing them of cashing in or being greedy because it's more expensive then I wished.
Everyone has to cut their cloth accordingly. If you play golf you already have more disposable income then most of the population of the world. There's no point getting bitter about things you can't afford.
This prestige car/pricey watch analogy is getting old. It doesn’t compare to golf courses, which are living, breathing things, plus always were simply places for people to play a sport - not luxury items to charge insane prices for.
In most cases they were built for local people, yet since 2000 - accelerating this decade - prices of even half decent courses have been hiked drastically, well above inflation. It’s pushing the game out of reach of many, at a time when we need to be increasing participation (ignoring the somewhat artificial Covid-related spike), not alienating normal people who would be shocked at this return to elitism, after so many years of hard work to open up the sport.
GF increases at better clubs have even escalated after Covid. They don’t NEED to hike rates, but have chosen to be greedy, putting already pricey courses further out of reach of many, alienating even more people.
They don’t have to do this, and indeed many don’t. eg Silloth, East Devon, Seacroft, Beau Desert, Royal Porthcawl, West Sussex, Fortrose, Golspie, Moray, Fraserburgh, Royal Cromer plus many top Welsh courses all haven’t increased their fees aside from inflation since Covid, and there are many more. So it can be done.