How much is too much for a round of golf?

[BluenoseGolfer]

Depends on two things for me,
1) the course
2) the person, whats expensive for one person could be perfectly feasible for someone else.

I'm in the process of joining a club and so I'm stuck with municipal golf at £13 a go which in my opinion is too expensive for the state of the course (the one I play at) and the other factors that go along with municipal golf.I'm also a student so I don't actually have a full time job, so £13 a few times a week is something I really cannot afford.

Hopefully when I join my club I can pay monthly prices of £30ish pounds and will get way more for my money.

 

[Piece]

Some so called top courses tend to over price in order to reduce the public traffic and filter out the undesirable golfer...

 

[Oddsocks]

ive played some great courses that are under £50.00 a round, gatton manor in april for example was only £35 on a saturday at 10AM, you wont get much more peak that that, and that was as a green fee not as a members guest, with teh exception of national courses, used for major events i cant see any logic or justification in £100+ round fees. We sometimes play the addington as a members guest for £46.00 at weekends, play that as a green fee on the same day is £139, thats bonkers

 

[Marko77]

Depends on the course and facilities you are paying for imo.

 

[Essex_Stu]

I would pay the current going rates for the top courses in the country. I do aim to do one very expensive course a year. I consider upto £40 for a saturday round in my area a good price. They generally range from £20-£40 where I am. The guy I used to play with found anything over £20 a round expensive so it depends on your circumstances and general feelings as to what you consider to be value for money.

 

[Mungoscorner]

To be quite honest i wouldn't pay anymore than £50,and anybody paying £100+ (excluding one or two historic course's)wants there head looking at imo.
What does Wentworth have for instance that commands such a ridiculous green fee ? What about the Brabazon ? the Forest of Arden ?
I'm absolutely astounded by some of the green fees at some course's.
I've played some stunning links courses in Scotland and North Wales,and none cost more than £50 a round.
I have some fantastic Heathland course's within an hours drive of my house (Beaudesert,Whittington,Enville etc) again,all around £50 a round.
Its the same story with Parkland course's.Does having an expensive hotel attached,or having hosted a European Tour event in the past,warrant these silly green fees ?

 

[SirSliceAlot]

Personally speaking I don't think I could ever justify spending any more than £150 on a round of golf and £40 for your standard weekend round is more than enough, too much at times.
No matter how stunning the course, how beautiful the setting and how much history/heritage the course has its still only 4 hours and 18 holes! Its not even the money as such, more the principle.

 

[Smiffy]

I have paid over £100.00 for Society days at places like St Georges Hill in Surrey and Hankley Common. I've had a great time and enjoyed playing there.
But I'm spending a lot of time playing at Lindfield GC in Sussex at the moment and you can get on there for as little as £10.00 on a Sunday.
I also enjoy playing regularly at East Brighton on 2fore1 vouchers for £15.00.
In the right company I enjoy myself just as much especially if I've played well.
I wouldn't get any more enjoyment playing Hankley Common to handicap than I would East Brighton.
Some of the best days out I've had have been on right goat tracks with my mates.
But I do like to splash out now and again.

 

[chrisd]

The funny thing is that everyone has come up with a different price that they would be willing to pay and surely that sums up our golf. Everyone has a price and some of us will pay to play Wentworth and the like and some won't.

Some will buy a BMW and others wouldn't shell out for anything more than a KIA - you pays your money and takes your choice but you can't spend the cost of a KIA and drive away a BMW.

It wouldn't do for us all to want the same!

I do know that having played the courses mentioned Wentworth, Brabazon, Forset of Arden they are all fabulous to play and I don't for one minute regret paying what I did to get on there, after all when I played football no money in the world would have got me a game at Wembley and when I took up playing tennis, the centre court at Wimbledon wasn't a a handicap certificate away!

Chris

 

[Region3]

The most I've paid for a single round was about £85 for the Nicklaus course at St. Mellion, and I thought it was worth all of that.

Wentworth in my opinion is silly money and unless I was dripping with money don't think I could every justify it, but up to £150 for something very special and steeped in history I'd stump up for every now and then.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Wentwroth has priced itself out of the casual golfer market quite deliberately as it sees big corporate days and socieities as the main revenue stream in these times. I've played all of the courses there and to be honest the West is not the best course there. If it is on your must play list then I guess at £300+ you have to decide just how much of a must play is it.

There are loads of bargains around. GM did a trip to the Belfry and that worked out much cheaper than a standard green fee. Blackmoor and Camberley were two courses I played recently at a very reduced fee so there are great courses out there to be played at a reasonable price. Of course the other way to play cheaply is to see if you can get games with fellow forum members at their clubs and see if they will get you member guest rates.

At the end of the day, it comes down to how badly you want to play a course. If money were no object I'd want to play Pebble Beach and Augusta but realistically they aren't doable. OK Pebble Beach is affordable as a green fee until you add in air fare, hotel etc and I then I can't justify the cost.

 

[Peteg]

I played Forest Pines yesterday for only £20, what a fantastic course and in great condition. I would happily of paid £50 for that. What a bargain!

 

[PNWokingham]

Difficult question to answer. We had an auction for a 2-ball at Queenwood last year, which I would love to play, but it went for £660 - I would possibly pay half that for a round to say I have done it and experienced it - but couln't justify it at the time.

Anyone paying £360 for a round on Wentworth West wants their head tested! Played it twice and it is not the best course on the estate let alone across the railway line - although a very nice course and club, £360 is plain silly and I am not sure how they still get corporates to pay it in this climate - I am playing the East course tomorrow - only played it once about 6 years so really looking forward to seeing if my memory of it being nicer than the West is still true - prety sure it will be.

I would pay big money for courses but only for exclusive ones that would be once-in-a-lifetime opportunities - especially Pine Valley an Augusta.

I have a long-term dream to play everything that has been in any UK top 100 lists - Loch Lomond was one of the hard ones that I have now done, but Queenwood and a couple of others will need a it of luck, planning and, probably, money! And, a lot of midge cream and a few trips to the land of fried-mars-bar eaters!

 

[RGDave]

Hi, if I've paid my joining fee and my not inconsiderable membership for the year, why then would I be happy for the club to let someone (not a members guest) play for £25?

According to our "owner", once he's taken off the memberships and an average visit of societies over the year, the real cost to break even is £23-24 per round. So, that's what he charges for a weekday round and hopes to make a little on top at the weekend. Our club makes no profit as such....the staff and pro get paid, the owner takes "x" amount, I guess most years that's not a great deal.

It's been effectively up for sale for as many years as I know.