Inflation of Greens Fees for the Top UK Courses

[Crow]

I think that as soon as travel restrictions lift the top clubs will be swamped with visitors wanting to play, especially Americans and Japanese who have been starved of the chance to play here, 2021 could end on a high for these clubs.

Another factor in driving prices up is the fact that a good many of us are much more able/willing to travel around the country now and have more free time and spare cash to do so, hence there are far more golfers looking to play the top courses, from the UK and overseas. Covid has skewed that situation somewhat but I don't think it will take long for things to return to how they were.

Like others, I'm pretty resigned to the fact that I might not play any of those courses in the future but there are still plenty of courses that provide a great experience from a golfing standpoint. In many ways I prefer the smaller courses where the money coming in is spent on the course and not on a big fancy clubhouse, changing rooms, visitor's pack destined for landfill, car park, etc. I had a great time playing the courses on Anglesey, some were very rough round the edges and not very long, but length isn't an issue when you're playing vintage clubs.

 

[Zig]

We could all share any info of special offers/ways to play these for cheaper than the advertised rate. The displayed top-end prices have put me off trying to play both Royal St Georges and Royal Birkdale for the last couple of years. However, I've taken advantage of the following last year and/or the year before (for slightly cheaper than the rates below, which are 2021 charges) and they've been brilliant experiences. The prices below are probably the max I'd pay to pay anywhere, and certainly only on special occasions/one offs! For both RCD and RP I've played one or the other (rather than both on the same trip) and then paired it up with somewhere much cheaper for our weekend 36 break.

April Royal County Down is £160, Royal Portush £150. Both welcomed visitors during the Easter bank holiday weekends. Both are cheaper again if you can play at the end of March.
April again, but the Royal Dornoch stay and play offers are fab. £370 gets a round at Royal Dornoch and two rounds at Castle Stuart, with on site accommodation.

 

[patricks148]

We could all share any info of special offers/ways to play these for cheaper than the advertised rate. The displayed top-end prices have put me off trying to play both Royal St Georges and Royal Birkdale for the last couple of years. However, I've taken advantage of the following last year and/or the year before (for slightly cheaper than the rates below, which are 2021 charges) and they've been brilliant experiences. The prices below are probably the max I'd pay to pay anywhere, and certainly only on special occasions/one offs! For both RCD and RP I've played one or the other (rather than both on the same trip) and then paired it up with somewhere much cheaper for our weekend 36 break.

April Royal County Down is £160, Royal Portush £150. Both welcomed visitors during the Easter bank holiday weekends. Both are cheaper again if you can play at the end of March.
April again, but the Royal Dornoch stay and play offers are fab. £370 gets a round at Royal Dornoch and two rounds at Castle Stuart, with on site accommodation.

a lot of places do shoulder season rates, i'd say most would.

 

[patricks148]

I definitely have no interest in paying those prices, I'm not really bothered about the "famous names" in golf courses if that's what they're getting away with charging.

There are enough cracking courses in the UK at sensible prices.

what would you think was a sensible price?

 

[IanM]

Exactly. There are folk on here who think Birkdale should charge £15 and folk who'll pay whatever is asked.

Clubs charge what they do for all sorts or reasons. But, that's their perogative.

Visiting them isn't compulsory.

 

[evemccc]

Know this will be slightly against the flow, but how many of you run a business that sells to locals, national and international ?

If you do, do you discount(massively) different for those markets or would you?

I know I wouldn't and don't to be honest, the price is my price, you could be english, Belgium, welsh, from herts or london or overseas doesn't make a difference to my price ......

Anyone can be a busy fool in business, as the saying goes. Birkdale could price it at £50 a round and have every tee time filled, but why do that......

That said the prices are stupid and way to high and most of the time isnt worth it

There are plenty of places in this world inside and outside of golf, AFAIK all outside of England though, that do precisely have a price for citizens of the home country and another for those from elsewhere.
As with regards golf, another poster cited Florida as an example of that and another mentioned Scotland

 

[jim8flog]

How much do they charge?

Our visitor green fee is £40 ( 4 ball £120) for the 18 hole course and £20 for the 9 hole.

 

[Deleted member 25172]

Exactly. There are folk on here who think Birkdale should charge £15 and folk who'll pay whatever is asked.

Clubs charge what they do for all sorts or reasons. But, that's their perogative.

Visiting them isn't compulsory.

I think most of us whining about the prices are doing so from a emotive perspective, and we're all very aware of it.

Birkdale at £15 would be very silly as well, so can't we just meet in the "middle" and say £40 for a twilight tee-time?

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

I've been lucky that I've played courses in shoulder season or even gambled with Feb and always got good weather. Also played Hoylake when they did county cards Mon and Fri in Winter/Autumn for £50 so you can get details.

I just treat them as a special occasion every couple of years.

 

[Mandofred]

Our visitor green fee is £40 ( 4 ball £120) for the 18 hole course and £20 for the 9 hole.

Ours is listed as £34-40 during the summer.....perfectly decent golf course.

 

[garyinderry]

Ballyliffin allow all members of derry golf clubs to play for 50euro. It used to be 30 which was a steal.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

There are plenty of places in this world inside and outside of golf, AFAIK all outside of England though, that do precisely have a price for citizens of the home country and another for those from elsewhere.
As with regards golf, another poster cited Florida as an example of that and another mentioned Scotland

Of course some will. Just like courses take the county card or offer twilight or shoulder rate or open prices. Many reasons why they would.

My question was more, do you do it in your business and why should somewhere like Birkdale offer 'cheaper green fees to locals'. What gives you the right as a local to have it cheaper ? Its an intriguing question, and a couple of reasons I can see(one being they maybe your future members at some of these clubs but tbh probably not true for Birkdale).

That kind of discounted pricing is fine if you wish it to be rammed, open your market to loads of people, course ripped up and packed all the time. Assuming the market will take it, out of choice, I would choose to charge double the price and only have half the visitors, especially if I was running or was a member of a golf club like Birkdale.

Seen on here when people say somewhere like Dumbarnie Links offer Scots residents £125 vs £258 standard visitor rate, think that is a 'steal' as such. Is it that cheap tho or only relatively cheap, value is in the eyes of the holder.

 

[AliMc]

what would you think was a sensible price?

Courses at around £50 or £60 max for me, loads of good quality courses up to that, £260 or so for any course is just ridiculous imo

 

[moogie]

Looking at that list
I'd happily pay the fee for St Andrews
For its history and place in the game itself


I wouldn't pay the stated green fee on any of the rest
Defenitely aimed at the overseas tourist with that pricing

 

[Slime]

Imagine paying £200+ for a round of golf and playing crap.
I'd hate that.

 

[Jimaroid]

I've just had to check but the average price of a pint of lager in the ONS RPI figures was £1.97 in the year 2000 and is now £3.79. That's about a 95% increase.

Against the table in the OP I'd call Troon pretty much the same value now. Some of the others are clearly taking the biscuit though. They probably charge at least double £3.79 a pint in the bar as well.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Looking at that list
I'd happily pay the fee for St Andrews
For its history and place in the game itself


I wouldn't pay the stated green fee on any of the rest
Defenitely aimed at the overseas tourist with that pricing

The OC is one of the few major courses I've played - and I got on for nothing as I played in a four ball with a member of the R&A and two members of the New Club. That's the sort of green fee I really like

 

[stefanovic]

Golf doesn't seem to follow supply and demand economics.
Some businesses will simply charge you what they think you can afford.
Some courses are still more exclusive than inclusive. Keeps away the little people.
I'm also glad that I played the likes of The Belfy, Carnoustie, 4 of the courses at St Andrews, Nairn, Royal Dornoch and so on when I was younger.
I remember when it was £9 to play the OC. £5 to play the Brabazon.
I don't think earnings have increased anywhere near as much for the average person as many green fees.

 

[patricks148]

Courses at around £50 or £60 max for me, loads of good quality courses up to that, £260 or so for any course is just ridiculous imo

how much is peak rate at yours now?

around here even the clubs that were less that £40 a few years ago are now £70 peak rate.

 

[AliMc]

how much is peak rate at yours now?

around here even the clubs that were less that £40 a few years ago are now £70 peak rate.

Last year it was £90 a round Mon - Thu, £105 Fri and £120 Sat/Sun i think