Is golf cheaper the further North you go?

[Kellfire]

I believe Rockliffe have dropped their price for golf only to around £1200 but I could be wrong. You'll pay the higher prices to get use of the spa etc included.

 

[delc]

matter of opinion that Sam, far from being great imo, pleasant enough but distinct lack of memorable holes for me

I don't think The Grove is particularly special either. Just a normal parkland course round here. It does host a lot of corporate and society days, and that sort of thing. Tiger Woods certainly ripped it to shreds in 2006, at 23 under for 4 rounds!!!

 

[Mastercracker]

Good old Northumberland. The nicer Parkland courses are around £570-£650. Less grand, but still decent, courses around £450-£500. You can get the odd 9 hole course cheaper and equally you can pay more at certain places. We are however very lucky in the fees we have to pay.

I do enjoy golfing trips down in North Yorkshire, the next place down you might say. The fees in clubs there seem to be closer to the £800 mark, getting nearer to £1,000 as you reach Leeds. I may be out of date there, they may be slightly higher but this was the range a couple of years ago certainly.

You are right, West Yorkshire seems to be a bit of an anomaly. Apart from muni's and the odd 9 holer there's very little available round here for less than £900. The more prestigious places you're looking at £1200 to god knows what for Moortown and Alwoodley. Move over to the coast however and its much cheaper. Hornsea is £695 for example and Bridlington is £600.

I think it could be linked to the North Leeds 'golf belt' which has Headingley, Sandmoor, Moortown, Alwoodley, Moor Allerton and Scarcroft all chained more or less next to each other. None of those are less than £1200 and it seems like the rest of the area seems to take prices based off these clubs. My club is circa £970 but stick it 30 miles east and you could knock £350 off that.

Woodhall Spa's rates make me want to spew!

 

[Hobbit]

Do Rockcliffe want members? Is it not more of a corporate course? I'm hoping to play it this year but the impression I get from people who have played there is that it is set up for a particular market and that is not the average Joe.

I've played it a few times and honestly don't think it's anything special.

Played it a few times. I agree with Richy, its nowt special. A few nice holes, and not too bad for a parkland course in winter but overpriced for what it is.

 

[Davey247]

Played it a few times. I agree with Richy, its nowt special. A few nice holes, and not too bad for a parkland course in winter but overpriced for what it is.

We all have our opinions I guess. For me its my favourite in the region, but I dont tough links so places like Cleveland and Seaton Carew dont rank anywhere for me. Slaley has a cracking front 9, but really lacks on the back 9. Beyond that very few courses are kept to the same condition as Rockliffe.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Played it a few times. I agree with Richy, its nowt special. A few nice holes, and not too bad for a parkland course in winter but overpriced for what it is.

Played it twice now courtesy of GM and enjoyed it. Would I pay to play? Probably not but I enjoyed my time there

 

[Hobbit]

We all have our opinions I guess. For me its my favourite in the region, but I dont tough links so places like Cleveland and Seaton Carew dont rank anywhere for me. Slaley has a cracking front 9, but really lacks on the back 9. Beyond that very few courses are kept to the same condition as Rockliffe.

Seaton has a fantastic finish, but not the best of starts. Cleveland, from the 5th onwards is an excellent links course. But as you say, it's down to opinions.

 

[delc]

Would rather see clubs becoming more open to visitors. For years we were an exclusive club too with members guests only but we've opened the Pandora's box as you seem to see it and do you know what, by controlling when they can play, it's made no difference to most members, we can still play when we want and the club are getting the revenue from the green fees. Sometimes clubs need to look at wider pictures

For some years I was a member of a pay and play course, where you had to get there before dawn to put a ball into a chute to have any chance of playing before noon at the weekend. Admittedly that was back in the days when many more people played golf and most private clubs had a several year waiting list, and even when you got to the top of the list you had to submit yourself for an interview by the committee, any of whom could blackball you without having to give a reason. Now I can pretty much walk into any club I chose, book a tee time on-line, turn up 10 minutes before that and play. I certainly don't want to go back to the good/bad old days!

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Seaton has a fantastic finish, but not the best of starts. Cleveland, from the 5th onwards is an excellent links course. But as you say, it's down to opinions.

Always enjoyed Wynyard and that's one of more expensive in the area, again it's opinion, but enjoy the front 9 more than the back and I'd put it on a par with Rockliffe.
Still put Seaton (Brabazon Course) as my No 1 though.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Gulp!!

Yup - can confirm HomerJS - we're in Surrey/Hants Borders - and it's £1600 (inc £50 bar tab). Pretty standard for all the clubs around us unfortunately (Hankley Common aside). But that's just what it is.

 

[HickoryShaft]

Mine is the most expensive in the local area (by about £100 apparently) at just shy of £800 for full membership , locker , bar levy etc.

Very nice course and closest to me both from home and work so is a no brainer but recent deals for some decent clubs locally have the heads turning from some members

£600 for an 18 month deal at one place by way of introductory membership of 6 months then a full years green fees on top of that. Plus under 18's get free membership if a parent joins.

They recently invested a lot of cash into the place and I think it has improved significantly so expecting to lose a few people