Is Golf now too expensive???

[Jigger]

Some of these fees are nuts

Ganton is £90 (twilight), £175 (round), £195 (day) or £120 with a county card. Given its location, it won't have many foreign visitors.

Woodhall Spa is only £80 until 30th April per round (EG member).

I’d never pay that for Ganton! I was really disappointed with the sand quality in the bunkers. I wouldn’t expect a course at that price to have bunkers littered with stones.

 

[Deleted member 29109]

How much is it to play at Wembley or drive an F1 car round Spa?

 

[Swango1980]

So Callaway bring out a new driver RRP of £599!

Turnberry summer green fee £475.

Utter madness. Wasn't that long ago you could get yourself a very nice set of irons for £600 new. My second course (which is a wee smasher and always in great condition) is over £200 cheaper than a single round at Turnberry.
I'm just about to drop over £1k on a set of irons, not a nice feeling. New irons and gear should be a joyous feeling not one that has you questioning your sanity.

At what point do customers say enough is enough?

I fully appreciate consumer choice, buy second hand, buy cheaper brands etc but ultimately for me the price of golf has hit crazy heights in the last few years and sadly shows no sign of plateauing.

I don't think so.

A golfer doesn't HAVE to buy the new Callaway driver, nor do they HAVE to play at Turnberry in the summer. Instead, they could buy a perfectly good second hand set of golf clubs for a much more "reasonable" price, and play golf and "cheap and cheerful" courses. Play in Opens at nice courses for about £20 a person, etc.

However, if there are wealthy golfers out there, or at least golfers who are less wealthy but lose golf enough to invest heavily in it, then the top of the range, brand new equipment might be their cup of tea.

I'd imagine brands like Callaway and clubs like Turnberry will only charge fees that make business sense. If people stop buying the Callaway driver almost entirely, then that would be a signal that the price is too high. If people stop playing Turnberry green fees, same thing (although, maybe they are also high if they don't actually want a huge number of non-members playing?)

 

[Swango1980]

I might revise my statement next month

I am due to get custom fitted at PING in Gainsborough, with aim to get new irons and driver.

 

[Neilds]

If it was too expensive there would be no golfers. Yes, it is more expensive but as mentioned, you don't have to pay that.

 

[JGolfer]

I suppose it all depends, how long do you plan on keeping it? How often would you use it? The benefit it will give you, is there a cheaper way to achieve that? etc

For me my only hobby is golf. So if I am going to spend money, it’ll be on golf. I got custom fit for all my clubs (minus putter) so none of the new stuff coming out really interests me.

For a round of golf. Personally think some of the prices are insane & while nice. I’d rather a holiday abroad with some golf, than golf on overpriced courses here.

 

[Alan Clifford]

That was interesting. I didn't expect to see such a conclusive result. But I will offer the caveat that most of their testers were probably used to wearing a glove and would have felt odd or different without one.

The comments are interesting, eg a glove effectively increases the grip size by 2- 4 wraps.

 

[Pants]

The comments are interesting, eg a glove effectively increases the grip size by 2- 4 wraps.

You beat me to it It wouldn't surprise me that that extra thickness in the grip (without glove) might have a similar effect on dispersion etc.

 

[D-S]

The question as to whether golf is too expensive obviously varies from individual to individual.

For me, a better question is which elements of golf costs have outstripped inflation over the last 20 years. This gives a better picture of affordability now against 20 years ago.

My guesses are things that have roughly matched inflation:-
Golf Course Membership
Mid range Balls
Mid range 2nd hand clubs
Accessories (tees gloves etc.)
Driving range prices
Green fees at mid range courses

Things that have massively outstripped inflation (and therefore what used to be affordable for many and now isn’t):
Green Fees at top Clubs
Air Travel with Clubs
Green fees in Spain and Portugal, particularly at good but not great courses
’Latest‘ top range Drivers
Putters from known manufacturers.

 

[clubchamp98]

To put a different spin on it, Birkdale summer green fee is listed at £295. Based on that rate all year round (yes, I know it's cheaper off season) if they sold just FIVE visitor 4ball times a day every day that would bring in over £2.1 MILLION pounds a year.

Lots of work going on there .
they are moving a lot of Sandhills Atm.

 

[GB72]

The question as to whether golf is too expensive obviously varies from individual to individual.

For me, a better question is which elements of golf costs have outstripped inflation over the last 20 years. This gives a better picture of affordability now against 20 years ago.

My guesses are things that have roughly matched inflation:-
Golf Course Membership
Mid range Balls
Mid range 2nd hand clubs
Accessories (tees gloves etc.)
Driving range prices
Green fees at mid range courses

Things that have massively outstripped inflation (and therefore what used to be affordable for many and now isn’t):
Green Fees at top Clubs
Air Travel with Clubs
Green fees in Spain and Portugal, particularly at good but not great courses
’Latest‘ top range Drivers
Putters from known manufacturers.

I think that the issue for quite a few, when looking at value as opposed to costs, are simply the daily demands in life that have changed over the last 20 plus years leaving less free time to enjoy a round of golf. As such, whilst membership may have matched inflation (not at my local club where is either famine or feast when it comes to the annual increase) the value has decreased due to less rounds per week.

I also think that second hand club prices have masisvely increased as have green fees at mid range courses (everyone thinks they are worth £50 plus a round these days).

Mid range golf balls have been pretty stable but the top end keep going up and up.

Aire travel with clubs is massive these days (just had a look for mauritius) and so is club rental.

 

[IanM]

....some of us have miles more free time! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

 

[Dando]

....some of us have miles more free time! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

someone needs an infraction!

 

[Imurg]

2nd hand prices shot up due to the supply chain issue surrounding covid.
Some brands/clubs seem to have dropped back a little but prices are still strong even though the supply chain issues are largely solved.

 

[Jacko_G]

Why should I be bothered about the top UK courses? I don’t play at any of them

Good stuff.

 

[Jacko_G]

I might revise my statement next month

I am due to get custom fitted at PING in Gainsborough, with aim to get new irons and driver.

I had my fitting yesterday with Ping. I got a surprise.

?️

 

[clubchamp98]

....some of us have miles more free time! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Yes more free time but less money.

 

[clubchamp98]

I had my fitting yesterday with Ping. I got a surprise.

?️

Your just teasing come on spill.

 

[Jacko_G]

Your just teasing come on spill.

No teasing. As predicted I'm still Recoil in stiff flex, standard grip size and blue dot lie code.

I certainly did not expect to walk out with i525.

Data and results were undeniable and the i230 couldn't get close to the performance gains on the i525. Dispersion and distance wise all comfortably better. I was concerned re land angle but again nowt to worry about. Very interesting fitting.

 

[Swango1980]

No teasing. As predicted I'm still Recoil in stiff flex, standard grip size and blue dot lie code.

I certainly did not expect to walk out with i525.

Data and results were undeniable and the i230 couldn't get close to the performance gains on the i525. Dispersion and distance wise all comfortably better. I was concerned re land angle but again nowt to worry about. Very interesting fitting.

I've been playing for years, but never had a proper fitting. Closest I had was going to Americam Golf for fitting, they got me to hit a couple of shots with different branded drivers off a shelf into a nett, and then told me which one I was better with.

Bought my current irons online, no thought about lie angle.

So, interested what the session will bring.