Is Golf now too expensive???

[Jacko_G]

By looking at the top end, you are essentially saying golf can be expensive.
Consumables like golf balls feel like they have gone up a lot less than general inflation.
Green fees at middle to upper ranked courses have increased. But I feel that green fees on ordinary courses haven't gone up over general inflation.
I don't think clubs have become expensive unless you have to buy the latest model before it gets discounted.

I wouldn't say it's only top end that has increased. It's very evident throughout the whole golf industry that there has been significant increases to the consumer.

 

[Jacko_G]

So don’t buy them then.

So if you don't buy equipment how do you play golf?

 

[BiMGuy]

So if you don't buy equipment how do you play golf?

You don’t have to buy the latest and greatest if you only want to buy new.

And you don’t have to buy new.

 

[clubchamp98]

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.

These prices show there is plenty of money about.
Look at the price of cars but there are lots of new ones about.
Everyone’s got a limit and atm it’s getting to mine.

 

[IanM]

"Some" of us have keyboards that can't type the word "some!"

 

[Albo]

I’ve just looked on golf clubs for cash, they have 19 pages worth of drivers under £50 and 2 pages of iron sets under £50, 11 pages of putters.
It doesn’t have to be expensive to play

 

[Albo]

I’ve just looked on golf clubs for cash, they have 19 pages worth of drivers under £50 and 2 pages of iron sets under £50, 11 pages of putters.
It doesn’t have to be expensive to play

Just very quickly from that website, I can get
Driver,
3W
4i - PW
SW
Putter
Bag
For ~ £100 and over a 3rd of the cost was the bag which I’m sure you could get one for less on eBay.
All that’s needed are shoes, glove, tees, balls and a green fee, you could tee off for less than £150. Now that’s not an insignificant amount of money for some people, but equally I don’t think for what use you could get from the equipment it’s necessarily expensive either

 

[Jacko_G]

Just very quickly from that website, I can get
Driver,
3W
4i - PW
SW
Putter
Bag
For ~ £100 and over a 3rd of the cost was the bag which I’m sure you could get one for less on eBay.
All that’s needed are shoes, glove, tees, balls and a green fee, you could tee off for less than £150. Now that’s not an insignificant amount of money for some people, but equally I don’t think for what use you could get from the equipment it’s necessarily expensive either

Interesting take. What makes and age of spanners are these? Will buying a pitch mark repairer blow the £50 budget for shoes, glove and green fee?

 

[Albo]

Just very quickly from that website, I can get
Driver,
3W
4i - PW
SW
Putter
Bag
For ~ £100 and over a 3rd of the cost was the bag which I’m sure you could get one for less on eBay.
All that’s needed are shoes, glove, tees, balls and a green fee, you could tee off for less than £150. Now that’s not an insignificant amount of money for some people, but equally I don’t think for what use you could get from the equipment it’s necessarily expensive either

And for the fun, at the other end of the scale,
The same as the above with an additional GW….
£11,691. Turns out there are some rather expensive putters

 

[Albo]

Interesting take. What makes and age of spanners are these? Will buying a pitch mark repairer blow the £50 budget for shoes, glove and green fee?

They are old and rather unheard of makes, that doesn’t stop them functioning for their purpose

 

[Jacko_G]

They are old and rather unheard of makes, that doesn’t stop them functioning for their purpose

I would suggest it would. The old saying where there's muck there's brass springs to mind.

You'd spend half your time chasing the clubs with worn slick grips about as they fly out of your hands.

I do however appreciate and accept the argument that you can do anything as cheaply as you can find.

 

[Albo]

I would suggest it would. The old saying where there's muck there's brass springs to mind.

You'd spend half your time chasing the clubs with worn slick grips about as they fly out of your hands.

I do however appreciate and accept the argument that you can do anything as cheaply as you can find.

You make a good point, you most certainly wouldn’t be able to play your best golf with that lot!

 

[IanM]

One of my best days of the year was with the Vintage Golf Folk ... cheap green fee at Painswick, played with a set of 1970s clubs that cost £30.







Mind you, Rye and Birkdale were also fun! ?

 

[SteveW86]

Like most things you can spend as much that suits your budget. I would say most people who play golf are “comfortable”. I would need to think about making a big purchase and plan for it, but most things golf related would be doable.

That being said I don’t have the budget to blow £500 on a green fee, I just don’t see the value of it.

I’d say golf has always been an expensive sport generally, but it can easily be played cheaply.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

We spent £100 a ticket (£200 in total) to go see Moulin Rouge in the theatre a couple of weeks ago - it was our Christmas present to each other. Next month we are going to the theatre see To Kill a Mockingbird - it’s costing us £15 a ticket (£30 in total on the deal). Both are theatre; both are in the West End so heart of theatreland; for both we go along, sit down and watch for about 2hrs - but the productions; the theatre settings; their scale and the associated costs are very, very different, as is the demand for each. And so there is a huge price difference. But I can enjoy both equally, in fact I suspect I may well enjoy TKaM more than MR…?

And so it is with golf courses and what’s asked from us to play them - as much as I might regret not having played more of the great courses when they were a bit more affordable that‘s just how it is.

 

[Oddsocks]

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.

Golf is as expensive as you a prepared to make it. Last year i really wanted zx5 or zx5/zx7 irons, cheapest I could get a deal on was £950. Fast forward 6 months and the irons I wanted costed me 45% less. That saving will either pay 1/3 of my subs for 23/24, fund my away trip to Portugal (exc flight) or cover 2 or 3 forum meets.

The more we rush out or pre order the latest £599 drivers, the longer the industry will accept it as the norm. If TM/PING/CALLY all launched a new £500+ and the real demand was 25% less than budgeted they would bask questions, if it was 50% less it would force change.

 

[Smiffy]

We spent £100 a ticket (£200 in total) to go see Moulin Rouge in the theatre a couple of weeks ago - it was our Christmas present to each other. Next month we are going to the theatre see To Kill a Mockingbird - it’s costing us £15 a ticket (£30 in total on the deal). Both are theatre; both are in the West End so heart of theatreland; for both we go along, sit down and watch for about 2hrs - but the productions; the theatre settings; their scale and the associated costs are very, very different, as is the demand for each. And so there is a huge price difference.

I would guess they're not going to kill a real mocking bird, maybe a budgie or something???
That's where they will be saving money.

 

[Junior]

That Turnberry Green Fee ?. Are they just catering for American tourists ?

I do think new clubs and clothes have become too expensive also. Clubs that are 1 generation old are holding their value a little more aswell. I wouldn't expect to find that much of a bargain on a G425 or Callaway Rogue ST driver anytime soon.

As long as people buy them they'll keep churning them out. It's says a lot bout the cost of clubs when golf retailers (for quite some time now) offer 0% finance deals.

 

[Voyager EMH]

So don’t buy them then.

I don't.

 

[Voyager EMH]

You don’t have to buy the latest and greatest if you only want to buy new.

And you don’t have to buy new.

I don't do that either.