Is golf over priced ?

[Herbie]

since taking the game up 4 years ago for some reason i have only started looking at prices around the game?
Bloody hell ! have i been walking around with frosty glasses on or have i been caught up in all the euphoria of really enjoying the game and wasn't bothered about what i paid to play and have decent gear?
Are companies out-pricing the game to the mere mortal worker?
apart from your club fees when looking at new gear the price tags seem to have gone through the roof, Yes i know we have to pay allegedly pay for technology etc , but is there justification that a driver is hitting the 300 + mark or sets of irons are touching a grand maybe more?

My view is that golf is over priced in all aspects but particularily in the area of marketing new products and labels with them.This doesnt mean there are no bargains to be had in all aspects as we all know there are.

I dont buy golf clubs very often unless a bargain appears on the net or in a shop. My last aquisition was a cobra driver, new it was over 250 quid, a chap tried it for a couple of days then swopped it in the shop at a loss and I got it for 60 quid. The last set of irons I bought were a bargain basement set from an old stock bulk buy shop thingy, 10 quid an iron, my 3 wood is a 5quid cheapy as is my recovery wood, I also have a k1 speed 20 degree hybred thing, got it cheap from my mate. Before all that I had a set of hippo irons using similar method. In my early yrs I had some expensive wilson irons followed by some hybreds made for me at great expence. I found I played just as well and consistantly with the cheap stuff.

If you have the money then indulge yourself, trouble is too much money around these days (until bubble bursts that is)and everyone gets encouraged to buy, which doesnt help people with limited income. Ive experienced both ends of the cash availability to know how expensive things can get in golf which is why regardless of funds, I buy cheap! .

 

[Parmo]

if you spread the cost of setting up your kit and your fees over the years you probably would end up paying much more to watch ManU, Chelsea, etc etc

So really its not that bad....

Man U season ticket = £800

I spend a lot more than that a year on green fees, clothes, equipment, balls, flight charges for my gear etc...

 

[Boabski]

Having a think about it since starting this thread i have been my own worst enemy really, Until now when i came to equipment i chopped and changed too much either because i seen something better that caught my eye or thought it was better than what i had, that has been a real bank buster, as someone said your clubs should last you quite a few years,
when it comes to fees i well and truly out play what i pay, over the week in a season you can find me on the course at east 4 times a week.Now for what i pay a year i works out as a bargain
I like to have decent gear i have always been like that, if in future i want to change something i will be shopping around for the best deals

 

[dangermouse]

if you spread the cost of setting up your kit and your fees over the years you probably would end up paying much more to watch ManU, Chelsea, etc etc

So really its not that bad....

Man U season ticket = £800

I spend a lot more than that a year on green fees, clothes, equipment, balls, flight charges for my gear etc...

I gave up my season ticket at United, and have taken up golf this year. Dont forget that your £800 (mine is nearly £900 this year for not a great view) is only for the 19 home league games. If you are going to include flight surcharges etc in the cost of golf, then you need to include the cost of euro aways with United - £2-3,000 per year, easy; not even including aways in the league and cup matches.

Golf is expensive in the first year or so, IMHO, but gets cheaper over time. Once you have bought everything once, you replace kit in cycles. I bought all my (cheap!) stuff in one go, but have now bought a decent driver and putter second hand at not great cost, and will get some better irons next year etc. All should last at least a couple of years, so the replacement costs won't be massive going forward.

Membership fees are £650-750 or so for half decent clubs around North Manchester, no joining fees anywhere for the last year or two. If you want to go to Spain, Florida etc and play then of course it will be expensive, but if you play locally and often, it isn't too bad compared to most other pursuits.

As with others, I do agree that clothing can be expensive, but cheap pants and jumpers are available everywhere - its only really waterproofs and shoes where I have found that the cost is somewhat prohibitive.

Anyone willing to make the investment (of time, as well as money) will find that it isn't too bad over the course of a year (and I compare this to several other things I've done with myself over years - I played cricket for 5 years, football for nearly 20, and whilst football was markedly cheaper, the earlier post about the cost ensuring respect for the game, course, and other players is definitely true, and makes the golf certainly worth it!).

 

[viscount17]

greenfees have been good value, even factoring in the excursions to new courses and society days; mind you 36 holes, lunch and 3-course dinner for £55 ain't bad in anyones book

next year should be better as I have nearly all the gear I need, 3-wood is still on the cards as is a spare battery, though that may become a necessity.

 

[haplesshacker]

I suspect that like a lot of participative pastimes, golf has come down in price over the years in comparitive terms. I know this goes against the grain of feeling on this thread, but I believe this to be true.

Certainly a lot of kit in yachting has actually come down in price over the last 20 or 30 years when inflation is taken into account, and I'm sure this is the same in golf. I'm paying perhaps a £5 more in green fees now compared to what I was paying almost 20 years ago. This makes the game more accessable to us mere mortals.

Yes you can buy £1000 worth of irons, but you can also buy an Aston Martin. Personally I'm happy with my 'Mondeo' clubs. (If I had the money then yes I would buy the £££££ ones.)

You pays your money, you takes your choice.

 

[Herbie]

I suspect that like a lot of participative pastimes, golf has come down in price over the years in comparitive terms. I know this goes against the grain of feeling on this thread, but I believe this to be true.

Certainly a lot of kit in yachting has actually come down in price over the last 20 or 30 years when inflation is taken into account, and I'm sure this is the same in golf. I'm paying perhaps a £5 more in green fees now compared to what I was paying almost 20 years ago. This makes the game more accessable to us mere mortals.

Yes you can buy £1000 worth of irons, but you can also buy an Aston Martin. Personally I'm happy with my 'Mondeo' clubs. (If I had the money then yes I would buy the £££££ ones.)

You pays your money, you takes your choice.

You could look at this a different way, the reason golf costs have seemingly fallen is due to supply and demand. More golf courses, more competition means competitive pricing. On this economic basis I still believe golf is over priced on the whole and as far as course fees goes they are as varied as a crazy thing from crazyville, only new courses wishing to get established have reasonable fee setting but there is zero justification for a round of golf on some of the more prestigeous courses costing over £100, along with the grossly inflated prices in the pro shops. These courses make their name and money from ordinary punters in one way or another, then screen out those less endowed with cash when it comes to use.I have played at several such courses and from a pure golf point of view, had far less value for money than other less noted clubs.As far as I am concerned the falling costs over the years do not reflect the current value for money aspects. Golf was for many of its early yrs a male dominated game for snobs and the afluent, today its not and for it to survive in todays market place has had to change. It hasnt quite reached the upper echelons yet but I believe it will eventually. rest of us will have just as much fun and more value for money elsewhere Just because people are willing to pay doesnt mean value for money, it can also mean stupidity or having more money than sense.The costs of the game from yesteryear have little bearing on todays game and business in my view.

 

[RGuk]

On this economic basis I still believe golf is over priced on the whole and as far as course fees goes they are as varied as a crazy thing from crazyville, only new courses wishing to get established have reasonable fee setting but there is zero justification for a round of golf on some of the more prestigeous courses costing over £100, along with the grossly inflated prices in the pro shops. These courses make their name and money from ordinary punters in one way or another, then screen out those less endowed with cash when it comes to use.I have played at several such courses and from a pure golf point of view, had far less value for money than other less noted clubs.As far as I am concerned the falling costs over the years do not reflect the current value for money aspects. Golf was for many of its early yrs a male dominated game for snobs and the afluent, today its not and for it to survive in todays market place has had to change. It hasnt quite reached the upper echelons yet but I believe it will eventually.

Very good post. IMO, by far the best value golf is NOT at the big name courses, but classy understated courses/clubs.
What IS a genuine pity is that the famous courses don't get played (in the main) by the ordinary enthusiastic club golfer, just corporate societies, rich folk and all the rest. There are lots of us on here who splash out once in a while, but it's sad that whilst the courses make money, they do not offer much chance for the less well-off player to enjoy their history and reputation.

 

[Sneds]

I agree with a lot of the previous posts, however I believe that by charging a lot of money for a greenfree at the 'famous courses' they remain famous.

If you've shelled out £100 to play at a world renowned course, it will have the wow factor, people will be interested and impressed. If it was more accessible and affordable to the average golfer, it wouldn't hold the same value.

At the end of the day, a golf course is a business and like everything it boils down to supply and demand. If a course can charge £100 a round, and make a decent profit - why on earth would they drop their prices?

 

[viscount17]

a high green fee doesn't make a great course, otherwise they would all be trying it, and there are plenty that do.

what makes a great course is the challenge, the thought, skill and planning that goes into each hole and way the course uses, and shows off, the landscape to best advantage. it's the tantalising prospect that you might, just might, come away with a good score.

it doesn't have to be a Sandwich, Birkdale, Wentworth or even, a St Andrews to be great (though they are) and there are enough past 'greats' that are no longer.

no it's the sleepers, that little gem that you can still play, probably because it's tucked away far enough for the, as they used to be called, 'gaberdine swine' not to want to venture.

me, I'm not lucky enough to know one - yet!

 

[RGuk]

I agree with a lot of the previous posts, however I believe that by charging a lot of money for a greenfree at the 'famous courses' they remain famous.

Yes, the really top courses, of course. There are plenty however that take the complete p*** out of possible punters.

Warwickshire....Forest of Arden....Wildwood....Oxforshire....Collingtree....

ALL these have got cheaper over the years.....started way too high, never got the punters and now struggle in all aspects of reputation (i.m.o.). Why didn't they get a grip from day one....all could be right up there.