too many golf courses????

[Doon frae Troon]

I know of a bowling club in the Highland area with a membership fee of £40 per year. They tried to up it to £45 and there was anarchy!

Hey, steady on, that happened this year at my club in Ayrshire
Mind you they have £ thousands in the bank.

 

[Alex1975]

Just read in the Scottish Golfer Mag that there are plans to build another championship links course just north of Dornoch on the Embo estate.

Not sure how viable that is or just another course for Rich Americans..

Are we getting to the stage, that there are too many courses?

If they are commercially viable then no.

 

[patricks148]

Well perhaps they'll have to put their membership fees up to cover it? Of the 3 Hobbit mentioned, I can only find Tain; £410 per year full membership, or £8 per week. Sorry, but as someone paying 4 times that for an annual membership the sympathy runs a little thin.

not really comparable, Tain is 40 miles north of Inverness, and has a relatively small population, wages and jobs are nothing like down south prob the average wage is prob half. when i first joined the club it was not much more than £250 so its gone up a bit over the last 9 years. in that time the membership has prob almost halved.

 

[Jacko_G]

not really comparable, Tain is 40 miles north of Inverness, and has a relatively small population, wages and jobs are nothing like down south prob the average wage is prob half. when i first joined the club it was not much more than £250 so its gone up a bit over the last 9 years. in that time the membership has prob almost halved.

Why did you leave it? I thought it was superb, really enjoyed it as a course and a layout. Greens were excellent.

 

[patricks148]

Why did you leave it? I thought it was superb, really enjoyed it as a course and a layout. Greens were excellent.

just a member of too many clubs. I live in Inverness and Tain is 40 miles away, so the last year i was a member only played a couple of times. Nairn is only 20 mins away, so made that my home course. Was a country Member at Moray as well but that was only £120, but again hardly played there the last year.

 

[Jacko_G]

just a member of too many clubs. I live in Inverness and Tain is 40 miles away, so the last year i was a member only played a couple of times. Nairn is only 20 mins away, so made that my home course. Was a country Member at Moray as well but that was only £120, but again hardly played there the last year.

Fair enough.

Moray is nice, need to get to Brora only hear good things about Brora.

Scotland has a few exciting courses in the pipeline. The Nicklaus design is apparently back on in Aberdeen as is Darren Clarkes course outside Dundee. Obviously Castle Stuart and Dornoch as well.

 

[patricks148]

Fair enough.

Moray is nice, need to get to Brora only hear good things about Brora.

Scotland has a few exciting courses in the pipeline. The Nicklaus design is apparently back on in Aberdeen as is Darren Clarkes course outside Dundee. Obviously Castle Stuart and Dornoch as well.

Brora, is Ok a couple of week holes on the back 9, but the front is pretty good. I would rate the Dornoch firth courses.
Dornoch
Tain
Brora
Struie
Golspie.

Its a shame the lack of acom in Dornoch (told only 60 beds avail) has kept it from holding a top event.

 

[Landlocked]

The thought of a new links course should fill me with joy but I can't help but think of the negative effects it can have on the affordability of golf in Scotland.

Trump International's arrival has led to Royal Aberdeen upping its prices over the last few years and I would imagine that a new course at Dornoch would lead to the same result at Royal Dornoch.

This green fee inflation makes me think of an interesting conversation I had with the Captain at Fraserburgh when I visited that fine course. They had just been visited by an American golf journalist who, whilst praising the course, said to the captain that Fraserburgh's green fees were much too cheap and would put off American visitors...

What a sad comment!

 

[Jacko_G]

The thought of a new links course should fill me with joy but I can't help but think of the negative effects it can have on the affordability of golf in Scotland.

Trump International's arrival has led to Royal Aberdeen upping its prices over the last few years and I would imagine that a new course at Dornoch would lead to the same result at Royal Dornoch.

This green fee inflation makes me think of an interesting conversation I had with the Captain at Fraserburgh when I visited that fine course. They had just been visited by an American golf journalist who, whilst praising the course, said to the captain that Fraserburgh's green fees were much too cheap and would put off American visitors...

What a sad comment!

Shhhhh,

we have plenty of wee gems. And yes Fraserburgh is another which I hear rave reviews of, not played it myself. Golf is Scotland will always be driven by supply and demand, not American wallets. Courses like Western Gailes are now offering Scottish residents fees, Glasgow Gailes are offering reasonable four ball rates as are other tracks. Courses are pretty well grounded and know that they need to cater for their core bread and butter market.

 

[stevek1969]

noticed Royal Aberdeen is now £172 a round it was £156 last year so fair hike in price .

 

[Smiffy]

Wages and jobs are nothing like down south prob the average wage is prob half

Valid point Patrick, but a lot of golfers in Scotland are members of more than one club.
You don't get a lot of that down here mate.

 

[Landlocked]

noticed Royal Aberdeen is now £172 a round it was £156 last year so fair hike in price .

Thanks - that illustrates my concerns perfectly! There can't be that many other entertainment field which feel that it is justifiable to up their prices by 10% from one year to the next. And this is all about the traditional courses keeping up with the Trumps and Castle Stuarts of this world.

Fraserburgh was less than a third of what I paid at Royal Aberdeen but without the near five hour round caused by fourball after fourball of mainly American visitors deliberating over every shot as if their life depended on it. At almost ten quid a hole I couldn't blame them for taking their time...

Another new and exclusive (i.e. expensive) course near Inverness will have a knock-on effect on the other courses around it and I don't think it will be for the better.

 

[patricks148]

Valid point Patrick, but a lot of golfers in Scotland are members of more than one club.
You don't get a lot of that down here mate.

I don't think its that many, lots of people who have moved up and retired

 

[patricks148]

Thanks - that illustrates my concerns perfectly! There can't be that many other entertainment field which feel that it is justifiable to up their prices by 10% from one year to the next. And this is all about the traditional courses keeping up with the Trumps and Castle Stuarts of this world.

Fraserburgh was less than a third of what I paid at Royal Aberdeen but without the near five hour round caused by fourball after fourball of mainly American visitors deliberating over every shot as if their life depended on it. At almost ten quid a hole I couldn't blame them for taking their time...

Another new and exclusive (i.e. expensive) course near Inverness will have a knock-on effect on the other courses around it and I don't think it will be for the better.

I think Castle Stuart have over priced themselves TBH.

I was talking to a couple of guys who have played there once a month since April and they said its not been busy any time they have been there. They now charge £170 odd. I remember when it opened and was taken around by the marketing guy, I asked about what deal was avail for locals... "well" he said " we don't really want local golfers, we want to appeal to overseas visitors"

there is talk now of them offering membership and offering deals to local members