What's happened to green fees post COVID?

[SHiiBBZ]

I haven't been a member of a club in 2016, however my friends and I used to play regularly for around £15/£20 a round at local courses. It was easy to get a tee time from websites such as teeofftimes.co.uk or the likes. Using these sites, we used to play lots of different courses.

Now lockdowns have eased, I'm hoping to get back into golf again where I haven't played in 18 months or so. I'm looking on these tee off time websites and green fees seem to be extortionate! Courses I've played on a weekend for between £10 and £20 are now £30+.

I'm in the South East for reference by the way - near Crawley. I played Reigate Hill for £13.50 and it's now £40 on their site!

Is there anything I've missed re green fees? Or are more courses closing meaning players are condensed to less courses?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Golf became popular during lockdown as at times it was one of the few sporting activities that was allowed. More people became members, more demands on tee times. Clubs raised green fees because they could, either people are paying them or clubs don't need the fees so much due to more members.

If the new members drift off next year then they may drop off again but for the moment this is the new normal.

Are you looking via booking sites, Golf Now for example? Check them out as they are often cheaper than the club advertised price.

 

[RichA]

It's a bit cheaper where I am, 30 miles northeast of London, but not by much. I joined a fairly cheap local proprietary club because I only needed to play once every 10 days to improve my value for money. As it turned out, I'm playing 2 or 3 times a week now.
On the odd occasions I've played elsewhere over the summer, it's way cheaper to play after lunchtime and booking no sooner than a day or 2 beforehand. Normal cost is about £16 as opposed to £30 for a morning start.

 

[BubbaP]

Are we post covid? ???

Agree with the sentiment though, I've a friend who isn't a club member , about 1.5 hours away and we'd meet up from time to time for a game. We looked for somewhere in August and we noticed the inflation. Some were not accepting visitors at all, we looked some up we'd been to before and some were double last time. Supply & demand.
We ended up playing where I'm a member again, although he's just joined somewhere now ?

 

[sunshine]

Is there anything I've missed re green fees?

3 words: Working From Home.

Suddenly the traditional club membership model has become more attractive to people with 9-5 jobs.

 

[nickjdavis]

i do not believe that our green fees have changed.

 

[BiMGuy]

Ours have gone up, but so has the number of members.

We have fewer free tee times available to visitors, therefore we can charge a premium for them. Especially as there more people willing to pay the higher fees.

It won't last forever.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Generally up, as LT says above.

Would also add, green fees had got far to cheap when compared to membership costs, in particular at the lower end of the 'golf course' scale.

The deals pre covid like £13.50 or even £25 is crazy pricing for running a half busy course, a one way ticket to going bust over a longer term and losing members imho.

 

[GB72]

Generally up, as LT says above.

Would also add, green fees had got far to cheap when compared to membership costs, in particular at the lower end of the 'golf course' scale.

The deals pre covid like £13.50 or even £25 is crazy pricing for running a half busy course, a one way ticket to going bust over a longer term and losing members imho.

I agree with that, the prospect of membership was looking far less attractive when you can get a round for next to nothing off a discount site at weekends. I think this is a change that golf needed to maintain and promote the traditional membership structure.

People will, in the main, be commited now until January or April in most cases and so will be interesting to see if this remains after the next round of membership fees become due.

 

[Robster59]

I haven't been a member of a club in 2016, however my friends and I used to play regularly for around £15/£20 a round at local courses. It was easy to get a tee time from websites such as teeofftimes.co.uk or the likes. Using these sites, we used to play lots of different courses.

Now lockdowns have eased, I'm hoping to get back into golf again where I haven't played in 18 months or so. I'm looking on these tee off time websites and green fees seem to be extortionate! Courses I've played on a weekend for between £10 and £20 are now £30+.

I'm in the South East for reference by the way - near Crawley. I played Reigate Hill for £13.50 and it's now £40 on their site!

Is there anything I've missed re green fees? Or are more courses closing meaning players are condensed to less courses?

To be honest, I don't think those prices are extortionate. Pre Covid, some clubs were letting tee times go at quite low rates. During the pandemic, many more people have joined clubs which means there are less visitor slots available. The prices you are staying are not unreasonable.

 

[chrisd]

You're now being asked the proper price imo. Too many clubs were cutting tee times pricing to the bone, and barely making money from it. Also, if you could play once a week at a club for, say, £10 a go, you were probably paying much less than a 7 day member who could only play once a week on a Sunday but was shelling out well over £1,000 a year fees for the privilege

 

[fundy]

its amusing how other industries regularly get accused on here of profiteering for putting their prices up due to the pandemic etc, golf clubs seem to get viewed very differently

 

[SHiiBBZ]

No - more power to the golf clubs for actually being successful. It's just a shame from a consumer point of view that isn't going to join a club - that it was nice to get a "hot deal" if I teed off at 1435 I could get it for £13 rather than the £25 they charge usually.

We have around 6/7 courses near me that have closed recently - can only imagine this has increased in the remaining courses having more members.

FWIW I don't think £30/£40 is extortionate for a round of golf at a well maintained course. I paid £10/£20 at courses that really weren't that looked after because playing golf was more important to me than playing good golf

 

[Crazyface]

Have a look at what the"better" courses are charging. Eye watering.

 

[Tongo]

Tis noticeable where I am in south Hampshire that green fees have generally gone up. Experienced a similar scenario to the OP where a green fee for the club's main course off the club's own site used to be 30 quid and is now almost double that.

Have also noticed that tee times at some clubs are very scarce, more so than before the pandemic.

 

[clubchamp98]

Ours have gone up, but so has the number of members.

We have fewer free tee times available to visitors, therefore we can charge a premium for them. Especially as there more people willing to pay the higher fees.

It won't last forever.

Yes this.
Ours have gone from £40 to £60 a round .
That’s a lot for a game of golf .

 

[BiMGuy]

Yes this.
Ours have gone from £40 to £60 a round .
That’s a lot for a game of golf .

It is a lot. But consider it against the cost of a Premier League ticket or going to a show. 4 hours entertainment for £60 isn't bad value if the course is decent.

 

[clubchamp98]

It is a lot. But consider it against the cost of a Premier League ticket or going to a show. 4 hours entertainment for £60 isn't bad value if the course is decent.

Yes I suppose it like anything else.
If you have the money crack on.
Ours is very nice ,hosting England Golf National Seniors tomorrow.
The weather dosnt look good though.

 

[jim8flog]

Ours are unchanged and have been the same for some

£50 on the 18 hole course and £25 on the 9 (18 holes) hole course.

other clubs in the area are cheaper. The cheapest is £30 for the clubs in the immediate area.

 

[Dave1980]

A lot of clubs have put up greens fees, so they can then market special offers at the old rates to make it seem you are getting a good deal.