Green Fees Anomaly

Kevinmarkham

I'm contacting all the 18 hole golf clubs to request their green fee rates for next year and here's an interesting little fact I am discovering

All the courses in southern Ireland, so far (I'm up to H in the alphabet), have reduced their green fees (from 2008 rates) or left them the same.

In Northern Ireland, most (about 80%) courses have increased their green fees.

Go figure!

VikingG

I'm sure its due to the clubs responding to the amount they pulled in this year....

Can you publish that data when you are done...

Aesop

Interesting to be sure.

I'm not sure it's terribly surprising that Irish courses are not increasing green fees. What I think is surprising is why Nothern Ireland Golf Clubs are increasing their fees making them less attractive to foreign visitors at a time when this segment of the market is already under pressure (maybe it's not in Northern Ireland?). The only other factor I can think of is the growth of golf courses in Ireland exceeded that of the North so less competition between golf courses there.

Kevin I know it's hard to compare directly but in general are greens fees in the North much more expensive than in the republic.

Sandwlch

Intersting. I guess the answer is in your use of capital letter, but just to clarify, by Northern Ireland do you mean the 6 counties rather than fees increasing as you go further north ?

Unglika Norse

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

I'm contacting all the 18 hole golf clubs to request their green fee rates for next year and here's an interesting little fact I am discovering

All the courses in southern Ireland, so far (I'm up to H in the alphabet), have reduced their green fees (from 2008 rates) or left them the same.

In Northern Ireland, most (about 80%) courses have increased their green fees.

Go figure!

I'd probably bet that there where far fewer resort courses built in the North compared to the South, and as most of these courses are now in financial doodoo and have brought down their prices dramaticaly and hugely, with the other clubs in the south doing the same to compete

Kevinmarkham

By Northern Ireland, I mean the six counties, i.e. those charging Sterling prices.

There is definitely an element of too many courses having been built in RoI in the last 20 years, compared with so few in NI, and I was surprised by the comments on another thread about the 'good health' of golf in Ireland. There are plenty of clubs that are struggling and the reduced visitor rates are a sign of how much they need green fees to survive, and how tough the competition is.

In answer to Aesop's question - in general I would say that NI green fees are better value than RoI by a good margin, although with the swing that has taken place (and continues to take place going into 2011), this margin is reducing.

NI green fees have sneaked up by about 10% since 2008, and I'm now being told that they will increase again because of increased VAT rates - by about £1.

dirkvandyke

possibly to do with NI golf being on a high with the recent achievements of G-Mac, RMcI and (the partial resurgence of) Darren Clarke??