Green Fees - Top Courses in Ireland

Johnny_Fontane

I follow the lads on the No Laying up podcast (its some great stuff btw) and they are currently on the West Coast playing some of our best courses.

The green fees have skyrocketed this year it seems. Now as Irish golfers, we wouldn't be paying full whack (but the days of getting to these places for under €100 are well gone), but did a little digging and here are some of the current prices:

Adare: €375 and you have to take a caddy (€75)
Old Head: €350
Tralee: €230
Lahinch: €230
Ballybunion: €230
Waterville: €230
Doonbeg: €200
Ballyliffin: €200
Portmarnock: €200
Rosses Point: €175
Island: €175

Yet two of my favourites are probably better courses than most but massively cheaper and also hold opens.

Carne: €110
Enniscrone: €125

Eye watering stuff!

paulanthony

I recall some of these have "GUI rates" (eg I definitely paid something like €65 in Rosses Point a few years ago when the stated green fee was maybe €140/50).

Does anyone know whether some of these courses do still have these rates? A lot of the courses allude to this but don't publish these rates.

DuckSlice

Carne rate is €60 for GUI golfers, Enniscrone is probably similar. they also run open competitions from time to time and you can play them even cheaper. I don't think the exclusive courses like Adare and old head have the GUI rates however.

swededmonkey

Murvagh in Donegal is €30 with a member, €60 without and roughly €100 without a GUI (ie American tourists). They had to increase their green fee to attract tourists. They don't feel a course is worth playing unless its got a high green fee. Crazy! That's a course I love and rate with some of the best in the country

Kiith

Do you just call the clubs to get the GUI rate? I was looking to play in Enniscrone in May (the day before a work society) as i'll be there early, but didn't fancy paying €125 for a round on a Tuesday (or any day tbh).

dan_ep82

Kiith wrote: »

Do you just call the clubs to get the GUI rate? I was looking to play in Enniscrone in May (the day before a work society) as i'll be there early, but didn't fancy paying €125 for a round on a Tuesday (or any day tbh).

Sea point (not a big course I know) you have to ring for the GUI rate of €35

Killarney is the same rate for GUI and can be a lot more during the year for walk ins.

brick tamland

I imagine you'd get out on all of them (with the exception of Adare and old head for a fraction of the above prices if you box clever(opens/online deals). The high prices are just to "attract" tourists.

fullstop

Ballyliffin regularly hold opens on both courses. You’d get out for €30-€40 in one of those rather than the quoted €200.

slave1

Those are rack rates, you can get out way cheaper, Ballyliffin - I played both of them after the open last year, €70 GUI rate.
Played Rosses plenty of times, never more than €40

I played Carne last year for €30, Enniscrone for €40 and I think it was €45 to play Doonbeg

dar_cool

Ardglass had issues with this. Their rack rate was around 30 sterling and the yanks wouldn't travel up there because it was so cheap. Mad really so they upped the rack rate prices and yanks are flooding in.

Mantis Toboggan

dar_cool wrote: »

Ardglass had issues with this. Their rack rate was around 30 sterling and the yanks wouldn't travel up there because it was so cheap. Mad really so they upped the rack rate prices and yanks are flooding in.

I've heard a similar story about dooks.

I wish these clubs were more transparent about their rates for GUI members.

Ashleigh1986

Look up golfnet open days .
Great value to get to play some of irelands top courses .

slave1

Waterville do a GUI rate too, dropped in when passing two years ago and it was €60 for a late afternoon Summer tee time

mikepajero182

Always phone and ask for gui rates. Unfortunately Americans will not want to play a course in Ireland if they see it advertised for less than 3 figures. They will think there is something wrong with the course.
Ive played Enniscrone for 35, ballybunion and tralee for 50, royal county down for 55 pounds.

slave1

A well keyed in Yank would be worthwhile getting a distant membership and GUI card at this rate!

yaboya1

Nobody with half a brain pays those rates.
As has been mentioned those prices are set for Americans who seem to have a bizarre attitude to green fees.

Mushy

Another course that'll see a price hike in link below. Great course, sounds to be even better now

https://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/news/sport/378301/x-x-y.html

rooney30

yaboya1 wrote: »

Nobody with half a brain pays those rates.
As has been mentioned those prices are set for Americans who seem to have a bizarre attitude to green fees.

People forget that the majority of these Americans are high net worth individuals who will the staying in the best hotels in the region , and very offen getting a chopper to and from golf course . A hundred or two dollars give or take on a green fee doesn’t even enter their thinking

slave1

Mushy wrote: »

Another course that'll see a price hike in link below. Great course, sounds to be even better now

https://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/news/sport/378301/x-x-y.html

Always on the cards, just like Hogs Head, I doubt they will attract the Yanks though, too isolated and not near another top premium course, just too far off the beaten track

Kingswood Rover

rooney30 wrote: »

People forget that the majority of these Americans are high net worth individuals who will the staying in the best hotels in the region , and very offen getting a chopper to and from golf course . A hundred or two dollars give or take on a green fee doesn’t even enter their thinking

Whhhaat where is your evidence for the majority of american tourists being of "high net worth"? what is even your criteria for high net worth? the amount of Americans on holidays here intending to play golf and getting choppers to golf courses is IMO more than likely less than 50%. My clubs helipad had only 120 landings last year. The lets rip the yanks off attitude in Irish Golf sucks.

Ashleigh1986

Americans don't look twice at courses under €100.
They only want to play ballybunion / Tralee / laninch / Waterville / Royal portrush/ portmarnock/ Royal county down / adare manor .
The mistake people are making on here is seeing it tru your eyes.
When these Americans travel everything ie hotel/ transfers / green fees / restaurants etc etc is paid by credit card .
They ARE NOT GOING TO THEIR CREDIT UNION FOR A HOLIDAY LOAN .
These people move in a different league than most of us .
I've worked in ashford castle and you could tell the real wealth from people that were just staying as in off the bucket list .

Kingswood Rover

mikepajero182 wrote: »

Always phone and ask for gui rates. Unfortunately Americans will not want to play a course in Ireland if they see it advertised for less than 3 figures. They will think there is something wrong with the course.
Ive played Enniscrone for 35, ballybunion and tralee for 50, royal county down for 55 pounds.

No doubt there are some american tourists will be attracted to the more expensive courses here, but that sweeping generalization around the entire American golf loving traveling public's repugnance of playing golf in Ireland for less than 100 euro a round has made me realise why there are hundreds of thousands of people trying to climb over that fence in Mexico. i gotta get there.

Golfgraffix

From this years P.G.A. Show

“Each golf visitor from North America is worth up to €1,800 on average to the Irish economy, which is three times more than a leisure visitor – and 80 per cent of their spending is on activities not related to golf.”

CiarraiAbu2

slave1 wrote: »

Always on the cards, just like Hogs Head, I doubt they will attract the Yanks though, too isolated and not near another top premium course, just too far off the beaten track

As far as I know Hogs Head was built by Americans for wealthy Americans, is it members and guests only there?

Hoboo

CiarraiAbu2 wrote: »

As far as I know Hogs Head was built by Americans for wealthy Americans, is it members and guests only there?

It's a few hundred international members and invite only as far as I remember. Few green fees a year to keep the natives happy. They used to be members of old head and decided to do their own thing. As you do.

blackwhite

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

I follow the lads on the No Laying up podcast (its some great stuff btw) and they are currently on the West Coast playing some of our best courses.

The green fees have skyrocketed this year it seems. Now as Irish golfers, we wouldn't be paying full whack (but the days of getting to these places for under €100 are well gone), but did a little digging and here are some of the current prices:

Adare: €375 and you have to take a caddy (€75)
Old Head: €350
Tralee: €230
Lahinch: €230
Ballybunion: €230
Waterville: €230
Doonbeg: €200
Ballyliffin: €200
Portmarnock: €200
Rosses Point: €175
Island: €175

Yet two of my favourites are probably better courses than most but massively cheaper and also hold opens.

Carne: €110
Enniscrone: €125

Eye watering stuff!

Rosses Point GUI rate is usually between €60-80 depending on day of week, time of day, season, etc.

PokeHerKing

I rang up Waterville/Ballybunion last year and there was no GUI rate available. Will be doing our usual West Coast trip this year and would love to play both.

Can anyone advise if there's a secret password to access a GUI rate?

Kiith

Got Enniscrone for €45 there by calling up and just asking for the GUI rate, so thanks for the tip.

Mantis Toboggan

PokeHerKing wrote: »

I rang up Waterville/Ballybunion last year and there was no GUI rate available. Will be doing our usual West Coast trip this year and would love to play both.

Can anyone advise if there's a secret password to access a GUI rate?

I'd imagine you'll only get the GUI rate when it suits them ie. on wet Monday morning.

dar_cool

Bally bunion have scratch cups in the summer. Senior is 50 for 36 holes which is great value.

Johnny_Fontane

was talking with a guy at the weekend and Waterville quoted him €130 with a GUI card.

benny79

I got waterville for €65 which was the gui rate a couple of years ago in July they dont do it at weekends.. But the weather was worse than a bad winters day unfortunately towards the end..

Seve OB

benny79 wrote: »

I got waterville for €65 which was the gui rate a couple of years ago in July they dont do it at weekends.. But the weather was worse than a bad winters day unfortunately towards the end..

played it when I was about 13 so a few years ago now :eek:

might be worth looking at for captains weekend if a few were to head down on the Friday?

paulanthony

I think there are very few "bargains" to be had under GUI rates in Kerry / Dublin / Leinster. In my (admittedly past) experience, the better value and off-menu rates tend to be on some of the great courses in Mayo / Sligo / Donegal.

About 10 years ago I played Portsalon, Strandhill and Rosses Point for less than €100 (total). And this was around the time that Rosses Point had been included as Number 1 course in Kevin Markham's book (not sure if that is still the case?).

Enniscrone, Carne, Ballyliffin, Dunfanaghy spring to mind.

FixdePitchmark

I've said it before.

If there is no GUI rate or any opens .

They can feck off out of the GUI and I don't want to see them at opens in other clubs.

golfguy1

dar_cool wrote: »

Bally bunion have scratch cups in the summer. Senior is 50 for 36 holes which is great value.

Now €80 for 2 rounds

golfguy1

benny79 wrote: »

I got waterville for €65 which was the gui rate a couple of years ago in July they dont do it at weekends.. But the weather was worse than a bad winters day unfortunately towards the end..

No gui rate anymore.
€95 if you play with a member only 2yrs ago that was €40.
Still my favourite course.
Got to play it recently for free. Just a benefit of being golf buddies with a Kerry gaa legend he pays for no golf in kerry

benny79

golfguy1 wrote: »

No gui rate anymore.
€95 if you play with a member only 2yrs ago that was €40.
Still my favourite course.
Got to play it recently for free. Just a benefit of being golf buddies with a Kerry gaa legend he pays for no golf in kerry

I wasn't overly impressed by it to be honest! Found the girl at reception rude the only person that seemed friendly was the starter. But I played it on my own was a very quiet day in July a Thursday but the weather was terrible on the back 9, gail force winds. I wouldn't be rushing back anytime soon.

FixdePitchmark

golfguy1 wrote: »

No gui rate anymore.
€95 if you play with a member only 2yrs ago that was €40.
Still my favourite course.
Got to play it recently for free. Just a benefit of being golf buddies with a Kerry gaa legend he pays for no golf in kerry

Typical Kerry.

PokeHerKing

I paid full whack for lahinch a few years ago. 180e at the time. Great course and for 15 holes we had great weather. Torrential downpour for the last 3 holes.

We all said the same over a pint in the clubhouse, great course, great staff.

We played decent to well in the 4ball but it was the absolute most we could justify paying for a round in Ireland.

A standard 150e GUI rate across the board would be great.

benny79

PokeHerKing wrote: »

I paid full whack for lahinch a few years ago. 180e at the time. Great course and for 15 holes we had great weather. Torrential downpour for the last 3 holes.

We all said the same over a pint in the clubhouse, great course, great staff.

We played decent to well in the 4ball but it was the absolute most we could justify paying for a round in Ireland.

A standard 150e GUI rate across the board would be great.

There's no way I could or would justify paying that much in Ireland as we all know its not what you know its who you know in this Country and there's lots of ways to get out on the top courses cheaper.. Its just finding them.. Sometimes clubs here just pluck green fees numbers out of there heads I think imo..

Mantis Toboggan

benny79 wrote: »

There's no way I could or would justify paying that much in Ireland as we all know its not what you know its who you know in this Country and there's lots of ways to get out on the top courses cheaper.. Its just finding them.. Sometimes clubs here just pluck green fees numbers out of there heads I think imo..

Yeah there's no way I'd pay €180 when I know Billy down the road paid 40 euro because he knows someone you don't.

I'd imagine the only people who pay top wack are tourists and people with more money than sense.

PokeHerKing

Mantis Toboggan wrote:

Yeah there's no way I'd pay €180 when I know Billy down the road paid 40 euro because he knows someone you don't.

You could say that about most things in life. If I lived by that rule I'd rarely pay for anything.

Mantis Toboggan wrote:

I'd imagine the only people who pay top wack are tourists and people with more money than sense.

Im neither of those things but we're 4 employed friends who usually spend 3/4 days every year on the W/NW coast playing different courses.

Lahinch was on all our bucket lists and while I'm sure there was ways to get out with members we'd all be looking to play together and on our own schedule.

Don't think I'd pay more than that though which rules out the other SW courses on my wish list unfortunately.

rooney30

People seem to forget that these courses are not only the best courses in Ireland but ranked among some of the best in the world, many ranking inside the worlds top 50. In that context the green fees cannot be seen as excessive . They merely reflect the quality of the product on offer .ie a world class product
For comparison , Pebble Beach green fee is 500
dollars , Valderama 400 Euro , royal Birkdale 210 sterling .
Lads on here thinking that these green fees are plucked from the sky and examples of gouging are delusional
Rock up to a hotel in the worlds too 50 hotels looking for a room with a hundred quid in your pocket and you’ll be laughed at . Plenty of hotels around where you can stay for a hundred quid though , same way as there are plenty of good golf courses you can play for fifty or sixty Euro etc

galwayllm

I'm new to the game of golf, I've been playing for about 8mths now, mostly by myself. I've managed to break 90 which I'm delighted with!

May I ask what is a GUI rate/card you are on about?

benny79

rooney30 wrote: »

People seem to forget that these courses are not only the best courses in Ireland but ranked among some of the best in the world, many ranking inside the worlds top 50. In that context the green fees cannot be seen as excessive . They merely reflect the quality of the product on offer .ie a world class product
For comparison , Pebble Beach green fee is 500
dollars , Valderama 400 Euro , royal Birkdale 210 sterling .
Lads on here thinking that these green fees are plucked from the sky and examples of gouging are delusional
Rock up to a hotel in the worlds too 50 hotels looking for a room with a hundred quid in your pocket and you’ll be laughed at . Plenty of hotels around where you can stay for a hundred quid though , same way as there are plenty of good golf courses you can play for fifty or sixty Euro etc

The point is .. The courses you mentioned above. I bet the locals don't pay that rate.. which is my point.. Im Irish you look after your own in my view.. And if I was to golf in America on holiday and play pebble beach Yes I would pay $500 as id never be there again same as the americans coming here..

dan_ep82

galwayllm wrote: »

I'm new to the game of golf, I've been playing for about 8mths now, mostly by myself. I've managed to break 90 which I'm delighted with!

May I ask what is a GUI rate/card you are on about?

Golfing Union of Ireland.

Once your a member of a golf club and pay the relevant fees your are a GUI member. Some courses will have a GUI members rate for green fees.

ShivasIrons

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I've said it before.

If there is no GUI rate or any opens .

They can feck off out of the GUI and I don't want to see them at opens in other clubs.

Why? Can you please explain why a discount should be given to a golfer?

ChippingSodbury

Get a freebie in Rosses Point: https://twitter.com/CountySligoGC/status/1123530540630646785

There is also an Open Singles Stableford on there on Monday 6th May (bank holiday)

slave1

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Why? Can you please explain why a discount should be given to a golfer?

I think the argument is the one sidedness of it e.g. I am a GUI member in Old Head, I can play Opens up and down the country and benefit from cheaper green fees which makes play more accessible (and holds to the spirit of a member organisation to encourage golfers to be able to play outside their own course), however no other GUI member can play at the same concessionary basis at Old Head because they do not have Opens and do not have a GUI green fee rate.

slave1

And I will add that different courses in the country not only have a GUI rate but a local rate also e.g. GUI rate in Ballyliffin is €70 but less again if you are a member of any County Donegal Golf Club