Golf prices

paul321123

Just a quick question to get some views on this. I have not been playing golf for a while now due to an injury but thankfully this is get better and im able to start getting back out for a few holes after just been on the driving range. I have noticed that the price of a round have gone very expensive in a lot of clubs, I understand that they have been closed and it takes a lot of maintenance and upkeep but most of the clubs that I would have played before have doubled in price, is that a common thing with clubs since opening after the pandemic, I would of expected a price increase but 100% increase I think is a bit steep. Again I understand most have gone trough a rough time but so have a lot of businesses, just would like some other views on this, is it common in most clubs? what increase have other clubs implemented. Apart from that it is great to start getting back out and enjoying this great game again.

callaway92

Between apparell, green fees, memberships etc. everything has gone up.

Funnily enough in my club, Competition Fees is all that's remained the same. Prices for Green Fees are eye-watering for a lot of courses now that don't justify it.

Memberships went up in many places probably because of demand. Lot of places nearly had to stop taking new members during covid as time sheets were getting ruined.

slave1

I agree, the Green Fee increase is way out of synch with cost increases

Mantis Toboggan

Supply and demand I suppose, golf is definitely in the boom period since covid and alot of courses are over subscribed.

waterwelly

In the Midwest region I can name about 6 courses that got developed in maybe the 1990s. Woodstock, Ballyneety, Doonbeg, ballykisteen, rathbane, bodyke.

So almost 30 years ago, nothing since then.

I can't see many more courses ever opening, so with population growth and increased interest in the game, becoming a member will get more difficult.

Break80

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118956452#Comment_118956452

This would have been true before our buddy kicked off in Ukraine.

Now with the cost of fuel/fertiliser /wage inflation these increases will probably have to be looked at again to maintain the margins they had costed this year.

Kevinmarkham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118957277#Comment_118957277

That's a very interesting point. I was talking to a golf club superintendent last week who said fertiliser costs had more than doubled since last year. On a separate note, the guy who frames my photographs said that the price for transporting glass (he takes half a container) from China has risen from €3,000 to €11,000. And that was in January, before Ukraine happened.

In response to the OP, I've been writing various articles since Christmas and there are still clubs charging 30/40 euro green fees. I have not come across anyone who has doubled green fees... but then it depends on when you last played golf. I have lists somewhere of what clubs were charging when I first wrote Hooked (2007/2008) and they were bumped up considerably by 2013. The top-tier courses continued to increase fees gradually after that but a lot of smaller clubs were not able to shift their green fees in the same way because of declining memberships.

The uptake in golf over the pandemic has enabled price increases and while there will always be a few who find a calculator and multiply everything by 50%, the majority of clubs have made far more modest increases

DuckSlice

Our Greenfee has been 20 euro for years and we are just about to put it up to 25 euro for the summer months and some are convinced its too dear.

There is still bargains to be had, you might have to travel though. Our course is only 9holes though. But one of the best in the country.

avud

I used to get some great deals on the golfnow app especially during the week as I work shift, even these deals are gone since we came out of restrictions.

slave1

Just played Greenore, €25, great value

Seve OB

Would it be fair to say that an increase in membership across possibly most of the clubs in Ireland has meant that those clubs are now not in a position to offer as many green fees, therefore charge more.

im not saying they charge more to offset the reduced number of spots, as I do realise the member subs will also contribute.

but rather, we don’t need as many green fees, let’s just hike the price up and it will probably generate less interest

slave1

There’s also the steep increase in Society rates, contributing to same point that clubs need less casual green fees

tommyaipsd

I echo the same thing said already. Getting a time is very hard, where my father plays people book multiple times to be guaranteed one time, and don't show up for the others. Emails were sent about it but it seems that's as far as they went about it. And some guys even admit, if theres a single on the sheet, they'll put their name in beside them in the hope the single pulls out cos he doesn't know them, and they get their game then.

passremarkable

Quick question for anyone able to help.

goiing on a family trip next week weekend and mother in law is a golfer.

im the only other person on the trip who plays and she wants to organise a two ball. Course green fee is €60 for GUI member and €120 if your not.

im not a GUI member as I rarely play.

can’t justify paying that, anyway around it ??

dan_ep82

Probably not but you can just ring and ask, there's usually a time going cheaper as long as its not one of the top links.

blue note

I've never been asked to prove I was a gui member when playing with a gui rate. If it's not an open you might get away with not being asked.

Probably be a bit embarrassing if you're caught, but I'd say that would be the height of it.

Or you could just ask can you have the gui rate for both. They might be grand with it.

willabur

I have never been asked to prove I was a GUI member before. I did book into Co Louth and the confirmation email said I must bring my gui card. They didn't ask for it on the day. I have booked a few other places with some guys in the group that were not GUI members and again I wasn't asked to produce proof. I guess if people started doing that who weren't gui members then it wouldn't be too long before the clubs would either insist on proof or do away with the discount....

Seve OB

I was only ever once in my life asked for a handicap cert / gui card.

ironically a public course in Spain! But I was renting clubs there so maybe some sort of ID proof if I legged it with them.

tell them your GUI has just lapsed as you are between clubs and considering your options…….. maybe they will roll out the red carp for ya and throw yiz a freebie 😁

blue note

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119009986#Comment_119009986

I wonder do they know there are a few getting non-GUI members and they're happy to get the green fees so they don't ask.

willabur

my thinking is that there is an element of confrontation when you rock up to a club its usually someone fairly young or junior who is at the register or sign in desk. Could just be someone who couldn't be bothered deal with the hassle of checking a card or worse pulling someone up when they don't have the card. for our trip to the south west last year I fully anticipated being asked for gui cards for the lads that didn't have membership, I had a few numbers I could give for them but lets just say the spelling of their name might not have matched the pronunciation