What's the most you've paid for a round of golf?

blue note

My mind was wandering and I was wondering what people in Ireland actually pay for golf. I remember playing with two guys in Corballis who had played the island a couple of days before. I remarked that I doubt any locals pay the full rate for these places and they disagreed and thought that the majority of Irish people were paying full price. They played with a member, so they hadn't, but most others do apparently.

I'm keeping the poll in Ireland, because when you've paid to go somewhere to play golf, huge green fees sound far more reasonable. If you've paid for flights to Florida and hotels, you're probably not going to cut corners on the golf - the reason you went there in the first place. But I live in Portmarnock and haven't played the old course yet. If I don't bump into a member who wants to take me out some day or stumble upon an open I'll probably eventually pay it out of curiosity, but I'll be slow to do it. A number of years at least. And I'd love to do a trip down to Kerry to play some of the great courses there, but I'll most likely veer towards Donegal / Sligo for a while longer while they're offering GUI rates.

I reckon the most I paid was €80 for an open in Baltray. I can't complain about the value, but if I'd paid €200 I wouldn't feel that was the best use of my money. If prices don't come down, or if those courses offering GUI rates at present stop I'll probably cave eventually and pay full whack for a round or two. But I can't see myself do it in the next couple of years.

But where do other people stand on this? Do you just accept that that's the price now? In fairness, it is dictated by the market. Or have you a limit on what's reasonable for a round of golf?

The Big Easy

Think you need another option or two. Not sure I've ever paid €100, but I would regularly pay €50+ for decent courses.

Think the most I've paid is €75/80 for Adare before JP bought it.

Have played a few top courses including Baltray, Ballybunion, European, County Sligo, all of which I played and payed without knowing a member. Some were through the boards society which does a great job making good and top courses available for reasonable money.

I'd love to play every course in Ireland but would be incredibly reluctant to pay over €100 for any of them. I would stretch to €100 if given the chance to play one of the marquee links for that, however being unlikely I probably won't ever play most of them.

Am quite comfortable paying between €40 and €80 relatively infrequently for what I consider top parkland courses like Bunclody, Powerscourt, Palmerstown, Heritage and the likes.

Maybe I payed €100 for Baltray, played it twice but don't 100% remember how much as it was quite a while ago. If it was €100 it probably effected my enjoyment as I didn't play particularly well and was probably overly critical of the course because of the price - couldn't see the sea for example, which at €100+ I'd expect to! 😄

big_drive

€50

I don't think I've paid over €50 ever. Usually for a top course I'd try get it in an open singles or scratch cup. But I probably haven't played a huge amount of the courses with a big reputation. Best course I've played is Tralee, in a scratch cup

blue note

€100

Sorry, I should have put them in as ranges, so 50 or less, 51 - 100, etc.

slave1

€150

Old Head and Royal County Down were my splurges, and worth it

FixdePitchmark

€250+

250 +

If we are counting North .

Wasn't happy to pay this and typically wouldn't but had American friends over and wanted to play RCD / Portstewart. These are serious money now ..well RCD and Portrush in particular...

I think I can handle €150 for a world class golf experience..but from The Open championship being held here to the boom in golf.

Things are a bit daft now..so you kinda have to play winter , classics and all that crap to be honest ..I'd rather just a reasonable GI rate in full summer conditions..and by reasonable I'd pay 150 ..

Most places have a reasonable GI rate ..but becoming increasingly difficult.

I do intend to play all Links courses north and south and if the timing is right and I'm in area I'll pay the rate ...not many to go ..

But I've only had to do that about 4 times ..rest all reduced in some way.

awec

€60 is probably the most I've paid for Powerscourt.

I'd pay over 100 as a one off for a top tier course, but in terms of regular play I wouldn't be paying over 60 too often. Preferably in the 50euro range.

250 for Old Head. Couldn’t get a GI rate. Only went because my cousin from England wanted to play it. Spectacular views, some breathtaking holes, but a bit meh overall and definitely not worth the money.

FixdePitchmark

€250+

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120953758#Comment_120953758

Almost impossible to fully enjoy day when you feel you dropped too much..

thewobbler

€150

Paid £150 for Royal Portrush during Covid. It was sensational and as I’d played little touring golf that year it didn’t take a flinch out of me. Enjoyed it more than words.

But the past couple of years, anything over €50 sort of makes me stop in my tracks. It’s hard to justify much more when I can play the likes of Ardee (€20), Seapoint (€45), Greenore (€28) in opens within 45 mins of my door and enjoy lunch and a pint afterwards without checking the Revolut for damage.

And for weekends away, there’s Donegal. Factor in as well board and pints and it’s half the price of a trip to Dublin.

big_drive

€50

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120953758#Comment_120953758

I got old head for €50 around 10 years ago. They ran a few open days at the time. Was glad I played it to see what it was like but no way I'd rate it worth €250

dan_ep82

€100

€100 but not in Ireland. Think I paid €75 for Baltray

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120954671#Comment_120954671

I got to play St Patrick’s fairly soon after it opened for less than 100 quid. Dooks for 60. Connemara (very underrated) for the same. Lahinch for free (!) because my Dad once knew the lad who ran the bar/kitchen there and I went up and said hello to him. Played Baltray a heap of times on the open day.

A lot of the courses now feel they need to charge more because the wealthy overseas customers think more money means a better course.

Even my favourite “hidden gem” Portumna is now charging €60 a round.

KevH1984

€250

Played Royal Portrush during Covid in an open they were running, think it was £150 or so from memory. Certainly the most I've paid in Ireland and absolutely worth it too. Lucky enough to play Baltray and Tralee fairly regularly for around €40 as both my uncle and good friend are members of both. A treat for that kind of money. The most I've paid for a round is €250 in Abu Dhabi last November while there on holiday. Played Abu Dhabi Golf Club which was great and the fee did include club and shoe hire so not a bad deal all around.

€250+

$600.

Round was $450 but you had to take a buggy and caddy so it rounded out at $600.

https://golfcascata.com/

FixdePitchmark

€250+

@Dav010 Serious money ..was it actually any good ? Or is it just , that is the way it is over there ? ..

RoadRunner

€250+

It was part of a package, but ~$400 for TPC Sawgrass. I consider this amount an investment in my future. I believe it's $650 nowadays.

Unsure what Royal Portrush cost ~£150. Maybe similar for St Andrews ~£140 (4-5 years ago). Portmarnock old for €100 in a rare open (Covid era). RCD £80 open.

benny79

€100

€80 for the European and that was with a member which killed me a bit but hadnt played it in ages and its my favourite course 🤷‍♂️ I just love the place! €75 for waterville gui rate on holidays felt I was ripped off! bad experience. They dont like Irish money and didnt find them very welcoming

PokeHerKing

€200

Paid 200e to play Lahinch a few years back. Got talking to some members after the round and they where embarrassed we were charged it. But what can you do.

Shot 88 and we had great weather so felt worth it in the end. But bad weather/bad round and you'd feel ripped id imagine.

bakerbhoy

€80 once in Ireland. Couple of occasions abroad.

No course is worth that stupid money some are charging.

€250+

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120955378#Comment_120955378

Magical.

Fr Tod Umptious

Paid e50 on Nov 1st 2002 for Waterville.

It was a windy day.

blue note

€100

I'm wondering is the problem we have with green fees of €150 more to do with how much great golf we have on offer for €50 or the like. You can do the Rosapenna trio for about €60 each. In fact, all the courses in Donegal can be played for about €50 and they're world class. The European do winter rates of €80 I think it was. Baltray is a fantastic course and I got it for €80. And then there are the likes of Bunclody that the society is going to this weekend, Tullamore, Tramore, Portumna, Carlow, etc. Terrific parklands that you'd probably only pay €30 for in an open.

Is €150 for the likes of the Kerry links courses, or those in Dublin completely unreasonable? I'm not sure it is. I suppose there's no point in not comparing the cost to what else you can get for your money - that's essentially what money is. But you'd quickly enough spend €150 on dinner for yourself and the wife. Given the choice I'd rather spend €150 on a class round of golf and just eat whatever the wife cooks while I'm gone for the day.

If my wife reads boards I'm dead.

dk1982

€150

I've paid €150 for waterville in september the last 2 years and will continue to do so. Honestly feels like value for money for the experience there

benny79

€100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120956675#Comment_120956675

I think this has a lot to do with the tourism market ie the Yanks.. Golf in General is dear in Kerry for that reason alone. Where as the likes of Donegal and the European, Baltrays are much better courses and way better valve imo

PokeHerKing

€200

Golf in Spain is pricey as well. I don't think it's the yanks. Just a sign of the times really.

I don't think 100e for a round on a good course is expensive. I think 150e+ you're getting into the realms of what could be considered expensive but it's obviously very subjective.

Dublin72

€200

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120957319#Comment_120957319

Agree with this. Golf in Spain and Portugal has gotten very expensive over the last few years. Big increase in demand and limited additional supply. An average course is close to €100 and the top courses a multiple of that.

Break80

Played Old Head twice free.

Play Ballybunion every year free.

Played 3 courses in St Andrews as part of a golf trip but don't remember the cost as being crazy money.

Played Sawgrass and Bayhill along with 3 resort courses on another golftrip which again the cost wasn't that prohibitive relatively.

Played Tralee for €55.00 scratch cup.

Playing Bunclody this week,and a lot more high end courses over the years at good rates due to the great work of this here golf society.

Haven't played in Portugal for a while but used get good deals in a package when we used go every September.

Played the North Links challenge a few times at decent enough rates for top courses.

The club I'm a member of has an arrangement with Carton house, Mahoney's Point and Arklow, I can play these course free any weekday. I'm not bragging just lucky to know members or well connected people.

TBH I wouldn't play any of these courses at the prices being quoted as a point of principle. I love my golf but work too hard for my money.

I would say the most I paid For golf recently on this island would be Dooks a few weeks back. €120.00 and not worth it IMO.

Fionn1952

€100

I've only taken golf up recently (a few rounds last summer and a few more this summer) so I'm not talking from a wealth of experience, but I'd typically look for discounted tee times in the €20-40 region if I can get away from the desk early for a midweek round, would be fine with a little more for a weekend round.

Most I've spent was a round at Killeen for a friend's milestone birthday last weekend, but that was discounted to €70.....by the time the wives had a bit of lunch while we were out it worked out a fair bit more.

I'd be OK spending a bit more but shooting around the hundred mark, some of it would be wasted on me.

mjsc1970

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120953807#Comment_120953807

You sound just like me

swededmonkey

€100

Just back from a week in Donegal and took a spin over to Enniscrone for the first time. Running an open comp on Thursdays for €65 is fantastic value considering the quality of the course. Shame about the 40mph cross wind blowing all day😅

PokeHerKing

€200

Can you play an open without a GUI membership number?

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120975395#Comment_120975395

No.

Well, some clubs might let you play if there's space on the timesheet and you're with GUI members, but you wouldn't be entered into the competition and can't win prizes.

callaway92

€100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958638#Comment_120958638

The fact that Dooks are charging €120 now is a farce. Fairly sure over the last 3 years they've gone from €60 to €80 to €120

They've only raise it to that bracked to be a 'Tier 2' course or whatever, when selling to Americans. Some of them won't be arsed looking at a 'Tier 1' so Dooks wanted to break into that market of the Tier 2s and 3s

slave1

€150

Unfortunately the only way to attract the Yanks is to increase the green fees, usually double to treble, if too low they simply will think it a sh1te course and avoid it. Strandhill are the same now looking for spillage from Co Sligo

Dr Turk Turkelton

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120975390#Comment_120975390

I'm booked into the open there this Thursday. Praying for a nice calm day!

Motivator

€250+

I’ve played Adare Manor at the top price purely as a one off. Genuinely one of the easiest golf courses tee to green you’ll find anywhere in the world. Getting to grips with PGA Tour fast greens is a different story but it’s one of the nicest courses I’ve ever played. I won’t be playing it again unless it’s by invite, prices are going up again year on year.

Typically I push the boat out once a year and pay €150 - €200 for a top course but the way things are gone with the cost of everything else in Ireland now I won’t be doing it for a long time. The likes of Mount Juliet charging €150 and Carton House going to €300 for each course there’s no way you could feel you’re getting value. I played Rosslare at the weekend and thought it was good value at the price although I was playing with a member.

mjsc1970

Carton House €300 ? That. Is. Nuts.

Mantis Toboggan

€50

Most I've payed was €70 for the K Club a few years back. I'd happily pay upto €150 for the top courses in Ireland if I could guarantee good weather. Disgrace that there isn't a GUI rate for all the top courses.

Doc07

€100

€90 but it was 13 years ago (on honeymoon) at Arnold Palmer course , O’ahu Hawaii .I also played on a reduced rate as I was staying at the hotel beside it.

It seems like great value in retrospect, at the time I think it was hosting a PGA seniors tour event every year. I think it has at least doubled in price since and is over €200 for non hotel guests.

It was fantastic course , immaculate Greens and obviously spectacular on Hawaii coast but brutal for an 18 handicapper. Water everywhere.

A great Golf cart and a cold beer in a really nice bar after all adds to the value feeling also.

I’ve been lucky enough to play Baltray several times with members for very little so hard to justify paying €200 plus for Irish courses unlikely to be any better.

If I was in Cork or Kerry on hold I suppose I’d consider splashing out but o hardly play at all now so couldn’t really justify it.

The most ridiculous price I ever briefly entertained was in Las Vegas. Wynn course (hidden behind the massive hotel resort) I was staying in the hotel and inquired about a t time- when you had added cost of caddy and gear I wasn’t getting much change from €1000 so politely skipped that one!

REFLINE1

€50

Paid €70 for an open in County Sligo over the Aug bank holiday, that's most i've paid in Ireland. Played Enniscrone plenty but with members. Splashed out €110 in Villamoura to play the Victoria course, nice track but that's still on the high end for me.

gypsy79

€250+

I paid over 250 I am guessing to play St Andrews but part of a package so hard be sure

Deporhostia

I guess for be it depends if you think you can get it any cheaper.

I paid £295 for St Andrews this summer. And I'm happy I did it. And have paid around £150 on occasions in Scotland and England (Cruden Bay, St Enodoc, Hankley and others) as well as €130 for Old Head twice during COVID, as it would be very difficult for me to play those any cheaper. And I dont regret any of them, even though I would say I'm conservative with my spending generally.

But in Ireland I'd be reluctant to pay over €100 when you can play opens etc fairly regularly at almost all the best courses for well under that.

I think I paid €225 in total for 4 rounds this summer at Portsalon, St Pats, Cruit and Narin. We are blessed with great golf at reasonable prices in this country if you plan accordingly

coillcam

€100

The most I've paid was €90 on two occasions so I went with the €100 option. An open in the K Club on the Ryder Cup course in 2021 and a GUI rate for Rosses Point last month.

Otherwise, I don't think I've ever paid more than €50 in Ireland for a green fee. I paid around €70-80 in Spain for a round with a buggy where I wasn't covered by the holiday package.

Personally, I think there are loads of courses around that represent value without breaking the bank, particularly for opens and scratch cups. Had a good chuckle at the Carton House rate, I played it as a guest for €30 back in 2021.

I'd happily stump up a sizeable green fee for a special occasion or one-off on a premium or elite course. Although I don't quite think I'd be happy paying the USA visitor-type rates anywhere. Would love to get to abroad (ideally Scotland) next year but have most of AL tied up in holidays and weddings already.

coillcam

€100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120975395#Comment_120975395

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120975889#Comment_120975889

Had a non GUI mate play on a slot in an open at my home course. He had to pay the open rate rather than guest rate (cost him a little extra). The pro said no issue as it wasn't busy but in normal circumstances he'd need a GUI number. Though I still think the club would prefer to collect a green/comp fee...

Supposedly you can play opens in the UK now and their courses are listed in the GI app too. Can't remember if I read that here or if it was mentioned offline. Tbf I'll fact-check this again.

Frisbee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120976906#Comment_120976906

When were you quoted Carton for 300? Their opens on the Monty are usually 60 and I played the O'Meara in June and it was an €85 green fee.

Motivator

€250+

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120994834#Comment_120994834

January 1st 2024 prices.

PokeHerKing

€200

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120997391#Comment_120997391

We need a recession so.

dan_ep82

€100

€300 for Carton ,either course , is ridiculous. The current green fees of €130 is ridiculous as well.

CONSI

€150

Played adare manor with a member, €225...really a once off...was a nice experience