Green Fees - Top Courses in Ireland

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..

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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..

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?

slave1 wrote: »

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.

All clubs affiliated to the Golfing Union make their clubs available to the Union for events, whether it be cups and shields or championships. Lahinch, RCD, Royal Portrush etc make their course available for play.


The Old Head is not affiliated to the Golfing Union.



All courses in Ireland are available to outside play. Anybody can arrange a tee time and play. Every club is free to set their own fee, if you'd like to play another course pay the fee they're asking. If you think the fee is too high, don't pay and don't play.


Lahinch, Ballybunion, Portmarnock, RCD etc all feature in the top 100 courses of the world, and rightly charge a fee for playing the best courses in the world. They all also offer reduced rates over the green fee rate, it's called membership and being a member's guest.


Their price is pitched at golfers who value the experience of their course. To say it's only for overseas visitors is not true, there is plenty of Irish golfers who pay the full rate too. Offering reductions does a number of undesirable things, one if a golfer pays full rate and finds out golfers on the same day paid a reduced rate, they will be annoyed and it sours their experience. It's bad business to annoy your best customers and two the golfers who don't pay full rate don't value the course.


Imagine going into a restaurant saying I want fillet steak but I'm only going to pay for sausages? The restaurant wouldn't be too impressed. Then the customer says but I live down the road, I'm a local. Do you think the restaurant will give them steak for sausage prices?


The members of Portmarnock, RCD, Portrush etc have made far greater contributions to the GUI throughout its history and to Irish golf. Don't insult them by saying there is a lopsidedness to green fee prices and access to courses

benny79 wrote: »

But that's the way golf is in this country I played waterville 2 years ago for €65 (gui rate) and 2 americans who I ended up joining paid €180 each.. The European is also in the top 100 in the world they have a reduced rate for GUI members its part of what the GUI is about hence opens..

its the same all around the world benny

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Imagine going to a restaurant (even every restaurant) in the country and ordering a steak and wine and saying – "I own a restaurant too, any chance of a discount".

The nice restaurant owner says "no bother at all - it is a tough game we are in and it is great we are all in this together, the same union". "It will be a pleasure to host you. Together we are stronger".

The diner eats all the food – says thanks so much, I had a great time and hope to see you again.

　
The same restaurant owner comes to your restaurant the following week . "How is it going". "Do you remember me from last week in my restaurant? ". "No I don’t actually". "Well I own a restaurant that you were in and got a discount" – you know "we are all in this together, the same union ?" "Well I only said that to get a discount and our food is too good for you".

　
Something like that – they can go and Foff and I don’t want to see them at other opens. They can stuff their steak up their dry aged arse

　
Simple.

Imagine going to an Open singles and being told to ‘go an Foff’ because the club at which you are a member have policies, over which you have absolutely no say, that aren’t agreeable to others

PMSL@ fix
Bang on