Are Green Fees Dropping?

[jg7236]

Are green fees dropping at public, resort, and semi-private courses in the United States due to the saturation of golf courses we now have and due to our econoomy?

[Dave_Miller]

jg:

I occasionally play at resort courses during business meetings and I have not noticed any decline in green fees.  In fact some seem to be increasing.  I think Pebble Beach is up around $350.

Cannot address Semi-Private and Public courses.

Best
Dave

[Derrick Pina]

My home (public) course which is Richter Park in Connecticut has raised their green fees 2 dollars this year for resident play. I know of 3 other courses I play at who have also raised their prices this year. Southwestern Ct. isn't exactly a mecca for public golf either so that might not reflect the trend elsewhere.

[Matt_Ward]

jg7236:

The answer to your question depends on the section of the country you're talking about. In my "neck of the woods" (NY / NJ metro) I can't say that green fees have dramatically dropped. What you do have is flexibile pricing that goes up and down depending upon the season and specific date / time you want to play. Just a few days ago it was announced by the State of New York that out of state green fees for Bethpage's Black Course doubled from $31 to $62 on weekdays and from $39 to $78 on weekends / holidays. As a regular who touted the Black many years before all the fanfae developed I was saddened that a desire for a quick payday immediately after the Open took place.

At the CCFAD's there are still very high end courses that are $100+. The list isn't growing -- but it's not shrinking all that much either. Plenty of these courses realize that any sort of heavy discount pricing will result in a massive fall for the lesser clubs and it will create an expectation that such "discounting" will become permanent. That's something the well known clubs are resisting as they try to insulate their brand as a premium club.

Many of the clubs are trying to create a series of play packages. Akin to what you see with many NBA and NHL teams -- get people to buy packages because it means more activity at the course and potentially develops a long term customer base.

Clearly, there will be a shakeout of many courses because in certain sections of the country there are too many courses and not enough players to manage their debt load and still provide a slight porfit margin at the end of the fiscal year.

These issues do not effect Pebble Beach and the like because you are talking one-tenth of one percent of the market. As an FYI -- NJ was rated the 8th most expensive place to play golf by the National Golf Foundation in their latest report. I don't see that changing by much in my area, but clearly the dragging economy could have serious implications for places dependent upon visiting golfers who make up the middle class traveler to places such as Myrtle Beach / Grand Strand and the like. How all of those places survive these times and especially during the summer months is an interesting question that others on GCA may be able to answer.

[Jeff Goldman]

There are a lot of specials in Wisconsin and Illinois, some at good courses.  In lake geneva, any Geneva National course (the player is probably the one reallyworth playing) is $60 weekdays and sundays after 2 pm.  The brute at the Grand Geneva is $89 all day sunday.  Even blackwolf run sent me an e-mail for either the meadow-valley or Irish course for $98 (+$25 caddie fee at Irish).  Thunderhawk in Illinois has extremely low rates at 3 pm.

[Craig Van Egmond]

They are not dropping here in Oklahoma, in fact the local muni just raised its green fees by $2.00.  

I think courses are offering more specials on off hours to get play, but I don't see many courses lowering prices and they certainly weren't back in the Seattle area.

[John_Conley]

In Orlando they have dropped big time.  Too much supply, and still no demand in the summer.  As I predicted three years ago, this has been bad for golfers as course conditions suffer.  It just doesn't pay for a course to be well maintained when they still can't charge a premium.

Sunday at Noon Palisades' rate was $20, which includes golf car of course.  It is not necessary to pay more than $25 weekday or $30 weekend and virtually all area courses.

Alaqua Lakes was in great shape a week ago, but that is one of the few courses I've ever seen where the "semi" private aspect actually worked.

[Jerry Kluger]

Here in the Washington, DC area the prices are starting to drop as more and more quality courses are being built.  Musket Ridge which is a wonderful new Joe Lee design has a special weekday rate of $55 and Stonewall which is a really strong Tom Jackson design right on Lake Mannassas and next to the Robert Trent Jones Club has a weekday morning special of $50 for players over 55.  I don't however see the same trend in resorts as I am going to Kiawah in a week for the fourth year in a row and they are steadily raising prices.

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

Jerry K--

You said in a post on another subject that you will be playing The River Course and Cassique.  Those are both private courses here on the Island and have nothing to do with the Resort.  Our prices have remained the same for the last 2-3 years...

[0 Hcp]

There are a lot of specials in Wisconsin and Illinois, some at good courses.  In lake geneva, any Geneva National course (the player is probably the one reallyworth playing) is $60 weekdays and sundays after 2 pm.  

Yeah it is, i just played there last week, played both the player and palmer, the player is miles ahead, on all the courses there if you start before 8am its $45 off. We payed 60, and played without seeing anyone else

[Ramjac7]

There are a lot of specials in Wisconsin and Illinois, some at good courses.  In lake geneva, any Geneva National course (the player is probably the one reallyworth playing) is $60 weekdays and sundays after 2 pm.  The brute at the Grand Geneva is $89 all day sunday.  Even blackwolf run sent me an e-mail for either the meadow-valley or Irish course for $98 (+$25 caddie fee at Irish).  Thunderhawk in Illinois has extremely low rates at 3 pm.

A lot of courses in the Milwaukee area are running specials after a certain time, say 2pm or 3pm or early bird specials.  OTOH, it seems that the "Peak Times" greens fees are moving up about $3-$10 per round.