Top 100 'Affordable' courses in Great Britain

[Duncan Cheslett]

I stumbled upon this the other day; it looks like a very well presented and useful resource for those seeking out out good golf but whose budget is not unlimited.

Or those who just object on principle to spunking £150+ on a round of golf...

http://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/features/articles/the-top-100-under-80-.html

I just wish they'd made the threshold £50 instead of £80!

[Scott Warren]

Really interesting and a great resource for anyone. Britain has some wonderfully good value golf.

Silloth as far back as 13 is a bit of a joke given it is GB&I Top 40 golf for 45 quid!!

Duncan, I thought of you the other day. I thought I recalled you posting that despite living around Manchester you've not ever played links golf. Am I remembering that right? If so, has that changed since you posted it? If not, what has held you back from heading to Southport and sampling?

[Duncan Cheslett]

T'is true, Scott...

The thing is, I only took up golf properly a year ago and have been spending that time honing my game at my local club and other parkland courses in preparation for unleashing myself on greater challenges in the years ahead.

Already in the diary for next year are Silloth, Formby, and hopefully Conway with our very own Mark R. Others will be added. I'm looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about regarding links golf...

[Mark_F]

£75 for West Sussex is a cracker - it was £65 back when I played it in 2004.

[Mark Pearce]

A reminder of how much good golf there is in the UK.  The rankings themsleves are a bit odd in places and, like Duncan, I can't help wishing they'd challenged themselves a bit more by setting a lower price bracket.

[Sean_A]

This would be an interesting exercise for us folks.  Of course, some of the courses mentioned on the list are now over £80 and Dornoch will be £100 in 2012!  I think £80 is a bit high, but if we dropped this to £50 it would be very difficult to come up with a meaningful list (for me, courses I would actually recommend folks see) of anything close to 100 courses - less than half my list is courses under £50.  

For me, the list would look more like:

1. St Enodoc ~£70
2. Kington ~£25
3. Enniscrone ~£55  
4. Woking ~£70
5. Cavendish ~30
6. Burnham & Berrow ~£70
6. Addington ~£70
6. Cruden Bay ~£70
6. Princes ~£80 (food included so qualifies-tee hee)
10. Silloth on Solway ~£45
10. Tenby ~£36
10. Brora ~45
10. Donegal ~£45
14. Huntercombe ~£52
14. Pennard ~£50
14. Southerndown ~£55
14. Camberley Heath ~£55
18. Carne ~£56
18. Beau Desert ~£65
18. Northamptonshire Co ~£70
21. Cleeve Cloud ~£20
22. Hockley ~£40
22. Portrush Valley ~£40
22. Harlech ~£55
22. Sherwood Forest ~£60
26. Stoneham ~£52
26. Castletown ~£50
26. Prestbury ~£55
26. Aberdovey ~£55
26. Dunbar ~£60
26. The New Course ~£70
32. Saunton East ~£77
33. Church Stretton ~£20
33. Strandhill ~£26
33. Yelverton ~£30
36. Southfield ~£35
36. Perranporth ~£36
38. Machrihanish ~£62
39. Players Club Stranahan ~£15
39. Burnham & Berrow Channel ~£20
41. West Cornwall ~£40
41. Worcester ~£40
41. Whittington Heath ~£42
41. Conwy ~£45
45. Edgbaston ~£47
45. Reddish Vale ~£36
45. Coxmoor ~£45
45. Delamere Forest ~£50
45. Southerness ~50
45. Harborne ~£50


Lets see some lists of other folks.

Ciao

[Jud_T]

Sean,

Thanks for posting.  This is an invaluable resource.  Joe Blow lurker might do well to consider, for instance, weighing three or four rounds at Enniscrone versus 1 round at Old Head, Tralee etc.  Better golf for a more reasonable price is a good thing regardless of one's circumstances.  How much is a notch in the old bedpost worth after all?  Less than I used to think I'd say...

[Niall C]

I recall the The Golf World Top 1000 UK book that had a separate list for best value, hardest course etc, and Silloth regularly was top of the list for best value.

Sean,

Surely cost comes into the equation when recommending a course ? I'd be very happy to recommend any number of courses that wouldn't make anyone's top 100 but not if the cost didn't match up to their worth. For instance I couldn't honestly suggest to someone to pay top dollar for Castle Stuart but would be happy to recommend Forres at a fraction of the price. Value for money is implicit in the recommendation IMO.

Niall

[Tom_Doak]

Sean:

Thanks for your list.  You should really post this as an In My Opinion piece, with links from the courses you've mentioned to your photo tours.  It's a great resource.

It is weird to see the prices all over the map like that.  I guess that, as in the U.S., location affects the price significantly.

The one shocker is Adrian's course:

40. Players Club Stranahan ~£15

Based on your rankings it looks severely underpriced -- so low that he is implying it's not that good.  He should make it 25 pounds this summer.

[Sean_A]

Thanks for the comments.  The list is very lacking in Scottish and Irish courses of which there are many which could smooth out a top 100.  I am sure that if we had a few Irish, Scottish and English guys put forward an essential top 30 list we could come up with a very good top 100 GB&I Affordable list.

Jud

I wish when I was younger that I hit the courses in the corners of GB&I.  I had more energy and enthusiasm then.  Its hard now to contemplate getting on a plane to play Askernish or Machrie.  I know I say I want to, but saying and doing is two different things.

Niall

Cost always matters to me and unless I think a person doesn't care at all about cost it would be a factor in any course I recommend.  That said, there has to be a bottom line of quality/interest before I would recommend any course.  In other words, value starts with quality and ends with price.  The 50 I offered are all ones I would gladly recommend to anybody interested in architecture.  There are other courses I really like such as Seascale, Saunton West and Minch Old, but that I am not convinced are good recos for an architecture crowd or perhaps in the case of Saunton West is just too expensive with the East next door at the same price.  There are also others such as Gullane #2 & 3 and Golspie I would hesitate to recommend because of the other great courses nearby.

Tom

I really liked Adrian's Stranahan Course and I think it is a good example of where golf should be heading.  I think he has approached the project very well in creating a lot of par 3s and a handful of longer holes to balance out the interest.  The property is slightly awkward, but Adrian managed to create several good and interesting holes and keep the green fee very affordable.  Most important for a short course such as this, the greens are interesting throughout - much more interesting than the typical classic English course.  I would pay more than £15 to play the course, but I don't know his business at all.  I suspect the course is still a work in progress.  I wonder if creating a separate membership for the Stranahan would see it better utilized.  At Burnham we created a separate membership for the Channel Course and it has worked very well with attracting women for whom the Championship Course is just too hard.  

For sure The Stranahan has provided impetus to see another Adrian project; the Orange 9 (a fairly new nine which looks quite interesting) at Cumberwell Park.

I want to see other lists.  I know Jeff Warne has mentioned some great looking Irish courses which are now fully on my radar for the future.  

Ciao

[Chris DeNigris]

Sean- If we're bringing Ireland into the mix you'd likely have to have Lahinch and Ballybunion Old at the top of your list..both are under £80 with the exception of high season and for Lahinch it's close even in the summer.

[Sean_A]

Chris

It is my understanding that the original list was based on high season prices and no other deals (as I think is right and proper when doing these sorts of lists). 

Ballybunion is much more than £80.  The cost is 180 Euro.  One can avail of a free game on the Cashen if they so wish after paying the full whack. 

Lahinch is about 160 Euro.  Other prices are deals.  For instance, I am playing next June for 185 Euros for two days, one of which is a Sunday.  I think this is good value, but I can't say it less than £80 for the round - its 160 Euro and one must commit to a second day to get the value.

Ciao 

[Chris DeNigris]

Sean- I could be wrong (often am) but the website list had "starting at" prices that they were using..which I assumed was for something other than weekend peak. They show Dornoch at £75 but their peak price for 2011 was £100. I think they skipped Ireland entirely.

I played both BB and Lahinch in October for 95 and 90 Euro..so maybe we can bring shoulder rates into play

BTW- Lahinch has their 2012 rates published (boy do I want to go back)- and they top out at 125 E on the weekends and only 110 E during the week in high season. Which is only about £92...so we're close! Now that is a GREAT value.

[Jud_T]

Thanks for the comments.  The list is very lacking in Scottish and Irish courses of which there are many which could smooth out a top 100.  I am sure that if we had a few Irish, Scottish and English guys put forward an essential top 30 list we could come up with a very good top 100 GB&I Affordable list.

Jud

I wish when I was younger that I hit the courses in the corners of GB&I.  I had more energy and enthusiasm then.  Its hard now to contemplate getting on a plane to play Askernish or Machrie.  I know I say I want to, but saying and doing is two different things.

Sean,

Just because the list isn't definitive doesn't mean that it's not quite valuable.  I agree with Tom, post it in the Opinion section with links and just make a note that it's not comprehensive and give reference to courses that you're intrigued by that you haven't had a chance to get to yet.  One respected guy's list may actually be MORE valuable than a consensus list.  One can figure out fairly easily over time whether one is likely to have similar tastes or not.  In a case like mine, where I think I would probably like a significant number of the same courses that you do, a list like this or the Confidential Guide is infinitely better than one of the rags or even a GCA consensus list.

[David_Tepper]

It is nice to see a number of the courses in the Highlands (Boat of Garten, Spey Vally, Tain, Brora & Royal Dornoch) on the list. I would have loved to see Golspie (which I prefer to Tain) on the list as well. It would certainly make the list if the maximum green fee was 50 pounds.

[Jim McCann]

Here’s a list of 40 top Scottish 18-hole courses that you can play for under £60, listed in their current ranking order on the  www.top100golfcourses.co.uk website:

Green fees quoted are for a midweek round in the summer, some prices are based on 2011 rates.

24 Machrie £50
26 Montrose (Medal) £55
27 Moray (Old) £55
28 Ladybank £53
29 Southerness £50
31 Downfield £59
34 Lundin £57
35 Brora £45
38 Leven Links £55
43 Scotscraig £56
47 Boat of Garten £39
49 Tain £48
50 Crail (Balcomie) £57
51 Kilmarnock (Barassie) £57
56 Gullane (No.2) £47
59 Letham Grange (Old) £30
60 Fraserburgh (Corbie) £50
61 West Kilbride £45
66 Lanark £42
68 Fortrose & Rosemarkie £38
69 Royal Musselburgh £38
72 Portpatrick (Dunskey) £34
73 Belleisle £28
74 Duff House Royal £40
75 Kilspindie £40
76 Edzell (Old) £40
78 Crail (Craighead) £57
80 Longniddry £50
81 East Renfrewshire £50
82 Irvine £50
83 Pitlochry £37
84 Duddingston £48
86 Peterhead (Old) £40
87 Nairn Dunbar £50
88 Whitekirk £35
89 Newmachar (Hawkshill) £50
91 Ratho Park £33
92 Stranraer £35
93 Carnoustie (Burnside) £38
94 Inverness £42
95 Powfoot £39
96 Kilmacolm £35
98 Forfar £34
99 Gullane (No.3) £30
100 Craigielaw £59
GEM St Andrews (Eden) £40
GEM Newburgh-on-Ythan £37
GEM Elgin £39
GEM Golspie £40
GEM Auchterarder £35



 

[Bill_McBride]

Interesting.   I'm thinking some of these courses at $100 (Crail either at £57 for example) are really not great value.   Is that what it costs a local there?

[David_Tepper]

"I'm thinking some of these courses at $100 (Crail either at £57 for example) are really not great value."

Bill -

Unless you are joining a club or paying at the "guest of member" rate, green fees in GB&I are no longer the bargain (certainly to a visiting American) they were 10 or 20 years ago. It is a simple as that.

DT

[Jim McCann]

Bill

As far as I'm aware, that's the price to be paid by anybody who is not a member of the club concerned
(and is not playing as the guest of a member) - I don't know if a golfer living in the Kingdom of Fife will
be given a local discount at Crail but I doubt it, somehow.

For REAL value, look no further than these four:

Brora
Boat of Garten
Letham Grange (Old) - a VERY under rated track in Angus
Lanark

You'll note there's hardly a course in Scotland's top two dozen that can be played for a green fee under sixty quid.

[Dσnal Σ Ceallaigh]

Here are the rates for all the Donegal courses. Most are for 2011, but I wouldn't expect to see big increases for 2012; most likely they'll remain unchanged. You can get better rates if you play in the various open competitions that many of these clubs organise throughout the summer.

Apologies for the screwed up formatting; the tab button doesn't work when writing a post.

Course         Mon.-Fri.   Sat., Sun. & Bank Holidays

Ballybofey & Stranorlar#   €20/£17   €25/£21
Ballyliffin (Old)#      €80/£67   €80/£67 (2012 on-line rate), €60/£50 before 08:30 or after 15:30
Ballyliffin (Glashedy)#      €90/£75   €90/£75 (2012 on-line rate), €60/£50 before 08:30 or after 15:30
(Day Ticket: €130/£108 for one round on Old and Glashedy.)
Buncrana*         €15/£13   €15/£13
Bundoran*         €35/£29   €45/£38
Cloughaneely*      €15/£13   €20/£17
Cruit Island*      €25/£21   €25/£21
Donegal#         €50/£42   €65/£54
Dunfanaghy*      €30/£25   €40/£33
Gweedore*      €20/£17   €20/£17
Greencastle*      €20/£17   €25/£21
Letterkenny#      €25/£21   €35/£29
Otway*         €15/£13   €15/£13
Nairn & Portnoo#       €60/£50   €70/£58
North West#      €25/£21   €30/£25 (2011 rate)
Portsalon#         €40/£33   €50/£42
Redcastle         ?   ?
Rosapenna (Old Tom Morris)#   €60/£50   €60/£50 (2012 on-line rate), €45/£38 before 09:00 or after 15:00
Rosapenna (Sandy Hills)#   €60/£50   €60/£50 (2012 on-line rate), €45/£38 before 09:00 or after 15:00
(Day Ticket: €110/£92 for one round on OTM and SH.)
      
* Rate taken from www.gui.ie
# Rate taken from club web site

[Sean_A]

Interesting.   I'm thinking some of these courses at $100 (Crail either at £57 for example) are really not great value.   Is that what it costs a local there?

Ace

To me good value isn't strictlly about price.  We can all get cheap golf, but usually cheap, like a cheap suit, isn't good value.  Good value is a price one is happy to pay for golf after having seen it once or a few times already.  That to me is quite different from a bargain (meaning you think the course is under-priced and would happily pay more).   

Donal & Jim

I would like to see you guys create your own list of courses you think are good value. 

Ciao   

[Bill_McBride]

Interesting.   I'm thinking some of these courses at $100 (Crail either at £57 for example) are really not great value.   Is that what it costs a local there?

Ace

To me good value isn't strictlly about price.  We can all get cheap golf, but usually cheap, like a cheap suit, isn't good value.  Good value is a price one is happy to pay for golf after having seen it once or a few times already.  That to me is quite different from a bargain (meaning you think the course is under-priced and would happily pay more).   

Sean, I was just thinking empirically, $100 is a fair amount of dosh.    But I would happily pay it again, next week if possible!

[jeffwarne]

"I'm thinking some of these courses at $100 (Crail either at £57 for example) are really not great value."

Bill -

Unless you are joining a club or paying at the "guest of member" rate, green fees in GB&I are no longer the bargain (certainly to a visiting American) they were 10 or 20 years ago. It is a simple as that.

DT

David, while not nearly the deal they were, simply the fact that you CAN play them makes them worthwhile.

So many great to good links courses  at a reasonable price.

The list is of course quite off.
Many courses on the list go for more than 80 pounds in the high season, but it is a nice starting pont.
Ireland is entirely eliminated.

Frankly, just take a trip to Donegal.
Portsalon twice or Dornoch once-a no brainer to me.
Throw in the Open Fairways 2 for 1 deal and almost all of Donegal is obscenely priced

[Mark Pearce]

Jeff,

Those are the quoted summer rates, at least they're supposed to be.  And Ireland isn't there because this is a list of courses in Great Britain.

[Martin Toal]

Jeff,

Those are the quoted summer rates, at least they're supposed to be.  And Ireland isn't there because this is a list of courses in Great Britain.

At the risk of being a pedant, Royal Portrush (Valley) ain't in Great Britain either.

If we make it UK, and include NI, we should throw in Ardglass, near RCD as an interesting and challenging links, weekday green fee £43 and Castlerock, £65 (2010 price). Could also consider Belvoir Park in Belfast at £65 (2010) and Kirkistown Castle an interesting James Braid design and a bargain at about £30.