What's The Most You HAVE Paid For Golf - and Where Was It?

[Jeff_Brauer]

Like others, I recall the sting of the greens fees at Pebble Beach, Whistling Straights and Pinehurst 2.  The last was in 2006 when my son made the top 100 season ending AJGA tournament, played on a Davis Love/Paul Cowley course in NC.  I accompanied him and had to take him to see Pinehurst, which is the only great course he has expressed interest playing.

Each green fee was over $300, and we did the repeat play for maybe $200, so the total bill for a day of golf was $1000, plus caddies. (which gives me an idea for another thread.....)

This year, on my honeymoon, I made the mistake of trying to save money on bag fees by deciding to rent clubs.  My bride had old clubs, loved the rented Calloways, and although the greens fee at Inverarry was a mere $25 each, I would say the cost of greens fees and rentals ended up being about $1000 because I needed to get her a new set of clubs.......

[JMEvensky]

This could be fodder for another thread but has anyone paid in excess of $140 for caddie services?

I bet Pat Burke has .

[Brent Hutto]

One round or a 36-hole day?

Green fee for one round would be maybe Spyglass Hill in 2005 or the Ocean Course at Kiawah a couple years later. Each was around $300, give or take. Also a couple of UK courses were probably that amount or slightly less depending on what the exchange rate was the year I played them.

For a 36-hole day probably somewhere around $450 at the Ocean Course last year.

As for travel expenses and all that just to play one course, I can't really compute that easily. Probably that same 36-hole day last year at Kiawah because I did spend the night before and night after at a cheap hotel in Charleston. So maybe $600-ish for one 36-hole day including travel?

Generally if I'm going to spend more than a few hours of car driving and maybe one night in a hotel, I'll play way more than one round. Needs to be a 36-hole day at least and preferably multiple days. I'm not really into spending three days and a thousand bucks just to see one course, one round.

[Thomas Dai]

Many of the greenfee figures quoted here are more than my annual subscription! I take the point about travel and accommodation etc costs though.
ATB

[John Kavanaugh]

This could be fodder for another thread but has anyone paid in excess of $140 for caddie services?

The last time, and I hope the last time ever, that I took a caddie I paid him $120 after nine holes and asked him to go home.  He knew that I was going to pay him $100 for 18 so I figured he deserved a bonus for not having the pleasure of making my life a living hell on the back nine.

The most I have ever paid to golf was the $700 I paid at auction to play Rock Creek Cattle.  I never could find the money or time to make the trip.  I might as well rented a cottage on the moon.

[Andrew Buck]

I hate watching people set hypothetical bars for themselves, so this one gets to the nitty gritty.

Please limit your responses to two:

a)  What's the highest green fee you've paid, and where was it?

b)  Think a while about this one -- what's the most you have spent to go play one round somewhere, including the travel and lodging, assuming the main purpose of the trip was to go and play that course.

a) Kapalua - $300'ish.

b) Nothing coming to mind. 

[Ryan Taylor]

$400 something for Pinehurst #2 before the reno. That left a sour taste in my mouth.

Ryan

[Carl Rogers]

$215 for the Dormie Club this year.  I got my first hole in one on the 9th hole, so it was 100% worh it!  

Chris

I played Dormie this year and walked  .. it was $175.  That is the most ever paid for the golf alone.  I just had to play another C & C course.

Trip to Bandon is February of 2010 is the most total outlay including air fare from the east coast.

20 years ago, I never would have dreamed putting out that much (even on an inflation adjusted basis), but  I have more $ now and am older and time is running out.

[Brent Hutto]

Carl,

I've seemed to follow a somewhat parabolic trajectory. For the first decade or so I played golf I thought driving somewhere and meeting up with a few guys to play a long weekend of golf was a mighty extravagant outlay. It could easily add up to four or five hundred bucks for a three nights in a hotel and four rounds of golf.

Then I made my first GCA-oriented big trip to Northern California. Monterey Peninsula big names plus a Kings Putter weekend. Four or five hundred bucks wouldn't have paid half the green fees...much less airfare, car rental, hotels, incidentals.

The following year was my inaugural trip to England for the UK golf trips that have become almost an annual deal now.

But somehow the last few months I've realized that I need to ramp all this stuff down as quickly as I ramped it up. Not quit cold turkey but looing forward to retirement in several years I'm not sure I want to have to account for thousands of dollars a year worth of travel and big-$$$ green fees in my retirement planning.

So I have a feeling I may yet get back to where a thousand bucks is a big, big deal for a few rounds of golf. Even if the courses are awesome. It's been a fun ride but surely there's a lot of joy to be had in golf without ringing up $1,000+ plane tickets or stringing together multiple rounds of $200+ green fees in the course of a trip.

[Rick Shefchik]

$475, or $490, or however just south of $500 it was, to play Pebble Beach a few years ago. My wife played, too, so double that and throw in the $100 caddie fee. Was it worth it? We both played Pebble again two days later for the same price, sans caddie. You could call that a twice-in-a-lifetime experience.

My trip from the Twin Cities to play Cypress Point in 2006 probably cost me around $1,000. No regrets there, either.

[Ken Fry]

In 2008, played Playa Mujeres Golf Club in Cancun, Mexico with my wife.

Green fees were $260 ea. plus the cost of rental clubs.  By far the most I've paid for a round of golf.

It seems the higher dollar experiences for me have been, "glad I did it, wouldn't do it again."  Places like TPC San Antonio Oaks Course, La Paloma in Tucson, Whistling Straits Irish Course, all cost in the $150-$200 range.  Weren't worth the money IMHO.

Ken

[Chris Mavros]

Probably Harbour Town at $215, with the forecaddie was $250.  Chambers Bay was comparable.  I was driving from Jackson Hole to Seattle and stayed at the Coeur d'Alene resort on one of their golf packages.  The room and golf actually seemed pretty reasonable, but it was probably in the same ball park as the other two.  

[Greg Gilson]

I haven't updated this for some time but I used to keep a (top to bottom) list of green fees I paid on behalf of clients of my golf travel business. The "Top" 3 on the last version were Wentworth (A$700..includes compulsory caddy), K Club (A$625) and Royal Troon (A$550 in the days of compulsory day pass & lunch). The "Bottom 3" were Pennard/Royal North Devon/Carne (= A$100), Brora (A$75) & Musselburgh Old Links (A$25). These were all converted to A$ obviously at the going rate at the time.

Personally, I remember being most impressed by the "Manager's Introduction" Rates at Cplonial & Medinah (around US$400 back in early 2000's). The one round that probably cost me the most (including travel) was Durban. I'm afraid to do the sums on that one.

[Tom_Doak]

The most I have ever paid to golf was the $700 I paid at auction to play Rock Creek Cattle.  I never could find the money or time to make the trip.  I might as well rented a cottage on the moon.

A cottage on the moon would be cool.

And if you ever do get the urge to go to Montana, I'll make sure the golf is taken care of.

[John Kavanaugh]

The most I have ever paid to golf was the $700 I paid at auction to play Rock Creek Cattle.  I never could find the money or time to make the trip.  I might as well rented a cottage on the moon.

A cottage on the moon would be cool.

And if you ever do get the urge to go to Montana, I'll make sure the golf is taken care of.

Thank you.  While I never actually rented a cottage on the moon I did once buy the rights to name a star. My own idiocy often reminds me that I could save a ton of money by simply purchasing a pin wheel and finding a mirror.

[Philip Caccamise]

From a value perspective, what would you all consider an event with 2 rounds at the Greenbrier Old White and 1 round on the Greenbrier course with 3 nights lodging at the hotel for $600 per player total, including a (modest) prize pool?

[Chris_Blakely]

$215 for the Dormie Club this year.  I got my first hole in one on the 9th hole, so it was 100% worh it!  

Chris

I played Dormie this year and walked  .. it was $175.  That is the most ever paid for the golf alone.  I just had to play another C & C course.

Trip to Bandon is February of 2010 is the most total outlay including air fare from the east coast.

20 years ago, I never would have dreamed putting out that much (even on an inflation adjusted basis), but  I have more $ now and am older and time is running out.

I believe when we played earlier this year it was their peak pricing.  My buddies and I had a great time, played right after a storm and had the course to ourselves.

 Chris

[Tim_Weiman]

Think the most I paid in green fees was at Secession Golf Club - somewhere in the $2-300 range.

Most total expense I paid for one round was about $5,000 on my first trip to Ballybunion a long time ago, but that was mostly due to everything thrown in, including a stay at Dromoland Castle because my Mom talked me into taking my date there.

Seeing Ballybunion was worth every penny, but at least $2,000 was wasted on the castle stay.

[Greg Tallman]

Amazingly and thankfully I believe it would be the caddy fee paid at May River, 100 as best I can recall. Surprised and pleased our facility has gotten nary a mention here.

[Sven Nilsen]

From a value perspective, what would you all consider an event with 2 rounds at the Greenbrier Old White and 1 round on the Greenbrier course with 3 nights lodging at the hotel for $600 per player total, including a (modest) prize pool?

Per night?

If that's the total number, its a bargain.

[Ash Towe]

Rick,

That day, if I have this right was my best day of golf  ever.

[Mark Nieto]

#1: $225 for a round at the Challenge at Manele Bay (in Lanai, Hawaii).  I happened to be there on my honeymoon, and figured that I'd probably never be on the island again, so I adopted the "when will I ever be able to do this again?" mentality.  I found the course a bit boring, so I have no strong urge to return.

#2: While I've never taken a trip for a single round of golf, a buddy and I took advantage of an all-you-can play package in Palm Springs.  My share of the cost landed close to $300.  Included one night's lodging at La Quinta, 3 rounds at PGA West (TPC Stadium, Nicklaus, and Norman courses), and gas since we drove from LA.  That was a good value…and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.  Though, I don't think the resort offers the package anymore.  Perhaps it wasn't profitable for them?

[Tony_Muldoon]

For a single round it would have to be £130 (£150?) for the Winter Rate at Royal Birkdale.  I wanted to see it before the Open the following summer and this was my only chance.

Left London about 5 am and it rained all the way there.  Miraculously it stopped while we were on the course, but the time they sent us out following the Juniors on a Sunday, meant it was pitch black coming up the 18th.


The journey home was a nightmare, constant rain interspersed with blizzards meant 15mph was sometimes speeding.  Getting home at 3am Monday morning before a working week is not ideal.


Other than a feeeling that it was not the most exciting golf course and that the dunes were wasted, I was so tired I could hardly remember anything of the course when the Open was shown on TV.



Other than that  about 10 years ago I paid £220 for 36 delightful holes and Lunch at Sunningdale. They even sent Roger Waters out to practice his putting alongside me at Lunchtime.


I've told this before. We had a family holiday booked for California when a new co we'd started turned into a cash devouring monster. Rather than write off the holiday we went and I walked Pebble and played Pacific Grove.  Anther year and I'd have paid the fee.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Can't resist retelling an old joke most of you have probably heard about the Mexican golf resort that offered an all inclusive golf package at just $100 per night.  He is skeptical, but they assure him the price includes everything.

Guy arrives, checks in, makes a tee time, and asks the bell hop to get him a dozen golf balls.  Stays three wonderful days of food and golf, and checks out to a bill for $1300.  "What, $1000 for a dozen golf balls?!!!"

Well, sir, some places get you by the room......

[Terry Lavin]

I paid $10K in a charity auction which got me a foursome at Sand Hills with lodging and golf included. We flew on a Gulfstream and had limo transport from North Platte. Jeff Rude and Dave Seanor from Golfweek came along.

It didn't suck.