[Brian_Ewen]

In compiling our all-new Golf World Top 100 Courses For £60 And Under, rankings editor Chris Bertram discovered that too many of Britain and Ireland's courses are charging far too much money for the quality they offer.
https://www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/news-and-events/opinion/green-fees-are-too-expensive/

https://www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/courses/best/golf-courses-under-60-gb-ireland/

[Tommy Williamsen]

Fun list. I have played about 15 of them and would gladly play them again.

[David_Tepper]

Brian -

Thanks for posting this.  A very nice list.

It would be interesting to know membership costs at some of these clubs.

DT

[Tom_Doak]

Chris Bertram's attached article about the price of green fees is a very good read, although, he doesn't fully understand the economics of operating a golf course in the modern day.  Keeping it under £60 is not so easy anymore.


Meanwhile, GOLF Magazine came out today with their list of the Top 100 Courses You Can Play in North America, and the green fee numbers there are even more eye-popping.  There are only a couple of courses under $100 and most are north of $200 now.


Of course, no one mentions that these rankings help drive up the prices.  If Mike Keiser looks at what the rest of the top 20 courses are charging, he might decide that $295 for resort guests at Bandon is too much of a bargain.

[Thomas Dai]

Lots of links, heathlands, uplands/moorlands on the list and few parkland courses.
I imagine one of the main reasons why this is the case - it is after all a price specific list - is because the former often have less staff and machinery and generally lower operating costs in comparison to the latter. This helps in enabling them to charge lower green-fees (and lower subs too). For example, sheep nibbling fairways tends to be cheaper than men riding on mowing machines!
Many of the courses highlighted also have relatively low spec clubhouses, again an area where should grand desires takes place costs can escalate quickly, costs which are then passed on in green-fees (and subs).
Most on the list are also located in relatively rural areas where labour costs are less than in more urban regions.
Atb

[Tony_Muldoon]

No 84 The Vale is No1 on my list of awful designs.


I wont go over it again but it is my self appointed mission to tell the world to avoid.








Have played and enjoyed more than half and although I'd argue with some of the positions well that's what they are for!

[Niall C]

I reckon I've played about 28, and not all of them in Scotland either. I reckon though a couple of them cost more than suggested. Craigielaw at £49 ? As with all lists though I can think of a number of courses that would be in the mix instead of some of the ones in there, although very pleased to see Duff House Royal, Buckpool and Cawdor on the list.


However the obvious question is - where is Forfar !!!!



Niall

[jeffwarne]

Could do an entire trip along the Moray Coast for well under 60 pounds per round.
Buckpool ,Covesea,Newburgh on Ythan and Fraserburgh are listed, and about the only one I know of above 60 would be Moray Old at 80 pounds.
edit:Fraserburgh is 70 pounds
Spey Bay ,Cullen and Buckie Strathlene are 20, 30 and 30 pounds respectively weekdays and are highly recommended-far more than Buckpool.
To say nothing of several 9 holers that fit the bill


Of course you could bookend the trip with Trump Aberdeen and Castle Stuart and drive the average through the roof.

[Duncan Cheslett]

Chris Bertram's attached article about the price of green fees is a very good read, although, he doesn't fully understand the economics of operating a golf course in the modern day.  Keeping it under £60 is not so easy anymore.

But the price charged as a green fee is not simply a function of the cost of maintaining the course and club facilities.


Much has to do with the particular business model and culture of the club.


Those with a full quota of playing members will have little appetite or need to attract hoards of visitors, and will price the green fee accordingly so as to restrict numbers and to reinforce the perceived value of membership.


Some clubs rely heavily on revenue from visitors to balance the books and will pitch their green fee at whatever the local market will bear.


Other clubs are in dire financial straits and will cut prices to the bone simply to attract the funds required to meet that month’s salary bill.


Cavendish is at number four on this list and for years has depended on visitor income for around half its revenue. At an average of £22 a round however, it has historically charged far too little. The increase in visitor numbers in the aftermath of the two lockdowns has enabled the club to increase fees to £55 at weekends and £40 during the week. The entirely predictable result has been not only an increase in visitor revenue but also in membership numbers. Membership at £950 per year starts to look like spectacular value for money when the green fee is £55 per round instead of £22!

A well run club will set its green fee to balance visitor revenue with membership revenue according to the club’s particular situation.


£60 is still a lot of money for a game of golf. Members of most top 100 clubs who play once a week generally pay less than half that for each round.


30,000 rounds x £60 = nearly two million quid!


Most U.K. golf clubs get by quite happily on a third of that. Many a lot less. It’s not the cost of maintaining the course that pushes green fees up.


The price of a green fee is a balance between attracting visitor income and keeping members happy.

[Brian_Ewen]

However the obvious question is - where is Forfar !!!!

Or Arbroath? (£40)


I suppose we all know courses local to us that could make this list, but I always think courses in Aberdeenshire, and especially Aberdeen itself seem to always get overlooked.


I would put many before Newburgh on Ythan that is on this list.


But, it would seem Stonehaven is very much in fashion at the moment.

[Niall C]

Spey Bay ,Cullen and Buckie Strathlene are 20, 30 and 30 pounds respectively weekdays and are highly recommended-far more than Buckpool.

Jeff

Not to do down the others you list there but I'd actually put Buckpool ahead of them although I think they are all of a similar level. Buckpool certainly has a few mundane holes, as they all do, but I tend to think the high spots at Buckpool are better than the others. What it could do with though, based on my last play which was nearly a decade ago, it could do with a lot of gorse clearance.

FWIW, my top 3 in Moray in order is Moray Old, Elgin and Duff House Royal. Elgin also qualifies for this list if you play off peak.

Niall

[Niall C]

However the obvious question is - where is Forfar !!!!

Or Arbroath? (£40)


I suppose we all know courses local to us that could make this list, but I always think courses in Aberdeenshire, and especially Aberdeen itself seem to always get overlooked.


I would put many before Newburgh on Ythan that is on this list.


But, it would seem Stonehaven is very much in fashion at the moment.

Brian

Spot on. I've long thought the same about the Glasgow area. The first job is to get folk to think outside the coastal box and actually consider playing inland.

Niall

[Thomas Dai]

There are a few courses that likely ought to be on this listing but have upped their green fees considerably over the last few years based on having a famous ‘big name’ course nearby. Some courses in some parts of Scotland, and Ireland generally, seems to have jumped on this bandwagon. I wonder how they will get on over the next year or so given Covid and travel limitations? GB residents might not be too keen to pay prices set more akin to the pockets of visitors from overseas and E/S/W/NI-ROI county card and national green-fee reductions don’t reciprocate with each other.
Atb

[jeffwarne]

Spey Bay ,Cullen and Buckie Strathlene are 20, 30 and 30 pounds respectively weekdays and are highly recommended-far more than Buckpool.

Jeff

Not to do down the others you list there but I'd actually put Buckpool ahead of them although I think they are all of a similar level. Buckpool certainly has a few mundane holes, as they all do, but I tend to think the high spots at Buckpool are better than the others. What it could do with though, based on my last play which was nearly a decade ago, it could do with a lot of gorse clearance.

FWIW, my top 3 in Moray in order is Moray Old, Elgin and Duff House Royal. Elgin also qualifies for this list if you play off peak.

Niall

I edited my post too many times.
What I meant to say was that I was more impressed with Strathlene  than Buckpool.
I also agree with you about Newburgh on Ythan(I'd place it somewhere near Buckpool)
Both are great value with a warm welcome.
 I would definitely prefer to go back to Cullen, Spey Bay or Strathlene .
I will say Buckpool had a warm welcome and many fine holes, and I did shoot my low round of the trip there.
The other inland courses you listed are excellent, but don't qualify based on weekday reg season price.

[Tom_Doak]

Chris Bertram's attached article about the price of green fees is a very good read, although, he doesn't fully understand the economics of operating a golf course in the modern day.  Keeping it under £60 is not so easy anymore.

But the price charged as a green fee is not simply a function of the cost of maintaining the course and club facilities.


Much has to do with the particular business model and culture of the club.


Those with a full quota of playing members will have little appetite or need to attract hoards of visitors, and will price the green fee accordingly so as to restrict numbers and to reinforce the perceived value of membership.


Some clubs rely heavily on revenue from visitors to balance the books and will pitch their green fee at whatever the local market will bear.


Other clubs are in dire financial straits and will cut prices to the bone simply to attract the funds required to meet that month’s salary bill.


Cavendish is at number four on this list and for years has depended on visitor income for around half its revenue. At an average of £22 a round however, it has historically charged far too little. The increase in visitor numbers in the aftermath of the two lockdowns has enabled the club to increase fees to £55 at weekends and £40 during the week. The entirely predictable result has been not only an increase in visitor revenue but also in membership numbers. Membership at £950 per year starts to look like spectacular value for money when the green fee is £55 per round instead of £22!

A well run club will set its green fee to balance visitor revenue with membership revenue according to the club’s particular situation.


£60 is still a lot of money for a game of golf. Members of most top 100 clubs who play once a week generally pay less than half that for each round.


30,000 rounds x £60 = nearly two million quid!


Most U.K. golf clubs get by quite happily on a third of that. Many a lot less. It’s not the cost of maintaining the course that pushes green fees up.


The price of a green fee is a balance between attracting visitor income and keeping members happy.

Duncan:


Yes, it's complicated, and you've given a good summary here.  But if the cost of maintaining the course has no bearing on the visitor fee, the club is either very lucky to have a course in such demand, or they are not running things very well.


My comment was just that many / most golf writers don't really know the numbers of what it takes to operate a golf club.  As you say, most clubs get nowhere the two million pounds of income you did by your simple math.  No one gets their peak green fee all the time, and many are not hosting nearly as many rounds as that.


I'm prone to thinking about new courses, and that old rule of thumb that you have to charge £10 in green fees for every £1 million in development costs.  By that standard, it's very difficult to build any new project under the £60 green fee being set as affordable.  It only works for courses that have paid off their debt . . . or failed to pay it off and been recapitalized.

[Mike Hendren]

What a timely thread ahead of this year's BUDA.   My preliminary quirk-fest includes Minch Old, Kington and Painswick in addition to the two host venues.  This will likely be my last foreign sojourn so I'm looking to fill three more days without visiting any of the championship courses.  Perranporth is well out of the way but calling my name.   


I look forward to further posts.


Thanks,
Mike

[John Mayhugh]

Brian -

Thanks for posting this.  A very nice list.

It would be interesting to know membership costs at some of these clubs.

DT

Well, there is this google thing....
I'm fortunate to have played 3 of the top 4. Need to get to Seacroft. I also included the junior membership costs because I marvel at how inexpensive those are.

 
 
                                    full member      17 & under        prime green fee
Seacroft                        £840                 £90                   £70 (as low as £30 in the afternoon)
Southerndown             £828                £99                   £85 (as low as £55 in the afternoon)
Kington                         £595                 £60                   £37         
Cavendish                    £945                 £40                   £55

[Ally Mcintosh]

Strandhill seems to be forgotten about when it comes to these kind of lists. Probably a better course than about 80 of these and should be a contender for Top-200 GB&I.


EDIT: I see they have followed suit and introduced an “International” rate that falls outside this bracket. But in reality, 90% of people play the course for about €40-50.

[Thomas Dai]

Worth quoting an aspect of the criteria specified in the article for inclusion within the list -


“A course had to be available for £60 or under on at least two days of the week, without the use of a discount card or a time condition such as twilight deals. We have telephoned every entry on our list to make sure we have the details correct, but there is still a slight element of “I hope we were given the correct information!”


Atb

[Niall C]

I would interpret a "time condition" as being off-peak season as well as twilight in which case Craigielaw wouldn't qualify. If you start accepting off-season rates then there's an awful lot more courses that would qualify. BTW not intending to pick on Craigielaw it is just that given the facilities there, and the fact it is modern, I was just surprised it was bracketed as being under £60.


Niall

[David Jones]

I would interpret a "time condition" as being off-peak season as well as twilight in which case Craigielaw wouldn't qualify. If you start accepting off-season rates then there's an awful lot more courses that would qualify. BTW not intending to pick on Craigielaw it is just that given the facilities there, and the fact it is modern, I was just surprised it was bracketed as being under £60.


Niall

It's supposed to be summer rates. I think that one slipped under the radar and there are a couple of others too.

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