[jeffwarne]

Jeff, I agree with all you say but do not think you are comparing apples and apples. Turnberry and Pinehurst are apples and apples. I think Turnbery will be much higher. However Pinehurst, Pebble, Kohler and a few others go after the same markets which did get out of control. I can also say i do not find them to be good values for what you get either. I do not seek out corporate enetertainment golf settings either.  I canonnt remember the last time I played any of the premier Open courses for 75 pounds. I wish and would back off all this. It really does not matter for it is what it is and as long as I am able will continue to play in the UK each year. It seems like some are lowering green fees a bit but Muirfield at 185  and Troon at 165 pounds is still a bit strong.

Tiger,
The 75 was a PGA rate-2005ish.
I was with players who paid 200 pounds at Troon at 2:1 rate. includes lunch and very enjoyable Portland course.
The most I've seen paid but no complaints.
At 165 that's about $250 now US.

I can't think of an Open course here you can play for less unaccompanied and if you back out $80 for the Portland course and $20 for lunch that's $150 to play an Open course. Bethpage is unavailable without major hassle and is still expensive and 6 hours.
Sebonack is $500 + caddie.
All the clubs on the east end are $350 or more unaccompanied + minimum $100 for caddie.

Pebble is $500 PLUS the Lodge. I can't compare Pinehurst to Turnberry as Pinehurst is evidently too subtle for me.-it doesn't really impress me (of course Troon doesn't impress many either)-Those would be good comparisons,except Troon is cheaper and its' private.

The first time I played ballybunion I played retail 4 pounds (before there were euros).
I'm sure what golf doesn't need is another boom.

All of the courses I played on my trip last fall to Machrihanish area were retail 20-60 pounds. (mach Dunes was 79 pounds inc. lodging!)
Ther's plent of inexpensive great golf available in great, welcoming atmospheres if you avoid the Open venues (which are no longer from the yellows than most of the lesser known courses)

Nice problems to have

Holy cow! I just priced Pinehurst in season rates.
$399 per person(double occupancy!) includes golf +$175 surcharge to play #2.
So throw in the $20 for lunch and you're at $594. (unless you opt for single occupancy which is $113 more)
$707 +tax which ain't cheap for a single room and a36 hole day inc. a uS Open course (let me guess the caddies are mandatory)

or Troon at $250 (2 rounds + lunch)+73pounds single or double occupancy( = $108)
 Total ( including taxes) $358 single occupancy leaves a lot of money for drinks at the marine Hotel overlooking the course and sunset .
Now one might ague that Troon Marine Hotel isn't Pinehurst Hotel,but the sunsets are pretty good and that Hotel is way more than I ever need (or spend)

[Gareth Williams]

Affects my ever revolving golf club equipment purchases from the good old US of A for sure 

[John Foley]

Holy cow! I just priced Pinehurst in season rates.
$399 per person(double occupancy!) includes golf +$175 surcharge to play #2.
So throw in the $20 for lunch and you're at $594. (unless you opt for single occupancy which is $113 more)
$707 +tax which ain't cheap for a single room and a36 hole day inc. a uS Open course (let me guess the caddies are mandatory)

Jeff - You missed the offseason deal at Pinehurst. $222 for a room at the Carolina, breakfest & a round on #2. Great time to play if you get some luck w/ the weather. We got Sunny & 62 degrees. Pretty sweet deal.

[Scott Warren]

I canonnt remember the last time I played any of the premier Open courses for 75 pounds. I wish and would back off all this. It really does not matter for it is what it is and as long as I am able will continue to play in the UK each year.

Royal St George's is charging £60 until the end of the month!

You probably meant in summer, but still...

[Michael Whitaker]

I was looking at summer trips which were nearly $1,400. The previous trip I made in September was closer to $700-$800 a couple years back. And back then it wasn't an extra hundred bucks or so for the luggage.

Brent,
Drive to Atlanta-more competition.

Or Charlotte

[Brent Hutto]

For the trips in question, it really does look a couple hundred cheaper out of ATL as often as not. But for those of us like Mike and I who are like 90 minutes from Charlotte and two to three times that far from Atlanta a couple hundred is tempting but not necessarily a no-brainer.

Of course it's all moot for me. Unless I can find a $400 airfare and the exchange reaches parity I'm looking at 2011 anyway. I'm not within 7% of a UK trip to start with.

[jeffwarne]

Holy cow! I just priced Pinehurst in season rates.
$399 per person(double occupancy!) includes golf +$175 surcharge to play #2.
So throw in the $20 for lunch and you're at $594. (unless you opt for single occupancy which is $113 more)
$707 +tax which ain't cheap for a single room and a36 hole day inc. a uS Open course (let me guess the caddies are mandatory)

Jeff - You missed the offseason deal at Pinehurst. $222 for a room at the Carolina, breakfest & a round on #2. Great time to play if you get some luck w/ the weather. We got Sunny & 62 degrees. Pretty sweet deal.

I'm aware they have deals, but I was asked for an apples to apples comparison on Open courses.
So I used peak season.
The UK has deals too

[Simon Holt]

Get yourselves over here!

Anyone coming from the North East I would opt for Continental through Newark.  Leave there at 650pm and arrive in EDI at 7am.  On the tee in East Lothian by 9am. (40 minute drive from airport)  The biggest plus is not going through London and hence playing 'golf club arrival roulette'.  The prices have always seemed reasonable and perhaps not the very cheapest but certainly the most convenient.

My advise having seen thousands of visitors over the years is to pick an area and rent a house for the week (even up market holiday lets in Gullane or North Berwick ~ £350 a week)  Between 4 guys thats really cheap and you have a base you can work from.

In the summer NB, Muirfield and Gullane No.1 are value for money, with Muirfield being pricey but worth it. There are deals to be had though!  Dunbar is a good track bar the views of the cement works at the bottom end, Kilspindie has for my money one of the best short par 4s on the planet with their 4th hole, and The Glen has some of the best views.  Luffness is also lots of fun.  Gullane does good deals on multiple rounds over a combination of the courses.  East Lothian has loads of great, diverse courses, all within 20 minutes drive of a central point.

The same can be said for the West coast, The Highlands and Fife.  Come spend your money and help us get out of this mess!

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Donal....I've always wanted to ask....where you born OCeallaigh or O'Kelly.

Btw, I attended Avoca School in Blackrock, Co Dublin as a youth [Montesorri run by Nuns]...if that tells you anything, but currently claim to be a Yank.

Paul:

Funny you should ask

I always went by Donal Kelly, but when I was just about to graduate from UCD, the registrars office told me I must use the name on my birth certificate. I was registered as Dónal Ó Ceallaigh (the rest of my family are all Kellys), so I've gone by that name ever since. I use both forms of the name all the time.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()