We all seem to play a fair amount of very good courses and that we often don't play as many of the very good courses we could do.  I am curious to know how much the cost factors into our decision making.   Of the very good courses you played - say top 100ish in USA or the world or the UK (whatever, you get the idea) where do they place in your desire to see play them again?  The choices are:

A. Would play again in a heartbeat, its worth the price.

B. Would like to play again at current price, but may reconsider if the price rises.  

C. Might play again under special circumstances (ie with old time mates as a one off etc.).

D. Not looking to play the course again, but would do if it was convenient and at a significantly reduced rate (say winter rate or guest fee etc).

E. Wouldn't play again - once was enough.

Ciao

Sean,

If you look at the price of the top public access courses I'd be suprised if many if not most, even those who have the means, would say D & E.

Two other points to ponder are:

- How many of the courses fall into category A given that the chance may be one time only.

- How many return visits do those great value / under the radar courses get?

Since the only top 100 course I have ever played is The Old Course, I don't have much of a frame of reference.

I will say that my wife and I plan to return to Scotland, and it's entirely possible that we'll skip The Old--but I doubt it.

The visitor's rate when we payed for 2006 in the fall of 2005, was ~$210, and that's the most I have ever payed to play golf. (The nice thing was that I got in an extra round playing with a someone who had a resident yearly ticket, and he cashed in a coupon, which brought the price to something like $75.)

The second most expensive round was at Torrey Pines--due to the fact that we had to go through a ticket broker. That was a one-time deal.

I have passed up courses that cost more than $100, simply because I can't get the cost/benefit ratio to work out for me.

Of course, a lot of the time, it's because I am playing off-season winter golf, and I refuse to pay $100+ and spend all my time in the garbage.

I'm not all that demanding re. architecture, and really, really hard courses spoil the fun.

Ken

Sean,

      Of the few legitimate top 100 courses I have played they mostly fall in category A or B.  However most of them have cost $200.00 or less (some much) to play. As price climbs to $250 for a top 100 then it falls to D or E.  I was fortunate to play Bandon and Pacific Dunes when the were $125 or less. However I have not played Bandon Trails and  as they all start to approach $300, I doubt if I will be returning anytime soon.  I live just a few miles from Karsten Creek, a fantastic course but not a Top 100 IMO and have not played it in over 5 years because they charge $275 dollars now. However if you play as a guest of a member its $100. I would gladly pay $100 to play Karsten.  

    There are some execptions as I may someday pony up the 750.00 dollars or so that Pebble beach will charge by the time I play there just to play there one time.

           

The most I've paid for a round of golf is about $240 for PGA West Stadium, which was about $100 more than the course I usually play in Palm Springs.  I actually went back the next year but they had cut the price by about $50.

I've gone to Pine Needles the past few years and have thought about playing Pinehurst #2, which is about a $300 up charge from what I pay to play PN/MP as part of the package.  So far I haven't bitten the bullet. The question I keep asking is whether the cache/uniqueness of #2 is worth the extra money (obviously it is to many).

I belong to a club and it's painful to think about what I'm actually paying per round.

Quote from: Phil Benedict on December 12, 2007, 12:01:48 PM

I belong to a club and it's painful to think about what I'm actually paying per round.

When you are a member of a club you do not pay to get through the gate, you pay to keep others out.

John,

I suppose there's an element of truth in your point but I'm not sure it's the main reason I belong to a club.  I live in the New York area, where the public courses are less than stellar and it takes forever to play (pace of play on public courses is a big issue for me).  I also like the fact that you can always get a game at a club, whereas you need a set group to play public course golf around here.

My father never belonged to a club but he had a handful of decent courses within a 45-minute drive and a regular foursome for Saturdays.  During the week he played in a shop league.  If such an arrangement were possible for me I might do it for a fraction of what I pay now.  But it isn't.

Quote from: Phil Benedict on December 12, 2007, 12:01:48 PM

I belong to a club and it's painful to think about what I'm actually paying per round.

When you are a member of a club you do not pay to get through the gate, you pay to keep others out.

Not true.  I belong to a club because it is absolutely the ONLY affordable way for me to play 125 or more rounds per year in the golf market I'm in.  I will admit that I like being able to walk out and play anytime, and that I like being able to play in 3 hours with a very short drive time.  But all of that is secondary to just being able to afford to play.

Quote from: Phil Benedict on December 12, 2007, 12:01:48 PM

I belong to a club and it's painful to think about what I'm actually paying per round.

When you are a member of a club you do not pay to get through the gate, you pay to keep others out.

Is that, in a nutshell, the difference between US and UK private clubs?

Sean
A. St Andrews (TOC), Muirfield, North Berwick, Royal Dornoch, Silloth, St Enodoc, Woodhall Spa

B. Hoylake, Ganton, Alwoodley, Cruden Bay, Royal Aberdeen

C. Turnberry, Ballybunion

D. Royal Lytham, European Club, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns

E. The Belfry!

I think in the UK top 50 green fee levels are pitched dependent upon who the target market is for each course.  Green fees are high where there are substantial overseas visitors, ie TOC, Kingsbarns, Turnberry etc. There are then courses which have a high green fee to deter or lower the flow of visitors, ie Muirfield, Hoylake, Lytham.  Finally there are courses which aren't on the mainstream tourist runs and therefore offer good value for money i.e. St Enodoc, Silloth, Woodhall Spa (if you belong to an EGU affiliated club)

On the basis of that Kingsbarns is in category D due to the high (if not exorbitant green fee) whilst Silloth is in category A as its the cheapest course in the UK top 50.  However given a level playing field in green fees I'd play Kingsbarns before Silloth.

Therefore there are some places I'd play again like a shot for two reasons, either they are worth the high price or they are a bargain!  Having said that you'd have to pay me to play The Belfry again!

Where price REALLY matters for me is outside of the Top 100 type courses.  At these, price is the very first consideration.

I can relate to this. For me, playing a top 100 course is a very special experience, and a rare one. Heck, the cost of travel to the course is likely more of a problem than any green fee. If I've managed to drag my butt there, I'm gonna play. I'll deal with the bill later. Still, even in the "WAY out of the Top 100" category, sometimes curiosity gets the best of me, and I get burned. As Nazareth succinctly stated, "Love Hurts."

PERFECTLY stated, Kirk.  And any day we get a quote from Nazareth in here is a fine day indeed.

TH

Gram Parsons was the writer, I think. But the Naz version was cool..

And regarding $$ for golf - it is always a factor. But I'm starting to think that playing any course just once is not an effiecient use of my limited resourses. I'll get a lot more out of playing Dornoch for 3 days than I would (and I might add, did) travelling up and down the East Coast ticking off my wish list.

My next trip to Melbourne I'll be playing RMW and Kingston Heath as often as I can and if that means working overtime, so be it.

Well then there we have it.  One way or the other I just got a kick out of Nazareth being mentioned in this forum.

 

Thanks for the info, Lloyd.

I certainly did NOT know, much less remember, that "Love Hurts" was performed by the Everly Brothers, nor did I know it was written by Boudleaux Bryant (a GREAT name). There are many holes in my musical history, and the Everly Brothers are one of them. My bad.

Amazing what one can learn on GCA.............