Mike Davis from USGA just said average 18-hole round cost $26

[Argonne69]

[quote name='pingman35awg' timestamp='1431048980' post='11520165']
Not only is water getting scarce in some parts but the electricity to run the pumps is outrageous. A 150 gallon per minute pump that is run every day for a couple of hours could cost upwards of 500 bucks a month just for a 9 hole course. Everything is getting more expensive in this country. Its sad that so many courses are closing. I think it was something like 300 courses closed last year in the United States.
[/quote]

How many courses are there in the U.S.? As a percentage, I bet the closure rate is no different than many other types of businesses. If a course is poorly run, it's going to close, just like any other type of poorly run business.

[Shipwreck]

I was pleasantly surprised to look at our city course page and see $23 times all day....then a random $40 slot is in the middle....But ever since OB Sports took over our city courses are tip top shape!

[wgwalker]

In Nashville all the munis are $26 - $28 for 18 walking. But as a lot of folks have stated, the rounds can go for-ev-ver on the weekends.

[bigdaddyj]

In my area it's about mid $30s walking or $45-$50 with a cart. I find that most new courses almost force you to ride a cart. Fortunately I play a 9 hole private club for about $130 a month. That's with food minimums. Since I play five days a week it's a great deal.

[NV825]

I'm pretty fortunate that in my current location, the least populated state capital in the entire country, we have a lot of golf courses surprisingly. Come mid afternoon, there are 3 courses all within 10 minutes of my house that offer $25 twilight rounds. 2 are easier muni-courses, the other is my home course and is a solid challenge.

[Argonne69]

It would interesting to see the average paid, rather than average cost. I have to assume their methodology involved scanning all tee times for an entire year, including off-season rates, twilight, etc., and averaging the potential cost. Of course, most courses are empty during the non-peak times.

[Pepperturbo]

[quote name='falken19150' timestamp='1430927148' post='11509993']
The average in NorCal is def not $26. Most courses are running $75-110-ish. I think the water aspect is a big threat, but a bigger threat is the fact that kids today would rather play video games, tweet or take selfies all day then get out of the house.
[/quote]

Here is SOCAL its NOT $26 either; that rate is however, close to Twilight rates. Fee's cost me $65-$120 weekends and weekdays around $45, including cart, walking it drops a touch more.

I agree, water is a threat to courses, especially those that don't have their own wells or collection systems. Water in the desert is not an issue like elsewhere in the state, because they set on their own water supply. I have to wonder how Mike Davis came up with his $26 average. But you're right about kids today... a sorry, lazy lot.

[DTXgolfer12]

Golf is cheap here in texas compared to many places like NY and california and I'd say the average round here is closer to $40. A decent course will run you at least $50-80 during non twilight hrs. (but then again i'm picky about what "decent" is).

[CrabDaddy]

Judging by the responses, price runs the gamut. The devil in the details is how "average" is calculated. Is it the cost of rounds actually played? The listed greens fees? Cost of available tee times? Including country clubs, resort courses, etc...?
If a course's greens fees are $70 from 7:00a - 3:00p, then $30 from 3:00p - 6:00p, you could say the average is $50, but...
... 72% of available tee times are $70, weighted average is then $58.80;
... twilight is cheaper because fewer people play, which means there are >72% of the rounds played at $70. If 85% of rounds are played while the cost is $70, then the average price of rounds played = $64.


Along the same lines, courses in the NE see tons more traffic than rural courses. It's disingenuous to say that a popular course around NYC or Boston costs $100, and Goat Track GC in Montana charges $15, so the average is $57.50. Then, you could include all those Dec-Feb tee times available at discounted rates, lol.

The more I think about it, $26 is a ludicrous figure.

[ats200]

Average of the courses I have played in Vegas is about $45-55 (this is the "local" rate, those who live outside of Clark county get about double that rate) and the rate goes up for the more desirable start times. One of the par-3 courses here is $26 I think...

oh, and I haven't found a course that will let me play only 9 holes, they all say "you can play 9 holes if you want, but we don't have a 9 hole rate so it's the same price regardless."

Vegas is the worst place to do anything because everyone is greedy and wanting to take advantage of tourists.

[WBGolf]

2x post.

[WBGolf]

Seems a little low. Sure they are plenty that are <$30, but there are far more in the $100+ range, which would really jack up the average with no way to even it out. You'd have to have 3 free greens fees to offset 1 $100 one. I'm lucky in that the course I'm a member at will end up costing me about $7/ round. Full membership is only $279

[awil]

[quote name='falken19150' timestamp='1430927148' post='11509993']
The average in NorCal is def not $26. Most courses are running $75-110-ish. I think the water aspect is a big threat, but a bigger threat is the fact that kids today would rather play video games, tweet or take selfies all day then get out of the house.
[/quote]
That's a little bit unfair to our generation . I think a huge issue is the lack of ability to get into the game . There needs to be more summer camps for children offered by courses. This solves money issues with parents as it doubles as day care . These camps need to be more then 1 week they have to be all summer with breaks . If kids don't have fun doing soemthing (hacking the ball around ) they'll never get into the game . As for selfies , those are the euwibslnent to text messages these days , tweets can be sent from a golf course as with selfies . Video games are meh . There hit or miss but lacking a lot of luster they had when I was 13-16.

[Chilidog]

Is he saying the average 18 holes costs $26...to the course? That's the way I read it. That whatever the golf course charges over that is the profit.

[cam]

[quote name='JustTheTips' timestamp='1431008674' post='11516351']
[quote name='cam' timestamp='1430974792' post='11515001']
$26... I call bullxxxx... Only if I'm playing the crapiest course in the valley... On summer rates.. For a decent course I gotta she'll out over $50
[/quote]

Have you considered that you are playing expensive courses as a result of living in an expensive area?
[/quote]

Ha... The expensive courses in Phoenix area are well over $100.. I play the cheapest course I csn find thst actually has grass on the fairways and greens

[Startzel]

[quote name='jsams222' timestamp='1430928128' post='11510127']
[quote name='golfcarte' timestamp='1430926977' post='11509975']
Mike Davis from the USGA was just talking in a presser for the Players, and said, that greens fees aren't the biggest threat to golf, its water. He went on to say the average 18-hole round cost $26.

Thoughts?
[/quote]

With that being said, are Cart Fees the real killer of Golf? If I had to guess the average cart fee nation wide would be $20.

Cart Fees are kinda like the Popcorn, Sodas, and Candy at the movie theaters.


(yes I know people do walk, not everyone buys the $40 worth of snacks at a movie either)
[/quote]

Sadly golf has lost its walking culture in the states.

You see the excuse making in this thread, 'Newer courses are essentially unwalkable.'

[joker2]

[quote name='golfcarte' timestamp='1430926977' post='11509975']
Mike Davis from the USGA was just talking in a presser for the Players, and said, that greens fees aren't the biggest threat to golf, its water. He went on to say the average 18-hole round cost $26.

Thoughts?
[/quote]


USGA is the biggest threat to golf....

[BlackDiamondPar5]

[quote name='WBGolf' timestamp='1431144450' post='11527087']
Seems a little low. Sure they are plenty that are <$30, but there are far more in the $100+ range, which would really jack up the average with no way to even it out. You'd have to have 3 free greens fees to offset 1 $100 one. I'm lucky in that the course I'm a member at will end up costing me about $7/ round. Full membership is only $279
[/quote]

It's all about region of the country.

[larrybud]

Let's see the true "average" of when most people actually play golf: From 8-2 on the weekends, and with a cart.

To include the weekday rates or twilight rates is ridiculous in an honest discussion of price.

[SurfDuffer]

[quote name='golfcarte' timestamp='1430926977' post='11509975']
Mike Davis from the USGA was just talking in a presser for the Players, and said, that greens fees aren't the biggest threat to golf, its water. He went on to say the average 18-hole round cost $26.

Thoughts?
[/quote]

The cart fee alone at my home course is more than $26. That's after you've spent thousands per year for the membership........and the course I play at is one of the most reasonable around here and on the lower end of the price scale for the area for a private facility.

The public courses around me are typically $60 to $80 in season with a few well over $100.

[John L.]

Mike Green is missed a major factor for the drop in rounds played.

Unemployment, or under employment.

People are still trying to recover from the recession. I see it every day in my area. Some of my friends are, or were small business owners that are still struggling to get by since the beginning of the recession. Others who were regular employee's have seen their jobs disappear to sub crews that work under 1099's. Some have taken pay cuts or fewer hours to help their companies get through this so called recovery. Most of these guys played 2-3 times a week for years, and now show up once a week if they are lucky. Some don't come around at all because they are embarrassed about their situation.

[billh17]

[quote name='CrabDaddy' timestamp='1431101014' post='11523447']
Judging by the responses, price runs the gamut. The devil in the details is how "average" is calculated. Is it the cost of rounds actually played? The listed greens fees? Cost of available tee times? Including country clubs, resort courses, etc...?
If a course's greens fees are $70 from 7:00a - 3:00p, then $30 from 3:00p - 6:00p, you could say the average is $50, but...
... 72% of available tee times are $70, weighted average is then $58.80;
... twilight is cheaper because fewer people play, which means there are >72% of the rounds played at $70. If 85% of rounds are played while the cost is $70, then the average price of rounds played = $64.


Along the same lines, courses in the NE see tons more traffic than rural courses. It's disingenuous to say that a popular course around NYC or Boston costs $100, and Goat Track GC in Montana charges $15, so the average is $57.50. Then, you could include all those Dec-Feb tee times available at discounted rates, lol.

The more I think about it, $26 is a ludicrous figure.
[/quote]

well stated...and I love how the cost of a cart has slowly increased over the last 5 years...which coincidentally matches the increase in retirement

rates....lol...the carts are a large profit and are seldom included in a courses cost per round ratio...I was a walker,100% of the time,until my wife

had knee replacement. now we ride. Using the the $26 as an average,even for walkers,may be a bit of a stretch.

[SurfDuffer]

[quote name='John L.' timestamp='1431262182' post='11531364']
Mike Green is missed a major factor for the drop in rounds played.

Unemployment, or under employment.

People are still trying to recover from the recession. I see it every day in my area. Some of my friends are, or were small business owners that are still struggling to get by since the beginning of the recession. Others who were regular employee's have seen their jobs disappear to sub crews that work under 1099's. Some have taken pay cuts or fewer hours to help their companies get through this so called recovery. Most of these guys played 2-3 times a week for years, and now show up once a week if they are lucky. Some don't come around at all because they are embarrassed about their situation.
[/quote]

Good points. I see it in my own golf habits. Before the recession I used to play a lot of mid week golf, Once the recession set in that was over. No way you're ditching out to play golf when business is off. To this day I still don't ditch out like I used to......heck I'm still waiting for a recovery. At best it leveled off right where it bottomed out and people just got used to it.

[Cwing]

I'd say mostly $25-35 but you e got to look for discounts to get those prices.

[bellview17]

Local rates and discounts all around... I averaged for 25 rounds last year 42 dollars....on the NC coast......

The economy is ticking upward here and the courses are getting more tourist actions and have left the local behind

that carried the courses through the economy downturn...It is a bit disappointing , but it is what happens....

[fore_life]

Mike Davis looks like the guy from The Princess Bride

[llewol007]

Bay area California cost about $50 plus. Twilight rates go for about that much out in these neck of the woods.

[MinionGolf]

The average golf course is in dog s*** condition.

[tennslicer]

This thread has showed me how fortunate I am. Here in rurual east Tennessee I can walk any of the 8 public courses that are within 15 miles of my house for between 13 and 25 dollars anyday, and the most expensive one is 40 dollars with a cart on the week end.

[llamont]

I played 18 holes with a cart, yesterday (after 4 pm) for $15.