Prices in the UK

[milesgiles]

3 hours ago, Divot License said:

I don't know if it's Covid related but I have a lads golf trip booked in September to Celtic Manor and it's nearly double the cost of what it was when I went for the same trip back in 2017. 

 

Celtic Manor was always know as really good value for money for a trip but now it's pricing itself out of that bracket and personally I'm not sure it's eligible to be considered any higher than it is. 

 

a large group i know were there two years ago.. hammered it down constantly, everything flooded, but insisted the courses were open and absolutely no refund..

 

i know it was very good value at the time so wouldnt have lost my rag about it, but at double the price? 

 

 

[scott_Donald]

55 minutes ago, duffer987 said:

It's a decent enough cut 60-80 quid off peak rates and totally done to mitigate the lack of international guests. I think every course every place relying on travelers is doing it. Heck Pebble has been doing it a lot this year too.

Of interest to me, is are club dues/annual membership costs going up for the members? For those clubs heavily reliant on the pricey visitor fees, there must be a fair few clubs needing to figure out the math a bit differently last, this, and next year.

 

For me we have been asked to subsidise this years fees for last years lack of visitors. Our intake from visitors was 5% of what the estimate was going to be. 

 

There is no major work being done this winter.

 

I was shocked how low we were asked to pay extra. 

[scott_Donald]

twice.

Edited February 23, 2021 by scott_Donald

[jonnymc44]

12 hours ago, duffer987 said:

It's a decent enough cut 60-80 quid off peak rates and totally done to mitigate the lack of international guests. I think every course every place relying on travelers is doing it. Heck Pebble has been doing it a lot this year too.

Of interest to me, is are club dues/annual membership costs going up for the members? For those clubs heavily reliant on the pricey visitor fees, there must be a fair few clubs needing to figure out the math a bit differently last, this, and next year.

 

Ours are staying around about the same, £1095 for the year, which is a £95 increase, or less than a round at Prestwick with the new UK rates. Our yearly visitor income is only around £40k so we are heavily reliant on membership unlike a lot of the courses north of the border. I read of some courses losing up to £600k last year through no visitors.

[Divot License]

Our membership is only gone up by £50 this year although I'm a member of a propriety club and the new owner has been pumping huge amounts into the club including a new clubhouse. 

 

I'm also down in Cambridgshire so the demand isn't as high as other places. I am expecting an upturn in number of visitors at my club this year as the owner is pushing to raise the prestige of the club. 

Front of new building

Back of new building

 

[jonnymc44]

2 hours ago, Divot License said:

Our membership is only gone up by £50 this year although I'm a member of a propriety club and the new owner has been pumping huge amounts into the club including a new clubhouse. 

 

I'm also down in Cambridgshire so the demand isn't as high as other places. I am expecting an upturn in number of visitors at my club this year as the owner is pushing to raise the prestige of the club. 

Front of new building

Back of new building

 

That clubhouse looks amazing! We're in the process of procuring land for a new clubhouse. Our current one is am 18th Century old farm building. Looks ok from the outside, dated on the inside.

[Divot License]

22 minutes ago, jonnymc44 said:

That clubhouse looks amazing! We're in the process of procuring land for a new clubhouse. Our current one is am 18th Century old farm building. Looks ok from the outside, dated on the inside.

Come the summer lets get a couple rounds sorted, one at your place,  one at mine. 

[SugarPenguin]

3 hours ago, Divot License said:

Our membership is only gone up by £50 this year although I'm a member of a propriety club and the new owner has been pumping huge amounts into the club including a new clubhouse. 

 

I'm also down in Cambridgshire so the demand isn't as high as other places. I am expecting an upturn in number of visitors at my club this year as the owner is pushing to raise the prestige of the club. 

Front of new building

Back of new building

 

What club are you a member at ?

 

looks impressive - ours at Worksop is laughable. Looks like a 70s soviet primary school.

Luckily the course is brilliant 🙂

 

[Divot License]

Love Worksop, such a great course. 

 

I'm a member at Bourn golf & country club, soon to be renamed Cambridgeshire Country Club.

[jonnymc44]

Brora is offering UK residents prices for this year. I'm sure it's a lot more widespread across the UK I just came across it on Twitter this evening. If you're in the area then the Brora Tickets look to be good value if you want to go crazy on just one course.

 

 

https://broragolfclub.co.uk/visitors/green-fees

[milesgiles]

2 hours ago, jonnymc44 said:

Brora is offering UK residents prices for this year. I'm sure it's a lot more widespread across the UK I just came across it on Twitter this evening. If you're in the area then the Brora Tickets look to be good value if you want to go crazy on just one course.

 

 

https://broragolfclub.co.uk/visitors/green-fees

 

as i said im there in july but not pre booking any golf.

 

I could be way wrong on this but I thought that uk price was the same as what they were quoting last year, for anyone, and that its the new category international price that has gone up..

 

hope im wrong, its possible..

[El Gringo]

Jeepers, the thought of 95 quid for Brora being touted as a deal is a bit much to swallow. It wasn't that many years ago when the fee was £45. Brora won't be getting my business. 

[DavidH88]

hey folks, 

 

I finally got my first 9 hole round yesterday since the sun was out and boy how the course at Bulwell Hall (Nottingham City Golf Club) has changed. 

 

Background

 

throughout 2020, Nottingham City Council could no longer fund the course since of the fiasco/scandal of Robin Hood Energy and the Broadmarsh shopping center chaos and it was on the chopping block. Luckily I was able to play the course before second lockdown and the course still playable did need some real TLC. Come Winter of 2020 a article broke that Bulwell Hall Golf Club was taken off the councils hands and is now under new management. 

 

Yesterday

 

When I arrived at the course, I went to pay and asked if they offered a 9-Hole rate which they did last year but no longer do. Luckily the staff let me do 9-Holes for £10 while 18 holes is £15 which is still amazing value. 1st Tee Shot - Lost ball and hitting 3 off the Tee. >.< (I was rusty in my defense) 

 

Anyway after splitting the fairway with my second Tee Ball, I found a new Bunker on the right side of the 1st fairway. The greens have been improved 10 fold and boy were they quick. They've had all new holes and flags installed and the course was in terrific condition. In the coming months, They will be making a new Par 3 course and a city wide golf Academy so that is something to keep a eye on. 

 

If you want a cheap round then try out Bulwell Hall,  its getting much better and I'm in no doubt there will be new signage in the future.  Prices £15 before 12 noon and £10 Noon till close. 

 

good golf everyone and enjoy 🙂

[milesgiles]

On 2/26/2021 at 8:04 AM, El Gringo said:

Jeepers, the thought of 95 quid for Brora being touted as a deal is a bit much to swallow. It wasn't that many years ago when the fee was £45. Brora won't be getting my business. 

 

we stayed just up from Brora in late July for 5 days, no golf booked just winged it..

 

Fortrose is very attractive, their rack rate is £60, we got it cheaper for late on a Saturday. Has its weaknesses but ok value by scottish standards.

 

Got lucky at Wick, they let us play their Open rather than pay the full green fee, top marks for customer service. Again, £50 rack rate is ok, there are three ditches that I think could be dealt with to improve the course, two are just off the back of greens and invisible. A little pricey

 

Golspie, paid £75, lovely course, all enjoyed, but that is pricey. Its like a smaller version of Parkstone in places. Trouble is, their yearly membership is.. £300! Advertised quite prominently in the locker room, not a great idea if you are going to charge a visitor a quarter of that for one round..

 

Dornoch I wrote about elsewhere, £200 rack rate, its in the conversation for best links in the world so can't really argue with the price

 

Reay, hidden gem, easy uk top 250 for me, £40 all enjoyed.

 

Brora, wanted £90, had a look was extremely brown so took a hard pass.

 

 

Now, the point id like to make.. apart from Dornoch, these courses were empty. Middle of the school holidays, covid restrictions mostly lifted, great weather. Home of golf, Golspie had a dozen people all day, including us 4..

 

where is the sense in that? I wrote to the Scottish Golf Union who predictably have 'no opinion' as its a 'private matter for private clubs'..

 

Scotland has one golfer in the top 100 and havent won a major in 23 years..

 

[scott_Donald]

12 minutes ago, milesgiles said:

 

we stayed just up from Brora in late July for 5 days, no golf booked just winged it..

 

Fortrose is very attractive, their rack rate is £60, we got it cheaper for late on a Saturday. Has its weaknesses but ok value by scottish standards.

 

Got lucky at Wick, they let us play their Open rather than pay the full green fee, top marks for customer service. Again, £50 rack rate is ok, there are three ditches that I think could be dealt with to improve the course, two are just off the back of greens and invisible. A little pricey

 

Golspie, paid £75, lovely course, all enjoyed, but that is pricey. Its like a smaller version of Parkstone in places. Trouble is, their yearly membership is.. £300! Advertised quite prominently in the locker room, not a great idea if you are going to charge a visitor a quarter of that for one round..

 

Dornoch I wrote about elsewhere, £200 rack rate, its in the conversation for best links in the world so can't really argue with the price

 

Reay, hidden gem, easy uk top 250 for me, £40 all enjoyed.

 

Brora, wanted £90, had a look was extremely brown so took a hard pass.

 

 

Now, the point id like to make.. apart from Dornoch, these courses were empty. Middle of the school holidays, covid restrictions mostly lifted, great weather. Home of golf, Golspie had a dozen people all day, including us 4..

 

where is the sense in that? I wrote to the Scottish Golf Union who predictably have 'no opinion' as its a 'private matter for private clubs'..

 

Scotland has one golfer in the top 100 and havent won a major in 23 years..

 

 

I am just back from Chipping and putting for 2 hours at Royal Aberdeen; was surprised how empty it was. Most folk play in the morning now. 

 

I am playing tomorrow at 1310 and booking my time earlier today it was basically full from 0800 to 1430 - its noticeably busier than it was 2 years ago. 

[milesgiles]

12 minutes ago, scott_Donald said:

 

I am just back from Chipping and putting for 2 hours at Royal Aberdeen; was surprised how empty it was. Most folk play in the morning now. 

 

I am playing tomorrow at 1310 and booking my time earlier today it was basically full from 0800 to 1430 - its noticeably busier than it was 2 years ago. 

 

busy in the south as well. I think the Aberdeen courses are completely passed over by visitors compared to the other scottish regions, and rely on large active memberships rather than visitor income. Its actually next on list in Scotland.

 

The Highlands, I suspect, is the opposite. If 300 people pay £300 for the year, whats that a couple of green staff and some seed? Surely theyd appreciate the visitor income and could make a bit more of an effort, as it was an empty Brora turned down my efforts to haggle when they could have had at least a couple of hundred quid off us. Actually, as I wrote at the time, they could have had that money in the bank months ago since at a sensible rate id have pre booked it, as it was we waited til we were there, saw the course was extremely dry and werent even slightly tempted at £95..

[scott_Donald]

5 hours ago, milesgiles said:

 

busy in the south as well. I think the Aberdeen courses are completely passed over by visitors compared to the other scottish regions, and rely on large active memberships rather than visitor income. Its actually next on list in Scotland.

 

The Highlands, I suspect, is the opposite. If 300 people pay £300 for the year, whats that a couple of green staff and some seed? Surely theyd appreciate the visitor income and could make a bit more of an effort, as it was an empty Brora turned down my efforts to haggle when they could have had at least a couple of hundred quid off us. Actually, as I wrote at the time, they could have had that money in the bank months ago since at a sensible rate id have pre booked it, as it was we waited til we were there, saw the course was extremely dry and werent even slightly tempted at £95..

 

My club only has 350 Full members and then some other categories; the best thing is being able to play when you want really.

 

As far as visitors at Royal Aberdeen it's a weird situation that in a normal year the visitors are limited as the aim is to allow X amount of visitors enjoy the course, along with takin in money  to supplement the costs of the course and running the club.

 

I do know the exact numbers as have the clubs accounts on the computer needless to say last year RAGC took in less than 5% of expected visitor income. This year I have no idea what we have gotten but I do know it is far more than expected given the circumstances, its been great to hear all the foreigners playing! 

[milesgiles]

10 hours ago, scott_Donald said:

 

My club only has 350 Full members and then some other categories; the best thing is being able to play when you want really.

 

As far as visitors at Royal Aberdeen it's a weird situation that in a normal year the visitors are limited as the aim is to allow X amount of visitors enjoy the course, along with takin in money  to supplement the costs of the course and running the club.

 

I do know the exact numbers as have the clubs accounts on the computer needless to say last year RAGC took in less than 5% of expected visitor income. This year I have no idea what we have gotten but I do know it is far more than expected given the circumstances, its been great to hear all the foreigners playing! 

 

definitely most courses I know have been busier than ever, I can only speak of the Highlands this year, very expensive and very quiet. I think thats sad anywhere, but particularly in Scotland.

 

 

[milesgiles]

just played Woodhall Spa again after several years. No doubt about the quality of the course except the conditon was scruffy around the bunkers..

£120 through the summer, nice day of weather, saw 10 people on the course in total. Maybe 20 over the day (judging by the clubhouse). Home of the EGU..