Is golf too expensive?

[RHJC]

Is it just me..?

My wife and I go out for a round of golf.
Here are my costs:

Golf $80 x 2 = $160
Cart $30
45 minute car ride to course.
Food and drink

Is <$230 a bit much or is it just me?

I seem to play less golf yearly.

[JEBS]

It is alot more expensive than I would like it to be !!! 20 years ago I could afford to play more golf as a kid in high school than I can today !! :mad:

[WILL]

Is it just me..?

My wife and I go out for a round of golf.
Here are my costs:

Golf $80 x 2 = $160
Cart $30
45 minute car ride to course.
Food and drink

Is <$230 a bit much or is it just me?

I seem to play less golf yearly.





DEFINATELY!!!! :hush:


Good thing you don't play 3 times a week like most of us grew up doing cause $1800 +++ a month could buy you a nice home almost anywhere.

[goshawk]

Just one of the reasons why I enjoy my trips to the hospital in Buffalo. $32 for 18 hole with cart/GPS on a course that's every bit as good as some of the "high end" course in the GTA. We only pay so much because we're willing to, and the courses know it.

[nearace]

this game we love so much can be very expensive but this is the cost and the courses know we will pay.

[DavidY]

Why not play less expensive courses or those that are walkable? Just my two cents.

Dave

[Quest]

Why not play less expensive courses or those that are walkable? Just my two cents.

Dave

Exactly....and bring sandwiches, and your own soft drinks with you.

[ben_82]

Golf is way to expensive, however people in the GTA will pay. Espically the business guys, who have money to blow, or yonger working class who do not understand the dangers of debt.

I normally play 20-30 rounds a year, and do it all with twilight times, discount books, lastminute golfer and those trips to other places that are cheap.

This year got a golf north membership for that reason, drive to KW play two rounds in the day with a lunch is cheaper still then playing a few courses in the GTA.

Golf is expensive, and way too much. I just play cause I love the game, I pay over 80 dollars once a year for a course, normally 45 or under is my min and always walk with own snacks and water.

[lhsteve]

From Burlington drive west toward London. Lot's of courses to play in this area in the $50.00 range that would be $100. in the GTA.

[Golfing in Ottawa]

It all depends on what you are passoniate about...........

I have friends who will not spend $115 to play on a top notch course, but have no trouble dropping close to $200 on ice level seats to watch a Sens game..............

I bet some of you in Toronto also know people who will not spend over $100 to play golf, but are purchasing Buffalo Bills tickets for the game at Rogers Centre starting lower bowl at $295..........
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080508.NFLTORONTO08/TPStory/Sports

[TMJD]

For me I take advantage of early season deals offered by courses in my area.

For example Innerkip offers passbooks for $50 that give you 12 half price rounds. With the cost of the book included you get a round of golf, at a very nice course IMO, for just over $30.

The other deal I took advantage of was a range membership with 10 rounds at Rebel Creek for $500. You get full access to the range with two large buckets a day and 10 rounds at one of the nicer public courses in the KW area. A lot of players pay $500 for a range membership alone so its almost like getting 10 free rounds.

Of course it's all relative to where you live and the GTA will naturally be more expensive. Are there courses that offer deals similar to the courses mentioned above?

[RHJC]

Just one of the reasons why I enjoy my trips to the hospital in Buffalo. $32 for 18 hole with cart/GPS on a course that's every bit as good as some of the "high end" course in the GTA. We only pay so much because we're willing to, and the courses know it.

Why is golf less expensive in the USA?

[sloniu260]

Thank God for LMG... Best way to save a couple of bucks and carts are included in the price. Still need gas $$ to get to some of the courses.

[goshawk]

Why is golf less expensive in the USA?
I don't believe it's so much that it's less expensive down south. I believe it's just WAY over-priced in the GTA. There are courses that are every bit as good as courses like Angus Glen or even Glen Abbey that are in the $60-80 price range down south. Why are they over-priced? Because we golfers are willing to pay $150 to play "premium" courses, or $90 to play "upper level" courses. We're willing to pay $52 for a round at Rolling Hills, where a similar track in Buffalo charges $35 (Brighton Park in Tonawanda). Or $60 on weekends for a "mid-level" course like Glen Cedars, compared to $39 after noon on weekends at Black Diamond in Buffalo.
Just as an example, and Big Shooter will vouch for this one. Glen Oak near Amherst, NY is a very nicely layed out course with lots of challenging holes, some risk/reward holes. Designed by Robert Trent Jones and Rees Jones. Not a boring track at all. Always in excellent condition, and very rarely have I spent more than 4 hours to play, even on weekends. Price - $52 peak season weekend including cart/GPS, right now $38 walking and $43 with cart/GPS. A course in the GTA that's comparable would be well over $100.
Another example. Redstone in Houston, site of the Houston Open tour stop. $135 includes green fees, cart, unliminted range and forecaddie. Twilight - $85! Comparable to Glen Abbey?
I doubt that there is anything we as ordinary golfers can do to get the prices more in line with the rest of North America. The course owners aren't going to reduce their pricing. All we can do is travel a little outside the GTA to get better rates, but then you're sacrificing fuel fees. Catch 22!! Example: an excellent course like Copetown Woods is $65 on weekends (walking). But is it worth me driving from Markham to north of Burlington to get that rate? Not really, but you can bet if I'm in that area when I finish working I'd definitely stop there. Barry runs a class operation and is well worth the effort. A course in the GTA of that quality - $90-130 at least.
It's just one of the reasons we're considering retiring somewhere down south.

[dekker]

It's always been considered an expensive hobby but when compared to seasons tickets for any hogtown team it's a bargoon! But I don't play Eagles Nest or belong to a private club either. When I break it down per hour its in line with most any other leisure activity in my opinion. For instance, it seems to me that bowling and billiards have gone up much more,comparatively speaking.

Previously we played courses around Hamilton more often because of their lower green fees but now the increased gas, time and traffic have negated that advantage.

You can minimize the additional costs,but prime time for under $80 with a cart is virtually impossible on any course around Toronto except maybe Humber Valley.
Coupons are the best overall solution for infrequent players and a weekday membership is the best bargain for the hardcore.

[Anthony]

As always the choices are all outside the GTA.... If you have kids, don't even think about spending 8-10 hours away....

My children are at the cusp where my spouse and I can play some together, but the TO area is ridiculously overpriced, and I am more of a snob in that I want to play better courses.

So the best option is if the kids are at camp, away or we can arrange something is to use LMG and hit the Niagara area and do an overnight package.... $100 hotel (and using Priceline or being very diligent in your search you can stay at a first class hotel), Royal Niagara, Whirlpool, Legends or Thundering Waters in Niagara is a relative bargain. Go over to Buffalo and it is even better.

As an aside and this is not meant at all to be sexist, but women do seem to much prefer the cart to walking (and my spouse is in great shape). Maybe they are just more intune to aches and pains, then we are.

[davepratt]

I've seen the books on many area courses and trust me, no one is getting filthy rich. This is called free enterprise and unless you believe there is collusion, they can set any price they want. They don't have monopolies. After fair market evaluation came into being, some of the local courses took massive hits on their taxes. The further out courses are, the lower the evaluation and therefore lower taxes and overheads. Trust me if a course could cut greens fees in half and have a full course all week and still make money, they would. If they get 3 or 4 rainy days in a row, that's lost revenue forever that can't be recovered. This is also why so many local courses have closed and sold to developers. I bet the nuts could easily think of 10 to 20 courses in the GTA that have closed over the last while. The most profitable use of the land was for housing. If it's such a lucrative businees, why would they sell? Sorry folks, but I'm on the side of the courses on this one and as someone pointed out, there are alternatives to paying full fare.

[goshawk]

Dave, are you saying the taxes at Markham for Angus Glen or Bond Head are as high or high than the GTA for a course like Royal Ontario? That's hard to swallow.
Angus Glen - $175
Bond Head - $165
Royal Ontario - $109
That sound like a very strange fair market evaluation. Angus is (I may be wrong) outside the GTA, and Bond Head is even farther out. I'm no economist, but it seems pretty strange.

[davepratt]

Dave, are you saying the taxes at Markham for Angus Glen or Bond Head are as high or high than the GTA for a course like Royal Ontario? That's hard to swallow.
Angus Glen - $175
Bond Head - $165
Royal Ontario - $109
That sound like a very strange fair market evaluation. Angus is (I may be wrong) outside the GTA, and Bond Head is even farther out. I'm no economist, but it seems pretty strange.
I'm just trying to say that taxes are one element of overhead. I'll see if I can find the government assessments on line. It would actually be an interesting exercise. Stay tuned......

[Big Shooter]

$70+ to play just about anywhere with cart (plus gas, food, etc.) :$

[swansong]

I know you folks are speaking about prices in the GTA area...and I won't presume to know those prices...but generally speaking, unlike our neighbors to the south, we have such a short season here in Canada. Especially here on the prairies. It is a wonder that these places turn a profit at all some summers.

There is a 9 hole course here in the little lake community in which I live that is for sale. Out of curiosity I went and checked their books thinking I might be able to find a partner or 2 if the numbers looked good. Well, let's just say that if it weren't for the restaurant and clubhouse they wouldn't even be breaking even. Much of that is thanks to the incredibly short season and a couple of years of crappy weather.

You might actually be better off being a farmer than owning a golf course on the prairies.

[guitarman]

Why not play less expensive courses or those that are walkable? Just my two cents.

Dave

Yes I agree. I will play a nice coures 3 or 4 times a year. Mostly I go to a course in burford, which is plenty challenging enough for me and cost $30 each for my wife and I. As far as carts go, I don't use them as a rule so I save there. LIving farther away from the GTA helps alot.

[WILL]

Just curious as to why twi-light rates aren't lower. I see tons of courses dead after dinner. Why not offer a $20 walk rate after dinner?

[sharkhark]

They don't call it 'A rich man's sport' for nothing!

I think its obscene but unfortunately it is what it is. We buy everyday things and sometimes for a small amt of $ we drive all over to save on groceries, clothing etc.
But we think nothing of dropping 50-75 for four or so hours on a course with nothing to show after. Considering my mother did not plan well for her retirement and is constantly juggling it is hard to justify hundreds on new golf clubs, hundreds on just a couple rounds of golf. I have to budget and spread it out......