Our rundown of the 100 best value golf courses in Great Britain has got you all talking for a variety of reasons. So we asked the team for the time they felt they got the best value out of a golf course…
Alex: For me, ‘value’ is more than money. I’ve played courses for £20 and loved them and I’ve played courses for £20 and felt ripped off.
When I lived in South West London there were plenty of quirky courses near me – Wimbledon Common and Epsom were my favourites – where you could roll up, pay a tenner, and have a tremendous evening.
At the other end of the scale, the Old Course falls into the £100+ green fee category but, just for the experience alone, I walked off there feeling like I could have paid £500 and I’d be OK with it. I still get chills when I think about standing on the 1st tee.
Dan: The Old Course has to be the hardest green fee to price. On the one hand, it’s a public course that belongs to the people of St Andrews. On the other, golfers from all over the world would pay thousands for the privilege of walking those hallowed fairways.
It used to be incredibly cheap. As a golf-mad teenager, I persuaded my dad to take me for a game. From distant memory, his green fee was £22 and mine £5.
Can I have two? Again delving back into my formative years, our treat was a Friday afternoon game at pretty Ilkley, beside the River Wharfe under the shadow of the famous moor and Cow and Calf rocks. They had a twilight deal that allowed the great unwashed to play their pristine (and always deserted) course for £15. I’m still not sure I can think of many more pleasant ways to spend a summer Friday evening.
Steve: Play one of the world’s hardest holes? Sign us up, but Brancepeth Castle turned out to be much more than just one legendary par 3 – and that’s where the value came in.
We went expecting to be enthralled by the 9th hole in the shadow of the fortress. What we didn’t expect was an afternoon exploring a very under-rated Harry Colt layout full of his trademark bunkering and greens.
That it didn’t bite us in the wallet either, and a reasonable standard of play was achieved, only added to the experience.
Hannah: I played in the Ladies Scratch Trophy at Royal Birkdale in 2019, a course regularly ranked the best in England. I had never played it before and loved everything about it. It of course aids the fondness of the memory that I shot 3-under and finished in the top 15.
That cost me £30 and, as it’s a 36-hole competition, I got to play it twice!
What is the best value you’ve ever got out of a golf course and why? Let us know in the comments below, or you can tweet us.
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