GB&I’s best courses are in danger of pricing us out of the market
Led by the international demand to play Open rota courses and trophy venues in Ireland and Scotland, green fees have rocketed upwards in recent years – quite literally at the expense of the domestic market…
Every year, green fees at the best courses in Great Britain & Ireland increase, but are they going too far for the regular golfer?
It will cost £1,000 for 18 holes on the Ailsa at peak times at Trump Turnberry next year. The Old Course at St Andrews is £320 in high season – and presumably will go up again next summer.
The management of the public courses at Carnoustie is about to be transferred to a private company, who also own the hotel. While playing rights for locals are ring-fenced, I am willing to bet my best Galvin Green rain hat that visitor green fees will rise, especially for those not staying on site. It’s £321 this summer for a game on the Championship course.
To complete the picture at Scotland’s Open Championship venues, a round at Muirfield next summer will be £365. It is the same price at Royal Troon, while Prestwick will be £310. In the interests of thoroughness and balance, nine holes at Musselburgh Old, the Open venue on six occasions in the 19th Century when it was the home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, is £21.50.
Such prices are not by any means unique to venues that have hosted the Open Championship. They are reflective of a trend that extends to almost all the courses in our updated NCG Top 100s list of the best courses in GB&I.
Traditionally, gaining access to these venues has been primarily a test of cunning and perseverance. Now it is becoming more of an economic issue.
Who’s to blame? The Americans or the clubs in question…?
At the top of the tree, the prices are largely determined by demand from the North American market. They reflect the uber-wealthy embarking on once-in-a-lifetime bucket trips.
As well as the in-demand Open venues, the great Irish courses are always hugely popular with Americans. In truth, British golfers are few and far between at the likes of Waterville, Ballybunion, Tralee, Trump Ireland (Doonbeg), Lahinch and Old Head in high season and have been for some time, purely on account of cost.
More recently, the pandemic was initially a disaster for courses reliant on tourism for their green fee revenue.
The summer of 2020 was a wipeout, as restrictions came and went in all parts of the world. Golfers were then understandably reluctant to book expensive and expansive international trips for the following year given the uncertainty.
Meanwhile, golf was booming with those domestic golfers who had become accustomed to annual trips to the likes of Spain, Portugal and Turkey were instead sampling the – frankly superior – top-end courses of Great Britain and Ireland. Using their budgets for a trip abroad, they were happy to upgrade.
Accordingly, prices started to rise to match demand. And that was when the international tourists returned, many having rolled over their bookings from 12 if not 24 months earlier.
To add to this perfect storm, the summer of 2022 saw the 150th Open Championship take place, a year behind schedule, in St Andrews. That took the Old Course out of visitor play for a month in high summer. Suddenly, it seemed, everywhere was booked and the overspill brought visitors to courses they might not previously have considered.
And that, in short, is why these prices have rocketed upwards. The consequence is that our leading courses are becoming – if they have not already become – out of the reach of the domestic golfer.
When you scroll down a list of the best courses in America, most are close to impossible to gain access to without the right contacts.
Over here, though, we have historically been able to arrange a game at the likes of the Old Course and Turnberry without necessarily breaking the bank. Call me a romantic, but I believe it would be a terrible shame to lose that connection between the natives and the centuries-old links courses that are dotted around these shores.
Now have your say
What do you make of the rising green fees at some of this country’s best golf courses? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X.
Dan Murphy
Dan loves links golf, which doesn't mean he is very good at it. He is a four-handicapper at Alwoodley. A qualified journalist and senior editor with 25 years’ experience, he was the long-time editor of NCG. His passion is golf courses and he is the founding editor of NCG Top 100s course rankings. He loves nothing more than discovering and highlighting courses that are worthy of greater recognition.
