GolfHos

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/nyregion/21golf.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

i know costs alone are going to limit me to 4-5 rounds this year -
the only course nearby (within 30 minute drive) under $30   has (as i have posted many times) horrible conditions, no real tee boxes, abused greens, and streets running through the holes.  AFAIK there are only 5 courses under $30 within a 90 minute drive .  Add in the gasoline and time value.  Jeebus.   I'll just settle for the 30-40 minute drive out to my favorite $40 course... and focus on really enjoying the few rounds I do play there.



 

I'm finding it harder and harder to get weekend eighteen hole rounds in. Two kids that need to be places and work that needs to be done around the house are impacting this.

Last year, I joined a club and I ended up playing a lot more nine hole rounds than eighteen. I could go straight to the course from my office after work and play nine in 90 minutes. Same thing on weekend afternoons. If I wasn't too busy, I could run over to the course for a quick nine. The major downside to this is that I play a lot of rounds by myself. Before last year, I rarely played by myself.

I'm sorry, I just find this funny.

No real solution for you on the money side of things aske.  Sorry.  Maybe if you make it out here again I'll treat you to a round.   ;)

As to the time dilemma.  My solution is a regularly scheduled round every other Sunday.  Everyone knows it's on and the alternate Sunday is dedicated to family outings.  Seems to work.

Plus what I do at 6:00 AM in June and July appears to be my own business.  At least, nobody seems to want to get up and tell me I can't go off for nine.   8)

I've been at ~50 rounds the last 3 years but will be cutting back this year. For reasons unrelated to costs though.

My course (and others I've seen that increased rates) went up about $2 per round (18) this year so the cost increase would've been $80-$100 if I played the same number of rounds. Very do-able.

However, I agree that cost (including time) of the game will have a definite impact on a lot of people.

We're very lucky here.  Courses that would be $125 in Hawaii are $35 here.

Plus I get to play on base quite a bit.  $12 to walk nine and it's a primo course.  $10 if they assume I'm military which given my haircut happens often.

Oh, but you're far too pious to steal 20 bucks from Wal-Mart.

 ;D

Well, I'm not very pious if I'm honest.  Please keep in mind it wasn't $20 at stake in the other thread.  It was $600.  That guy was actively trying to rip off hard cash.

You're probably right though.  I should probably speak up.  Thanks for calling me out and making me accountable.  (Seriously).

 [sm_shock] [sm_shock]

 :sad3:

(http://goofybeast.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/fight_club1.jpg)

I'd have to say we're pretty lucky around here as well. A lot of nice courses in the $30-$50 dollar range.

i would think it hilarious if the 'tiger effect' of the late 90's/early 00's ends up (albiet, in conjunction with soaring energy/resource costs, etc) actually killing publicly accessible golf.

"By", not "with"   :nono:  I was very careful in my original post.

Knee slapping funny. 




 
>:(

I don't know. I think the so-called "Tiger" effect actually kept a few courses open (plus built more) and accessible that would've closed or been developed without the increased popularity.

If accessible golf dies it will be because of increasing costs as you cite. I just don't see the average hacker consistently paying $50+ for a round of golf and we're getting very close to that at most courses on the weekends.

Golf economics are all twisted up...they don't make any sense.

I spent(d) a lot of money to join a club to play more, since I wasn't playing hardly any as a daily fee guy.  Now, because I'm a club member, I play when I can, and it probably comes to ~40-50 rounds per year on average.  Which is nice.

But my damn club is now costing me about $1500 per month on average....I think the basic dues add up to ~$600 month, and then we have expenses on top of that, bar, food, proshop, etc...

If I add the $35K initiation fee, I think I could easily justify a (remaining) lifetime of twice per week $200 daily greens fees plus a monthly trip to Pebble Beach, and come out well ahead financially than what it costs me to be a club member.  :o :o :o

But I'd never play that much golf if I was a daily fee player.



 

Did/does your membership come with stock in the club, and or is transferable in the future?

Damn! that's really *goshdarn* expensive.

For that kind of money I'd expect there to be Bikini clad caddies who'd give you a blow job for each birdie you made, in addition to the ones given after 9 and 18.. 8)

My club has none of that.

I expect that's why I'm only paying $800 a year.... :o

There are two private clubs within reasonable distance of my house.  Neither is remotely feasible for anyone short of pretty well off.

From what I can tell this sort of pricing structure is a uniquely (North) American phenomenon.  I don't get it either.   [sm_scratch]

Aske,

I'm just about 165 miles northeast of you.  If you want to take a couple days off, and play some nice (not excellent, but nice) courses at +/- 35 bucks with a cart, let me know.

I'm still finding it reasonable for me, but I'm not the norm.  I'm single - which means I have both time and money that most guys my age do not.  If I had kids, its unlikely I'd be a private club member or play quite the amount of golf I do.  But for me, it would not be a financial decision, but a time decision.

Money does play a factor, but since when is this a new problem?  Golf has always had its costs.  While costs are always a concern, golf is largely suffering from a competition problem - competition for time.  The number of activities we can get involved in and the number of choices on how to spend our time is ever increasing.  Can golf compete?  Surely it can hold its own, but the days of expecting large increases in players are likely gone.

Tonight for instance:  do I catch up on a few recorded tv shows, clean up the house (which could use a bit of cleaning), have a few drinks and post all night, do some reading, or.... well.... tickle the pickle.  Decisions, decision.  [sm_dontknow]  ;)

See, now if you were married it would look more like this:

I remember another article that talked about this. Even though the market was going up, people still felt an underlying unease. Wage increases have been small these past 7 years. It's not like in the 90's where people were spending because we were making lots of money.

Having kids, working overtime, spending time with friends, that is where my time is. I suppose if I had a friend that played golf I might play a little more then about once a month. Golf just doesn't rank that high on my to do list anymore, and it's not because I don't like to play. 4 to 5 hours is tough to justify anymore. 

Yahtzee.

Like Jessie Spano said, "there isn't any time".  I try and play a few times a month but it is hard to leave the house for that long.  My wife is pretty cool about even.  But she is in school on Saturday so Sunday is the only day we have as a family.  When it stays ligher for longer after work, I can play after taking off work a little early.  Money isn't the issue as much is the family by far.  And I pretty much eat, sleep and breath golf come springtime.  I'd play every day if I could.  It is all just a balancing act pretty much.  P

Well, at least one club in Australia does:

(http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5424428,00.jpg)

No

But it's a very, very, very nice club and a great golf course to play.  It's a lot nicer than that car I didn't buy would be today when I decided to spend my money on that golf club membership instead.

I haven't played in a year.  Combination of time and money.


A round with friends used to take up most of the day:
0.5+ hours to course
45 minutes - range, putting practice, checking in
5.5 hour round
1 hour afterwards in the clubhouse (losers buy food/drinks)
0.5+ hours back


I used to go solo super-early or very late, which only took a couple of hours, but it wasn't as much fun.

looks like you've got about 4-5 months to get some rounds in.  you won't be seeing that kind of time or $ again for 18 years
 [sm_devil]

True.  ;D

or at least until they're old enough to schlepp your golf bag around 18 holes... I reckon that'd be about 10... ;)