How much should you pay for world-class golf?
A
CURIOUS relationship has always existed between the twin concepts of price and value in all facets of modern life. At times they’re directly linked, on other occasions they’re inversely connected.
This financial union is heightened when the purchase in question is non-essential – we tend to dissect discretionary spending much more than we do life’s necessities. A $300 splurge on something we want costs the same as a $300 electricity bill, yet the scrutiny levels are different.
We live in a time when the phrase “cost of living” has become almost cliché and when the notion of value has rarely been more prominent. It’s no longer good enough for an item or service’s price to be reasonable; its value needs to feel tangible too.
When it comes to green fees or the cost to play the game we love, assigning value like we do some other commodity is much like evaluating the course itself – one golfer’s worth is another’s waste. Yet the exercise still has merit, which is why in this issue we’ve delved deep into the realm of green fees in golf.
A little inside knowledge here: our preliminary, in-house editorial discussions for this investigation initially focused on highlighting the rising prices in the green-fee space. It was a superficial take that quickly eroded. As we began to research the package of features in this issue, the more it was reinforced to us that playing golf in Australia in reality represents outstanding value. If you don’t venture far from home or even leave our shores, the table of green fees you read in the feature beginning on page 134 might seem exorbitant. However, when you marry those figures with those of elite courses elsewhere in the world and factor in the quality of golf to be found here, you’ll soon realise all that was confirmed to us while compiling these features.
And once you’ve let that sink in, ask yourself: how often do you sit back and consider what it takes to maintain a golf course and operate a golf club? Really thought about it?
That’s because there are several factors at play here. The cost of maintaining golf courses is at an all-time high – and only rising. As Senior Writer Rohan Clarke notes from page 126, the leading Australian courses operate to an annual maintenance budget of between $1.5 million and $2.5 million. So, a green fee rate of a relatively modest (for a top course) $100 per round represents 41 to 68 golfers that need to be sent off the first tee every day just to cover course upkeep. Then you have the off-course side of golf clubs, which – while also another revenue stream – likewise requires funds to maintain.
We hope this issue gives you a different perspective on the cost of golf and the inherent value that exists here, as we suspect not enough Australian golfers take enough time to consider this other side to their passion.
As always in life, money talks. But it doesn’t always say the right thing.
Top 5 Presidents Cups
5. Melbourne, 2019: Tiger Woods spearheads a systematic dismantling of the International side in the Sunday singles.
4. Virginia, 1996: So near, yet so far for the Internationals.
3. South Korea, 2015: The Cup that came down to the final match on the final green.
2. Melbourne, 1998: Suffocating heat, blasé Americans and Thommo’s genius captaincy.
1. South Africa, 2003: Tiger and Ernie going putt-for-putt before a tie is called in the dark.
