Is golf unexpensive in UK?

Hi,
I played a round with an English couple at Altorreal in Spain. We started to compare green fees and season tickets. I pay 460 € for a membership and season fee. With that I can play 5 months (our season) on a 9 hole course - as often as I like to.

The English couple (Seniors) said that they paid about 180 £ for a season, which is 11 months and they have two courses - a 9 hole and a 18 hole course.

Should I go to UK next time to play golf? Not to Spain? Would I get a good price for a 1 - 2 weeks stay?

Any comments?

Hannu,
Jyväskylä

Hi, Golf in the UK can be very expensive or can be relatively cheap. If you wish to play our championship courses be prepared to pay very high green fees. On the other hand we do have lots of what we call hidden gems, courses that are relatively unknown and are usually far from main centres of population. The English couple you met in Spain must be unique, I dont know of any club with such low fees.I pay just under £600 annual subscription at my own club. Lots of sites offering package deal golf holidays in UK, why not give them a try?

Just a thought.
I can get very cheap flight from Tampere to London. And if your season is 11 months and my is 5 months. It would be worth looking for those offers from web.

Here it snowed 10 cm last night and I went skiing this morning. Skied around our golf course, but it's not quite the same as playing would be. Spring is coming and I thing that after 4 - 6 weeks we will be able to play in Jyvaskyla.

Thanks for you reply, Auldyn

Well at a £180 a season then I think that this couple must be playing on a course that is in need of some memebers as that is really cheep unless they have only paid a years membership to play one day a month.
Typical figures if your looking to join do vary quite a lot but as auldyn said if you want the best courses then be prepaired to spend upto £5000 to join and you will have to be on a waiting list lwest one I have seen is £320 by me and that because they are struggling to get members (Typical price was £490).
My recommendation to you would be use this website to find a course and have a look at just paying green fees for non members.

www.uk-golfguide.com

Cheers
Mark

Thanks Mark13276 for your reply,

Comparing membership fees made me realize that UK, might be a possible place to go for a golf holiday. Also the claim that UK has 11 months of golf season, is important.

I would not think of a membership on any club just to play one or two weeks golf a year.

It would make more sense to visit several different courses and not to play the same course year after year.

Though, looks like next time I will be playing abroad is in Las Palmas, Spain. Just because I am visiting it anyway.

Hi, Hannu I think you would find golf much more varied than anything on offer in Spain or Portugal. However, there is one big disadvantage,the weather.I still think you would find golf in the UK a very enjoyable experience. Keep swinging.

Hi,

don't get me wrong.

I am planning a trip to some where UK to play golf.

Las Palmas is work related - I'll just take some extra time and also play golf. (Hit two birdies with one stone.)

I think it too hot to play golf in Spain - very often - not at the moment.

Hannu

Hi Hannu

As others have posted non-member green fees vary very considerably over here - and in the worst cases for many courses that assumes that you have a) a handicap certificate b) a good enough handicap c) a letter of introduction.

But despair not.

I live outside London where just about the cheapest "pay & play" courses are around £20, however last autumn I went (for various reasons) back to my home town and played "Brackenwood"

http://www.uk-golfguide.com/england/25211.html

Owned by the council (a "muni"), £9 for 18 holes and, friends told me, the greens were in better condition than many a private club in the area.

So since London and the SE are probably more expensive than elsewhere in the UK why not look a little further afield? Use the links above to do some desk research or better still get some "best value" recommendations from fellow posters.

If you're near Reading (Berkshire) there's a few good places I can think of, specifically the Grey Goose (or The dog) in Sonning, it's got a 9hole pich and putt, a 9 hole course and an 18. The 18 is a par 71 and fairly challenging with very good greens. The only problem?.... No bunkers!!!

Hi,

I will be visiting London in the end of May. I think I can get a day off and play a round of golf. I am staying in the center and do not have a car. (And will not drive on the wrong side:-)

Does anyone have suggestions for a nice round of golf in or near London?

I guess you need somewhere that you can access by train.

http://www.uk-golfguide.com/england/26780.html

Try West Byfleet - relatively quick trains from London Waterloo (if you catch the right one) - walkable to course but plenty of cabs outside if you're feeling lazy.

Not the cheapest but not the most expensive by any means - I used to caddy there as a teenager and its a pretty nice course, a reasonable test without wearing you out.

Wherever you go. Enjoy.

You might also want to look into playing in Ireland.

http://www.chessingtongolf.co.uk/

What about Chessington? It's inexpensive and near a tube station. (If I was reading the map correct.) I am thinking of staying near King's Gross so underground could be handy way to travel.

About Ireland. I visited Dublin and just loved the people. Only place in the world were I have been tipped by a taxi driver. Sat down on the wrong seat also and the driver offered his car keys:-) I started golf just 6 months ago so I have not played it in many places. When I get an opportunity to visit Ireland, I will surely try to arrange a round of golf, too.

Hannu

I live about 10 minutes away and know it well.

Actually near a overground train station (also from Waterloo). As you can see from the website its fairly short and not too demanding for a beginner

If you are already scoring reasonably well you might find it a little boring.

If you are looking for 9 holes another option in the area is the Cranfield Golf Academy at Sandown Park racecourse (Esher).

Sandown Park looks like very easy access. Do you know if they have clubs to rent?