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Should We Pay by the Hour to Golf?

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clock on the golf course
What if being put “on the clock” resulted in higher greens fees? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

Recently, long-time golf blogger and all-around good guy Ryan Ballengee made an intriguing statement on his site Golf News Net: “Want to improve golf’s pace of play problem? Charge by the hour.”

Pointing to the game’s slow play problem and the ever-increasing time it takes to finish a round of golf, Mr. Ballengee stated:

“You know what will speed up play? Attaching a dollar value to time spent on the course. […Courses] should charge an hourly rental fee. It can be structured around the quality of the course, time of day you’re playing and the expected average time to play the course at that time of day.“

So if it’s currently taking 5 hours to play 18 holes, then the price can be set at say $8/hour. Whereas if it’s taking just 4 hours, the hourly rate might be $10. In either case, you’re paying $40 to play 18. The catch is hoping foursomes pick-up the pace to get through in less time, thus saving the players money and keeping the pace of play swift. Another example would be charging $8/hour when the course is playing slow (say 6-hour rounds) and $15 when it’s playing in 4-hours. In that scenario, would it be worth it for some people to pay $12 more to finish two hours earlier?

Getting more complex, Mr. Ballengee suggests courses could create dynamic pricing – that is pricing that fluctuates depending on a number of variables including pace of play, weather, tee-time availability, etc. He even floats an option that the price could change mid-round to give “some incentive to a snail’s pace group to get moving.”

While all this sounds plausible, Mr. Ballengee says it’s not that simple: “One group could still ruin everything by lollygagging their way around the links.” To combat this, he recommends a time ceiling should be set…say 6 hours. If a group is out there for more than 6 hours, they should be (after a warning or two) asked to leave.

This is where I’m left wondering if this idea could really work. I mean, kicking the slow group off the course might take care of the immediate problem, but to me it’s a short-term gain, long-term loss. Those guys won’t be back…ever. And maybe 3 of the 4 weren’t even the problem. Maybe they were paired-up with a slow-poke. Is it fair to get kicked off just because you got stuck playing with a snail (or a newbie who might even quit the game after such an experience)?

In addition, who wants to play with the added pressure of being on the clock? We’ve proposed a shot clock in golf before, but that was for the pro tour…not for the recreational golfer. Look, I play golf to relax and have fun. The thought of some ranger driving up with a Square payment system on his iPhone to swipe my credit card because I just hit the 5-hour mark but only paid for 4, kinda rubs me the wrong way, you know?

But in any event, Mr. Ballengee has at least thrown-in his proverbial two-cents on how to solve the problem of slow play. And to be completely honest, I think this is one of the more feasible (albeit still somewhat flawed) proposals I’ve heard thus far. What are your thoughts on this “pay by the hour” solution? The poll and comments section are at your disposal…

How do you feel about paying by the hour to golf?

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Are Golf Courses Becoming More Lenient?

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Are T-shirts and jeans becoming commonplace at golf courses?
Are T-shirts becoming acceptable at golf courses? (Photo by Greg D’Andrea)

It wasn’t long ago that you could show up to a course without a collared shirt and be sent home.  You could be told that you couldn’t play if you didn’t have your own clubs.  But the more I head out and play, the more I see golf courses relaxing their rules.

For example, the last time I took my kids golfing, we put all three of us in one cart.  Three to a cart!  About six or eight years ago that would be unheard of!

Further, my kids were sharing a set of clubs.  Years ago, that would be another no-no.  But this time, no one paid any attention whatsoever.  Nor do I think they would care anyway.

See, as we all know, times have changed in golf.  I’ve been to this particular course three times now and I have yet to see it even approach “busy.”  So are they going to bust my stones over putting me and my kids in a cart?  Of course not.  Are they going to tell me that one of my kids can’t play because he doesn’t have his own set of clubs yet?  Well then they run the risk of us walking out the door instead of making money from three greens fees and a cart rental.  With golf business down year after year everywhere, what do you think they’re going to do?

Even ride-alongs have become acceptable.  Years ago, if you weren’t playing, then you weren’t riding.  But now…along with many other former “taboos,” golf courses are relaxing their rules in the interest of making money and keeping their doors open.  And that’s something that I hope continues, even after participation in the sport begins to rise again.  Actually, that is “if” it ever rises again.

These rules have long been a complaint for golfers, or, potential golfers.  For instance, if you’re just getting into the game, you may not want to spend the money on a set of clubs without knowing whether you like the sport or not.  This isn’t basketball where you can play at any local court for free, use anyone’s ball, or worst case, spend a few bucks for your own.  This is golf, where every move you make is money out of your pocket.  So how do you expect someone to just shell out all of that money just for the chance to play once?  This is part of golf’s (hopefully) former pompous attitude.

As golf rounds continue to fall, relaxing the “rules” around the course a bit can only help – especially with Millennials.  What we need is to attract more players, not shun them with silly rules.  We want people to take-up the game, not have to shell out their hard-earned money just to see whether or not they want to pursue it.  Sooner or later, if the courses don’t lighten up a bit…there won’t be any left to turn golfers away.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Do You Take Advantage Of The "Fall Golf Special?"

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It’s a sad time of year when the golf season winds down. The clubs get put away, courses begin to close up shop and the weather just doesn’t seem to cooperate anymore. You know you’re at that point when it seems there’s nothing else to look forward to for the rest of the year. Maybe, just maybe, you might get one more nice weekend…but it’s not all that likely.

But let’s say that one nice weekend does come along in mid- to late November. Where are you going to play? Do you take your chances with one of the few remaining open courses? How about those courses running their “Fall Specials?” You know, a course that normally runs about $45 to walk 18 is now charging $30 with a cart. It sound like a great deal…but is it really?

Knowing that the season is winding down, and all of these courses are now in the process of their seasonal layoffs, it goes without saying that the maintenance and upkeep of the course is now on the back-burner. Yeah, they lowered the price, but they’ve also lowered the quality of the course. It’s pretty simple really. The fewer people working at the course, the less work is getting done.

You certainly can’t blame the course. Obviously, at this time of year fewer golfers are hitting the links. So it only makes good business sense to cut costs. But in an attempt to still make some late season money, they run some specials. Sounds like a plan. So why not take advantage? Well, because of what I said earlier…the course is no longer being fully maintained. So the question is, do you take advantage of the lower costs even though the conditions are deteriorating?

Many won’t take advantage…but I’m not one of them. Discount golf you say? I’ll take it! I’ve said it before, I don’t care where I’m golfing…as long as I’m golfing. Now there are exceptions. There are some courses that I won’t play for free. But for the most part, you can count me in. For instance, I have a course roughly 15 minutes from my house that’s running one of these specials. It’s a nice course. Not a great course, but it’s no mortar range either. Normally, the greens fees run $42 for 18 holes (tack on $16 more to ride). But during the fall special? $35 with a cart! Well worth it for a course of its caliber!

So I ask…do you take advantage of these specials? Are you the type who will play anywhere if the price is right? Or do you feel the price is not worth it if the upkeep is lacking? I know how I feel. I’m gonna play anyway. So if I can play cheaper? It’s a no-brainer.

Swing ’til you’re happy…especially when it costs less to do so!

Play Golf, Save Money!

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Golf is expensive. I could say nothing more and there would be no argument. The cost of the sport is what keeps many from getting into golf to begin with. For starters, you need the equipment to play. Clubs, a bag, shoes, balls, tees, etc…not too mention the certain type of clothing you may be required to purchase if you don’t already have it. And that’s before you even get out there! You didn’t even pay your greens fees yet! Hell, I’ve been playing golf for years and the cost is what keeps me from playing more than anything else.

For years, many of us have waited for “twilight” times to get a break on greens fees. Some of us have a buddy working at a course who will get us a discount when the boss is gone. I know I’ve skipped out on a day of work a few times to play a course for a lower rate. But what if there was a better way to cut into the cost? Maybe you can make this game a little easier on your wallet. Well, for a mere $67 you can discount your rounds of golf for an entire year! How is that you say? Well, with the Player’s Pass of course!

The Players Pass allows members to play courses for a fraction of their regular prices. And for only $67, the membership practically pays for itself after only two or three rounds at any of the participating courses. I know what you’re thinking…”Sure, but you have to play on a Tuesday afternoon, tee off at 3:30 and it’s only valid from December through February.” Well, you’d be wrong. The beauty of the Player’s Pass is that it’s valid for an entire year. And at the 2,000+ participating courses throughout the country, weekends are included! With that many courses included in the Players Pass network, you’re bound to find a participating course near you.

So what are these discounts you ask? Well, how about a 2-for-1 greens fee? How about discounts between $20-$50? How about discounts of up to 70%?!

Maybe you ask “Yeah, but what are the courses? Are they the crappy tracks that no one wants to play anyway?” I can only base my findings on my own experiences here in Connecticut but, of the eleven courses listed, the grouping is pretty impressive. I’ll admit, I was a bit surprised to find a discount at Fox Hopyard Golf Club included in the group. “The Fox” is a superb all around course and is easily one of the top three in the state! Several other courses included are also among the better tracks CT has to offer. So I would suggest logging onto the site and taking a look at your states listing. You just might be pleasantly surprised.

So this sounds like a pretty good package, right? Sure it does. But you know what could make it better? If it was free! Our friends over at Players Pass have agreed to give away one free membership to a golfstinks reader. And as usual, it’s quite simple to enter your name for a chance to win. Simply head over to the golfstinks facebook page and hit “like.” What could be easier than that?! We’ll choose one random winner and you could be on your way to playing cheaper golf without rushing to beat the sunset!

Go to the golfstinks facebook page, click like, win a Players Pass and swing ’til you’re happy!

Why High-Handicappers Should Play Great Golf Courses

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Stinky Golfer Chris in the trap (photo by Greg D'Andrea)
Stinky Golfer Chris in the trap (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

Take a look at the picture above – that’s Stinky Golfer Chris completely missing his ball in the trap on a Gary Player-designed course. Now, based on that shot, do you think he should’ve saved his money rather than playing on a nice, upscale course? Believe it or not, many amateur golfers would answer “yes” to that question.

It just seems odd to me that so many people claim they won’t play great golf courses because they’re simply not good enough. Allow me to toss in my two cents here: That is the worst excuse in the book! Find me where it’s written that only good golfers can play on good courses. The mere notion is ridiculous.

However, let me take a step back for a moment to highlight the difference between “poor players” and “slow players.” I once saw a sign at a course that read: “No one is offended by poor play, but everyone is offended by slow play.” How true that statement is. But it’s been my experience that the really slow players are usually the people that shouldn’t be out on a course to begin with. These are people who have not been properly introduced to the etiquette-side of the game. So, as long as you understand when to pick-up-the-pace and not hold-up every foursome behind you, there’s no reason to think you’re “not good enough” to play a particular course.

Which brings me to the issue of money. People think, “I’d love to play Pebble Beach, but I’d just be throwing my money away.” I feel like saying to them: “Really? Why play at all then? I mean, the next time you play the local muni, you’re still gonna shoot 95, right? Why pay the $40? Just give up the game since you stink so bad. Take that $40 and go out to dinner instead.”

Speaking of going out to dinner, we don’t mind paying more at better restaurants, do we? In general, the best golf courses have the highest greens fees, which makes sense – In general, the best restaurants are usually pricier than your average eatery. Sure, you’re not going to eat at the best place in town every night, but you probably would once or twice a year, perhaps on a special occasion? So why don’t people rationalize this way for where they play golf?

Why do we golf? The answer is simple: We enjoy it. By golfing, we’re rewarding ourselves, even when we play poorly. Want proof? We keep coming back for more no matter how bad our last outing was. Try this: Why did you go to that great steak house on your birthday, or that pricey fusion place on your anniversary? Do you have an answer? Now ask yourself why you shouldn’t experience the best course around by playing the game you love there – even if it is only once or twice a year?

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