Green Fees Going Up?

[Herkimer]

40 minutes ago, DennisMiller said:

What I felt when I went to Plantation Preserve was as if I was being treated like a menber of some exclusive country club. The place has that look and the staff treats you like something special.

Down here in SW Dade, (West Kendall), Calusa CC closed a few years ago. It's owned by a member of the Bacardi family, who is trying to build a retirement community on it.

Keys Gate CC closed a number of years ago. I have no idea what plans are for that site.

And now the local politics are saying they want to close Melreese GC to build a soccer stadium on that site.

I also know the Miccusukkee Tribe is unhappy about having bought Kendale Lake CC some years ago. They are trying to sell it because they claim they can't make money there.

Killian Greens has a new owner who has worked hard to improve the dog track conditions that were there while I worked there part time. The covenant with homeowners on the course is apparently supposed to last about 30 more years. I originally heard 11 years. It's the only privately owned course around here that I know is actually being worked on to make it nicer for the clientele.

I have only played there once and I don't remember much about the course. The reason for that might be because an error with the sprinkler timers cause some to come on just as we were putting on something like 15. I recall having to play a few more holes to finish.

You're right about Plantation Preserve.  It's the only course that I like to play more than once when I'm down there.  I'll be playing there again in a few weeks.  Can't wait.

I was trying to think of Melreese.  I had heard back in May that it was going to close and I thought, "Oh, no, not another one."   When a store closes, another store takes it place.  But when a golf course closes, it's gone forever.  Just horrible for golf lovers. 

[Inferno2ss]

Here in the Denver area, prices have gone up around $10 a round in the last couple of years.  I use to be able to get deals on golfnow for $25 to $30 during the week, this year it has been $30 to $40 and $60 on the weekends at decent courses and that is playing after 11am, you can add another $5 to $10 to play in the mornings.

[MarvChamp]

Just got a notice that our City courses will have some small increases next year due in part to a $7.5 million renovation budget. We have nice muni's and I am glad to say good stewards of golf in Fort Worth. Best, -Marv

[CharlieB]

13 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Mr. Miller... I used to live and play golf in Miami Beach and then Miami Springs when the beach got too expensive in the winter.  Is the Miami Springs Golf Course still there?  And the one by the airport, where if you hit a towering 9 iron you could hit the belly of a 747 that was taking off?

I couldn’t hit a towering 9 iron that would hit the belly of a pigeon taking off. Must be nice!

[colin007]

New York capital region here. Prices have been creeping up. I usually end up playing 9 holes and average price has gone from around $16 up to around $19 

[DennisMiller]

13 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

And the one by the airport, where if you hit a towering 9 iron you could hit the belly of a 747 that was taking off?

That's what I still call Melreese... I think they call it Miami National now. It's on the west end of the golf course and yes, you get the feeling a lob wedge could hit a plane. That's the course they want to turn into a soccer stadium and I hate to see that. The opportunity for a lot of inner city people to play golf is most convenient there and I hate to see those programs disappear.

The other course near the airport is Miami Springs, on the north side of the airport. Back when I was playing much better golf than I can now, I usually found however much I was over par happened within the first 4-5 holes. It simply took that long to get used to the noise of all the jets taking off and landing.

That course is interesting if people take the time to look around in the clubhouse. The trophies and photos from the 40s and 50s when the Miami Open was played there are a pretty neat history of professional golf in Miami. Anyone who was anyone in the game played or won there. What's nice is, unlike Bitmore in Coral Gables, the Miami Springs course has never been changed since the days the old icons of the game walked the same fairways. Anyone with a passionate sense of golf history can't fail to feel something there.

What's nice is, Miami Springs is still a very affordable public course and consitions are always very good.
 

2 minutes ago, colin007 said:

New York capital region here. Prices have been creeping up. I usually end up playing 9 holes and average price has gone from around $16 up to around $19 

Since i often just play 9 holes, I wish those prices would be around here. I'm curious though... Are the courses subsidized? How do they afford to charge so little and still make a profit?

[colin007]

1 hour ago, DennisMiller said:

Since i often just play 9 holes, I wish those prices would be around here. I'm curious though... Are the courses subsidized? How do they afford to charge so little and still make a profit?

Most of them are munis so yeah, I guess local taxes help? I'm not actually sure. Most 18 hole rates are in the mid $30s

[satchmodog]

SE Wisconsin seems much cheaper than my old home in NE Illinois.  Bristol oaks is 30 for 18 and a buggy and Brightondale which is a far nicer course by leaps is 27 with buggy. I grew up with 30 bucks being greens fees back in the 80s and 90s in NE Illinois.  Of course,  Illinois is a gougers hellhole.