2023 golf season opening

[The Enigma]

Some courses in this region think that they are better than they are... and charge accordingly...
Some courses also are treating COVID as a GOLD RUSH and are charging accordingly...
Unfortunately there is no place or publication where we can call them out...

The first and third line have been pet-peeves of mine for years

And with that in mind I have to complement those courses that have been making efforts to improve...Pineview, Champlain, Stittsville and Edgewood are in the course maintenance improvement category (drainage and layout).

There are none in the value for experience category.

And don't get me started on the cost of lessons and such...

My partner and I play more that 100 rounds a year and rarely the same course twice in a row and we are members of both Golf Extra and Club EG.

[gdwlkspld]

Unless I misunderstand your post, your complaint is one of "value for money".

I totally agree.

There are a lot of mediocre layouts in eastern Ontario and I never quite understand the seeming loyalty of many members of this forum to such locales.

Too many of the tracks in eastern Ontario were laid out by enthusiastic amateurs with limited budgets.

If you enjoy a good layout and good conditions, sometimes, you need to be willing to be selective, pay a small premium and/or travel a little bit further to enjoy a round of golf that truly satisfies.

I recognize that out of town courses can add an hour or more to the time and expense that may be involved in playing a course that is closer to your home base; however, car pooling can both reduce expenses and add to the socialization aspect. What have you got to lose?

Take the opportunity, once or twice a month to try some excellent out of town alternatives.

May I suggest that if you haven't tried either the Renfrew G.C. or Hawkesbury G. & C.C. that you consider doing so.

I don't think that you'll be disappointed in either.

Does anyone have any other suggestions along the same line?

[Johnyc]

Unless I misunderstand your post, your complaint is one of "value for money".

I totally agree.

There are a lot of mediocre layouts in eastern Ontario and I never quite understand the seeming loyalty of many members of this forum to such locales.

Too many of the tracks in eastern Ontario were laid out by enthusiastic amateurs with limited budgets.

If you enjoy a good layout and good conditions, sometimes, you need to be willing to be selective, pay a small premium and/or travel a little bit further to enjoy a round of golf that truly satisfies.

I recognize that out of town courses can add an hour or more to the time and expense that may be involved in playing a course that is closer to your home base; however, car pooling can both reduce expenses and add to the socialization aspect. What have you got to lose?

Take the opportunity, once or twice a month to try some excellent out of town alternatives.

May I suggest that if you haven't tried either the Renfrew G.C. or Hawkesbury G. & C.C. that you consider doing so.

I don't think that you'll be disappointed in either.

Does anyone have any other suggestions along the same line?

Upper Canada is usually quite good and to be honest, in relation to cost, a much better option than most around the city. Growing up in the St Lawrence Seaway we often visited the US; Malone, Potsdam and Canton all had good options. Malone has a deal for 36 holes, carts on both 18’s and lunch for under $100 for example. I won’t call them out by name but it’s outrageous to see some of the average to below average local public courses charging what they do. Some of the options in this thread are not better value IMO. Thank you to all for sharing your suggestions.

[slash]

Best way to save would be eggolf and golf extra. After 10/15 games with saving between 20/25 per round from the courses regular price your membership with both is paid. After those 15 games your still saving $20/$25 per round at courses.

[jeffc]

Unless I misunderstand your post, your complaint is one of "value for money".

I totally agree.

There are a lot of mediocre layouts in eastern Ontario and I never quite understand the seeming loyalty of many members of this forum to such locales.

Too many of the tracks in eastern Ontario were laid out by enthusiastic amateurs with limited budgets.

If you enjoy a good layout and good conditions, sometimes, you need to be willing to be selective, pay a small premium and/or travel a little bit further to enjoy a round of golf that truly satisfies.

I recognize that out of town courses can add an hour or more to the time and expense that may be involved in playing a course that is closer to your home base; however, car pooling can both reduce expenses and add to the socialization aspect. What have you got to lose?

Take the opportunity, once or twice a month to try some excellent out of town alternatives.

May I suggest that if you haven't tried either the Renfrew G.C. or Hawkesbury G. & C.C. that you consider doing so.

I don't think that you'll be disappointed in either.

Does anyone have any other suggestions along the same line?

We usually go to the valley a couple of times in the summer and play 2 of Renfrew, Oaks of Cobden and Whitetail. Solid courses and good conditioning combined with fair pricing makes this well worthwhile.

We do a trip to Smugglers as well and usually play 36 there as well.

[eez]

I would add Dragonfly, Perth (for 1 more year) and Prescott to the "worth the trip" courses. Mind you, be prepared for very fast and firm greens at Prescott

[ladygolfer13]

Looking around at some of prices that public courses charge for 18 holes the idea of belonging to a private club and playing unlimited golf is really the best choice provided you are playing 75+ games a year. For those losers like me who play 100+ games at a home course it’s a no brainer. To be honest, work friends mentioned the cost that they pay at C level public courses and I was floored. I think golf is in for a big shakeup in the years ahead.

Some course’s though limit the games you can play on memberships
Once you reach that total you have to pay to play but at discounted rate
I was playing with an older couple few years back and there membership
Allowed only 60 games and after that they had to pay $25 a round
So there membership went from $2000 for the year to $3500
As played 5-6 games a week

[Marcos]

Buckingham greens will be aerated starting tomorrow but with the small needle type aerator so they should be back to normal quickly

[gdwlkspld]

Some course’s though limit the games you can play on memberships
Once you reach that total you have to pay to play but at discounted rate
I was playing with an older couple few years back and there membership
Allowed only 60 games and after that they had to pay $25 a round
So there membership went from $2000 for the year to $3500
As played 5-6 games a week

I would guess that the course that you are referring to was a semi-private course that was privately owned not member owned. I don't know of any member owned courses that impose a surcharge after a certain number of rounds are played.

I would also guess that the couple that you refer to were perfectly aware that after a certain number of golf rounds that they would have to pay a surcharge and, nevertheless, took out a membership in that course.

You seem to assume that a person who plays 100 plus rounds a year should pay the same rate as a member that plays fewer than 50 rounds. Many owners of semi-private golf courses would disagree with that proposition.

[The Enigma]

The issue is courses charging rates that the quality of the layout and\or turf maintenance don't support.

Also there are courses with membership and\or management that think they are better than anyone else...rudeness abounds

COVID created a GOLDRUSH mentality and caused additional (carts and such) rate increases...which just feeds the inflation circle

And no place to name names and call them out...

[ladygolfer13]

I would guess that the course that you are referring to was a semi-private course that was privately owned not member owned. I don't know of any member owned courses that impose a surcharge after a certain number of rounds are played.

I would also guess that the couple that you refer to were perfectly aware that after a certain number of golf rounds that they would have to pay a surcharge and, nevertheless, took out a membership in that course.

You seem to assume that a person who plays 100 plus rounds a year should pay the same rate as a member that plays fewer than 50 rounds. Many owners of semi-private golf courses would disagree with that proposition.

No I am not assuming anything. The 2 courses I know of are Canadian and Dragon Fly

[gdwlkspld]

To my point...

If you are speaking of Dragonfly, they introduced a policy 2 years ago, of imposing a per round surcharge on members that played more that 60 rounds per year.

Dragonfly members either renewed their membership on that basis or they moved elsewhere.

Dragonfly is privately owned, not member owned and I cannot blame the owner for deciding to adopting an operational plan that would minimize the rounds per year that members could play and offering more tee times to greens fee players. That is how a free market system based on supply and demand works.

The result was that about 100 Dragonfly members did not renew their Dragonfly memberships and decided to join the member owned Renfrew G.C. that had membership rates that were very similar to Dragonfly's rates but did not limit the number of rounds per year that members could play.

The couple that you refer to obviously chose not to do so or seek out some other less pricey alternative.

That was their choice, just as it was the owner's choice at Dragonfly to convert to a marketing model that was more appealing to him or her.

In my view, if the couple that you speak of were not misled by the management at Dragonfly as to the limitations on their membership, they have nothing to complain about.

[MikeRaganold]

As this thread "2023 Golf Season Opening" gets further and further away from the original discussion, I suggest someone will open a new thread to continue the discussion "VALUE of GOLF".

I believe your feedback when presented in a meaningful manner proves to be valuable. Let your voice be heard and be sensible about how you choose to present yourself.

Also, can someone start a NEW THREAD for "2023 Course Conditions" which in my opinion has been a very useful resource in the past.

Wishing you a wonderful golf season.

This thread is now closed.