For many years, the game of golf was the recreational activity I loved the most. Whether I played alone, with three total strangers, or with the numerous good friends I had made through our mutual love of the game, I always enjoyed the hours I spent on “the links.” As frustrating as golf can be and despite the temporary wounds it inflicted upon my ego, I never gave up feeling optimistic about my game. I knew there was a decent golfer somewhere in this body. Eternal optimism told me the next shot, or next round, will be better.
But time and health problems have kept me from playing golf, now, for eleven years. ELEVEN YEARS! I went from the hope of playing golf three or more times a week in retirement to not playing at all. That has been quite a psychological adjustment. That change has led me to watch less golf on TV, not get excited when I ride past a golf course, read fewer golf magazines, and pay little attention to the cost of a round of golf. When you don’t play golf, you don’t keep pace with the rates golf courses charge customers to play. This came to light quite shockingly recently when good friends told me they paid $175 each ($350 for a twosome) to play Silverado golf course in Scottsdale, AZ. “One-hundred seventy-five dollars, each?” was my astonished reply. The most I ever paid to play Silverado was $66! But that was 11 or 12 years ago. And they paid $175 each. I still can’t get over that.
After recovering from disbelief, I decided to download “Tee Off,” a golf tee time app, to see what the heck golf courses were charging players these days for 18 holes in Arizona. The results, which follow, blew my mind. Arizona is a winter-time golf mecca with over 100 golf courses open the public and countless other private clubs. Private courses don’t publish their greens fees so only courses available to everyone are cited here.
For decades, the Tom Weiskopf-Jay Moorish designed Troon North Monument Course has been considered one of the best courses in AZ. In the mid 1990’s, Dave Sears and I played it at 1:14 pm for $70 each—their “twilight” rate. It was early February, so darkness forced us to quit halfway through the 18th hole. It was hard to part with $70, but the course was so unique and so fantastic, after the first hole, we weren’t concerned about what it cost us. The regular greens fee was $110, the highest in the area. To play the course today costs around $444 in the morning and $367 for the twilight rate. Twilight rates are less because they are later tee times in the hotter hours of the day, and late enough that you may not get in the entire 18 holes. Monument’s sister course, the Pinnacle Course, charges $448 regular and $216 twilight.
The increase in the cost of golf in Arizona, at least in the Scottsdale area, is really incredible. For a golf trip where you play 18, 36, 36, and 18 holes over 4 days, greens fees alone, could cost you $2000 to $2500, depending on where you played. The most I ever paid 11 or more years ago was $135. I refused to pay too much for a round of golf because although I loved the game, I wasn’t good enough to justify spending over $100 just to be frustrated. I guess you could say, though, my cost per stroke was less shooting 96 than guys who shot 79.
I did an extensive search on the “Tee Off” app at what it costs non-Arizona residents or non-loyalty card holders, to play twenty-two of the most-often played courses in Scottsdale. What I learned was a huge surprise and makes me wonder if courses are going to price themselves out of business, but I think not since none have closed. How many people can afford to spend $600 or more a week on golf? I guess more than I realize.
What follows next is a list of courses from most expensive to least expensive. The first dollar amount is the highest rate (rack rate) the course charges, which is the fee charged during the prime morning hours. It determines the order of the listing. The second dollar amount is the twilight rate charged for tee times between 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm. I have played most of these courses, but would never pay what they they charge to play, now. Here goes…
The Tournament Players Club (TPC) Stadium Course – home of the WM PGA Tournament and
the raucous par-3 16th hole. Regular $579 Twilight $339
Troon Pinnacle Course $448 $216
Troon North Monument Course $444 $367
Grayhawk Both Courses $435 $265
Quintero (20 mi west of I-17) $429 $311
The Boulders Both Courses $346 $266
Wildfire Desert Ridge Both Courses $329 $198
We Ko Pa Both Courses $299 $230
TPC Champions Course $299 $246
Kierland 27 holes $285 $179
The Phoenician $282 $149
SunRidge Canyon $261 $249
Camelback Both Courses $249 $179
Talking Stick Both Courses $249 $136
Legend Trail $234 $150
Desert Canyon $225 $184
Rancho Manana $214 $193
McDowell Mountain Ranch $208 $119
AZ Biltmore Both Courses $207 $159
Dove Valley Ranch $195 $117
Scottsdale Silverado $189 $119
Longbow $184 $142
Starfire $121 $98
It’s quite obvious from the above listing that playing golf in Arizona is very expensive—at least on the more popular, heavily-played courses. There is only one course of the 22 I looked at whose greens fee is less than $100. Of course, there are less expensive courses in Sun City, Surprise, Mesa, and southern suburbs. And I know people find deals online that are considerably less than the “rack” rate or they get a discounted rate by buying a loyalty card for a certain course or group of courses. Loyalty cards don’t seem as plentiful as they used to be.
If your budget is limited, my advice is to look at several tee time websites, the course’s website, or be in the right place at the right time. Some courses have one tee time each day with a ridiculously low online rate. If you’re lucky and find one of these, you’ve hit the jackpot. Don’t tell anyone how you got your deal because if you do it won’t be there next time. Since I can’t play any more, I shouldn’t worry about these exorbitant rates. Courses charge what the traffic will bear. Some rates are ridiculous and certainly scare away those with limited resources. Those who can afford it will play the TPC 4 days-in-a-row and not bat an eye. But there are a lot of other places in America golfers can go where there are good golf courses and cheaper rates are available. In AZ, however, golf is almost never rained out so you have a good chance of having to pay that $200, $300, or even $500 to play if you’re so inclined.
As we all well know, nothing remains the same price forever. Inflation is a fact of life—it’s just worse at certain times and for certain goods or services. Golf is a luxury and luxuries are never cheap. For all you folks still able to play golf I’m terribly envious, but paying $175 to play Scottsdale Silverado is not something I have the slightest urge to do. These high greens fees temper my sense of loss of the game of golf. But if I were given the opportunity and ability, I just might drop $448 to play Troon North.
At least these expensive golf courses have good food and nice views. A league I played in was cancelled because the membership had dwindled to 3. The was due to the increase from $70 to $110. Too expensive for a twice a week player.