Expensive Golf Courses

[cypressperch]

I am pretty tight with my money. I spend money on good golf equipment, but I use it a very long time which is a type of economizing. My home course is fairly expensive but I play so much (Retirement is nice!) that that also comes out a bargain. Being this way, I usually have stayed away from playing some of the more expensive courses. I have recently finished a trip that included some golf, and one course I played has made me change my mind about what to me is expensive golf.

The green fee at Longaberger near Columbus, Ohio was $99. That is the most I have ever payed to play a round of golf. It included use of a locker, shower after round, free practice balls and use of a perfect practice area and range, cart with a GPS system that gave you the yardage from your ball to any point on a given hole and tips that made playing a new course a log easier, free personalized bag tag, etc, etc, etc. The main thing, of course, was the course itself. The course is well known for being "long", so it seemed fitting to play from the back tees (7300 yards). No course, anywhere, could have been in better shape because this course was in perfect shape. We have talked on the forum about amateurs doing poorly against good tour pros, and I agree with much of that line of thought, but when the condition of a course is perfect, an amateur will play better too. I was happy shooting 80 which included two birdies and two double boggies (39-41). I think I did fairly well because it was like I was playing golf in a landscape painting and also like being in a PGA event so I HAD to play well enough not to look out of place.

I played with a guy who plays that course all the time. He was a nice guy, but I really think he took that course a little for granted. Personally, I have never met a golf course that I did not like, but many of those would be called "goat ranches" by some. In the future, I will play my home course (the most scenic I have yet to play) more than any other course, but I will still play goat ranches from time to time. A change in my thinking has happened, and I will now include playing an expensive course from time to time. You can see where the money goes. Also, as they say on the commercial, "I am worth it."

Sincerely, Cypressperch

[Adam Pettman]

I got on to a very expensive golf course near london for free and you really can really tell the difference, the greens were immaculate and the fairways were perfect.

[Sandpiper3]

I played Peek N Peak (the upper course where they hold the nationwide tour) and it costed each me and my dad 140$ just for the green fee, and didnt get anything for it like bag tags and practise area and such.

But it was a freakin amazing course. Played from the back back tees every hole (yardage from the normal tips was 7250, but i went back to every back back tee that the nationwide played from). No the rough was not grown out as long as it was for them, but was still like 3 1/2 inches, and the greens were only running at like a 12.

I was semi pleased with the 77 I shot, but I got so caught up looking at the course so many times I completely forgot the shot at hand, I can think back to the entire course and see everyone of my shots after a round, but that day I couldn't because I wasn't focusing on my shots as much as the course kinda caught me. But now that ive played it I could shoot par there and actually be able to focus on my shots.

But wow it was beautiful.

[Wi-Golfer]

Originally Posted by Adam Pettman

I got on to a very expensive golf course near london for free and you really can really tell the difference, the greens were immaculate and the fairways were perfect.

The 2 courses near me that I play the most have really been hammered by all the rain we had last month & the greens are horrible. I mean putting on them is a joke, they are full of aeration spike hole marks or something. Your ball will literally hop & bounce around on the greens & even a 12" putt is an iffy proposition.

Anyways I just kind of got used to the horrible greens & have accepted them....until today I played a course I hadn't been to before. The greens were beautiful, the fairways lush & overall the playing conditions were fantastic. Kind of weird that I have been beating myself up over shooting 46-50 on these "home" courses & now when I go play a nice course I shoot the best score ever, 42 & 43.