It's their sand box

Ultimately it comes down to supply and demand. Look at the seasonal rates. It doesn't cost any more to operate the course in January than June, maybe even less given water consumption. Look at the airlines (my pet peeve) and the airfare around the holidays. And it doesn't cost them any more (just a few dollars) to park your rear in first class. But if first class wasn't triple the coach rate, everyone would want it

I played Lopez today and noticed the fees went up $5.00. Winter rates?

Guess the answer is this ain't NY.

Went up 10/1. Fall Greens Fees.
Will go up again on 1/1 Winter Greens Fees

Fuel is usually the highest or second highest cost in golf course maintenance. With gas prices falling, raising greens fees is a bonus on top of a windfall.

Where did you play where the cart was free?

When the subject of Beth Page Black comes up the story below is what I have heard for 20 years. It's an honor and a privilege to play that course but it's not easy.


"I'm a NJ resident and have played the Black 4 times so far. Each time I've stayed in my car in the parking lot overnight and have had no issues getting out in the morning. Depending on the day you are planning on playing (weekday vs. weekend), you don't even really need to get there that early the night before. Aside from that, the starter comes around very early (pre-6am if I recall) and gives you a ticket. Good luck!"

Let me share a short story from Bethpage. Between the years 1974 and 1980 I played the course easily 300 times. The process back then was to buy a ticket, bring it to the starter to sign in. Waiting time at the other 4 courses there averaged 3-3 1/2 hrs, but the Black was 2 - 2 1/2 hrs. The sign in the ticket office read "The Black course is an extremely difficult course not recommended for beginners" About 1977 they changed the sign to read "The Black course is an extremely difficult course recommended only for highly skilled golfers" You guessed it---the waiting time climbed to 4 hrs

1977?
38 years ago it was difficult to get on- 4 hours.

The person I quoted said you need to get in the parking lot the night before. I've heard that same story for many years. Playing that course with my younger son is on my bucket list. Golf is golf. Who cares if it's difficult? Golf balls are cheap. It's not like your swimming the English Channel.

The get to the parking lot at midnight so they sell you a ticket at 4Am to tee off at 8 nonsense only started after the 1st open there. I have no idea how it is now, but probably better. It wasn't difficult to get on in the 70's, you just had a long wait to tee off. Then an even longer round, especially on the Black. anything under 6 hrs was good, I once had to leave after 13 on account of darkness, 8hr and 45 min after teeing off. The problem was the course is VERY difficult, there was 6-8 inch rough from the tee to about 220 yds out where the fairway began. You got the see that in the open, especially on #11 where pros were having trouble reaching the fairway in poor weather conditions, and they were not using 1970's equipment. People would play the course who had no business ever getting near it, hit it 100 yds off the tee then hunt for their ball forever. This was complicated by # 2 being a tight dogleg left with the fairway 13 yds wide in the landing zone. I once got to the 2nd tee and 13 foursomes were waiting!!!
So naturally I am a strong proponent of ready golf and playing the course in the time suggested, but I also laugh when golfers complain of "slow play" in TV---if you don't need a calendar to time the round, it is fast compared to Bethpage in the 70's

Heheh. I wish had a Bethpage Black story to relate. But it sounds like comparing TV slow play to Bethpage Black is similar to the folks complaining about traffic in TV...who apparently have never experienced real traffic. ;)

Pretty much the same. But I'll save my best black course story for a time I feel like typing a page. Chuck Workman, the head pro there in the 60's and 70's told this to me over several beers, but I'll have to figure out the condensed version to post it

Ocala Gold,Harbor Hills, Stonecrest, and Eagle Ridge for a few. I did not use the term free, what I stated was the green fees for outside golf courses including the cart is less than the Villages where we are expected to use our personal cart.

If you can walk a course, it's usually less expensive. If the fee includes a golf cart they probably don't want walkers slowing everything down because it's a long walk here and there from the green to the next tee. If it's included a certain portion of the fee is going towards the cart. We agree. I think the cart fees in TV are the cheapest I ever paid.