Annual cost of golf.
 

For budget planning, what is the annual amount folks spend for golf.

Priority membership, trail fee, villages tee time system and play a couple championship and a couple executive courses every week. Don't include lunch as that is already in another budget line item. Even though you know there will be a few weeks when your traveling or it's raining, plan for 52 weeks as sometimes you may play 3 times or off campus, or something. This is what I came up with. Am I close?

Priority = ~ $1000
Trail fee = ~ $150
Tee system = ~ $100
Greens fees = ~ $3120

Total = ~ $4370

So by budgeting $5000 annually for golf it should be safe? Agree, disagree?

First the trail fee is included in priority memberships. The priority for a single per year applying to all championship golf courses is roughly $780 plus tax..The $1000 charge I believe includes use of the regional pools.

With priority you generally are paying 32-36 per round. I do know that to take advantage of the priority price a golfer needs to golf 66 times

Palmers is always 10 dollars more than the other championships

www.golfthevillages.com has all the fees related to golf, may help to refine your estimates.

Yes, I saw that. So annual priority is $925 for a couple. Susi doesn't golf yet, but don't want that to be an excuse not to. Didn't notice it included the trail fee, so can cut that out. And I used an average of $60 a week for two rounds of championship golf. 60 X 52 = $3120. Probably a bit high. So $3120 + $925 + $100 for tee time system = $4145. Will still budget $5000 and let it cover it with inflation for a few years. And if I can get her to play will up it to $7500.

Sweetie has priority membership as he still enjoys playing 18. I play nine and my trail fees we pay annually. We play nine together with friends or just go out ourselves too.

If Susi doesn't yet play golf maybe...wait to see if she likes it. 18 is a lot of golf for a beginner.

Would like to share my annual costs for golf with everyone, but I can't. My wife occasionally reads this forum.:rant-rave:

I buy the Priority Membership for just six months. From May 1st to Oct 15th you can play after 11am at most courses for $19, a Priority membership only knocks that down to $16. Palmer Legends is a little more, $24 to play after 11am.

I just paid my six month membership so I get $10 off, and then come January 1st it's $15 off, so it's well worth it in the Winter. If I play twice a week at a championship course from Oct 15th to April 30th I'll come out ahead with a membership.

Amen

What about the cost for all the lost golf balls?

Lost???? What lost? I know exactly where they are.... I just don't want to fight with the gator in the water to try to get them!

They may be one of the 17 I've found in my yard since moving here in June!! Found some good ones, so I'll be using them when I get low!!!

I'm single so I don't have to consider the couple's priority fee but I'm budgeting $3300 - $3700 using Rubicon's 66 times per year on championship courses plus all the associated fees. Frankly, along with rounds on the executive courses, if I'm golfing more than that, I'll feel like I'm missing out on too many other great activities.

Very true and funny. :a20:

:a20:

Or the snakes in the bushes.

Avid golfers
 

My husband and I are avid championship golfers. In 2010, for the both of us, including priority membership, tee-time system and playing golf off campus, the cost was around $7,000.

Golf costs
 

My wife and I each play a couple of times/week, year around. Priority membership plus greenfees comes to approximately $6000/year.

If you enjoy hitting golf balls
 

I use TV driving ranges, so I pay $3 per bucket (maybe 50 balls in this size).

I enjoy the range, especially in the AM before other choppers get there :wave:. I have made some "range friends" down at Sarasota, familiar faces working to understand this ridiculous game :loco:

I will hit up to 4-6 buckets a week. Money adds up fast..... I have always suggested in surveys and calls to the golf office they consider a package, say $500 (some number) per year to hit unlimited balls. I used to pay $425 for a range in Norton, MA. (only 6+ months of usable weather). This was extra nice in that members used a special section. Yeah, I admit it I WAS a range rat....

If you like to practice, it deserves a line on your budget.

I2ridehd, I made a spreadsheet of golf cost last year, using the average cost to play across all championship courses and basing it on playing two times per week per couple. I don't know if green fees went up since then, but I'll send the summary to you in a PM.

Do any of you include '19th hole' expenses? If you're serious about your budget, I would think you'd need some idea - just my opinion........:wave:

Our club charged $175 family membership
 

We are both range rats also...Maybe we could start a TOTV petition for range membership in Villages.....I vote you for President!