Green fees at top UK golf clubs are rising at, on average, four times the rate of inflation, according to new research.
Golf travel expert David Jones tracked green fee prices at the UK’s ‘Top 100’ courses for the past decade and says green fee prices have risen by 10.7 percent in the last year. The average green fee to play a top 25 UK course is £352, up from £318 last year. The average cost to play a top 100 course is £237.
This comes as a new study by Sporting Insights for the IGTOA (Ireland Golf Tour Operator Association) has revealed that American golf tourism is worth about £79 million annually to the Irish economy.
Golf Tourism England, the national membership body representing England’s golf visitor economy, is backing southwest England to benefit from a resurgence in American golfers travelling overseas and soaring green fees at Britain’s best courses.
Andrew Cooke, chief executive of Golf Tourism England, issued a rallying call to Devon and Cornwall’s golf clubs, accommodation providers and attractions, after organising a trip for leading American travel bookers to visit the region.
“Following the pandemic, the American golf tourism market has rebounded positively and England’s southwest is uniquely placed to benefit as green fees soar in line with unprecedented demand to play golf in the British Isles.
“This is a unique moment in time. An elite Scottish club announced the first-ever green fee in excess of £1,000 for the 2025 season and many Americans are missing out on tee times at courses where The Open has been played. Devon and Cornwall offers world-class links golf for less.”
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