Golf is really a great value when compared to most other activities.
Is it too expensive? If so, compared to what?
The three reasons cited in the hundreds of articles I have read recently about the decline of golf are invariably the same:
- A round takes too long;
- The game is too hard;
- And too expensive.
The fact that all the articles repeat the same explanations makes me suspicious. And while the first two contain some truth, the third is nonsense. The real reason for falling numbers is never mentioned. I shall reveal it later but golf is certainly not expensive when compared with other forms of entertainment. Golf is not cheap, it’s ridiculously cheap!
Let’s look at the average cost of an NFL ticket (April 2015);
Philadelphia Eagles: $203.20,
Dallas Cowboys: $210.22,
Green Bay Packers: $229.50,
Chicago Bears: $233.66,
New England Patriots: $260.94.
Club seats at Tampa Bay start at $325 while the equivalent at the Dallas Cowboys is $650 a game.
Let’s take a look at the average cost of an ice-hockey ticket:
Toronto Maple Leafs: $124.69
Winnipeg Jets: at $97.84
Vancouver Canucks: at $87.38
Edmonton Oilers: $79.27
Montreal Canadiens: at $78.56.
Washington Capitals: $79.25
New York Rangers: $72.04
Philadelphia Flyers: $71.59
Tickets for Premier League soccer matches in the UK average around $90.
My last three dinners for two out ranged from $80-$150 per meal.
My cable bill is $210 a month and I hardly watch TV.
On a visit to a club in Manchester, England which charged about £500 for membership, a committee member told me that there was no way they could put the fees up. I asked whether or not any of the members ever went to a Manchester United game. “Yes,” he replied and admitted that the last time he took a couple of clients to the home ground of the most famous football club in England it had cost him £460 which, coincidentally, is just about what he pays for a year’s golf.
We could go on comparing other sports, entertainment or events and none, in my opinion, offers anywhere close to the value provided by most golf courses.
According to Golf Digest, the average green fee in the US, including cart, is $48, but there are thousands of courses you can play for even less
So let’s stop pretending golf is too expensive because there is very little entertainment to be had for less than $12.50 an hour.
And none that’s a good for your long-term health as golf and this much fun!
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