how much for a pay to play?

[Cgkdisc]

The way I've heard several ball golf courses handle the price difference between ball and disc golfers is to require disc golfers to rent one cart for every 2 players. So it might cost $20 for one player to play a round with a cart or $25 for two with $15 of that fee being the cart rental.

 

[disc gopher]

I would pay $5 + per round for a course that has a decent layout and is extremely well maintained. incorporate some ball golf type luxury stuff on the course and people will pay top dollar to come play it

 

[TempleOfDoom]

I paid $15 to play at Browns & Bows this weekend and I was okay with it. Of course it was a drop in the bucket compared to the $125 worth of gas I burned through to make the trip.

 

[DSCJNKY]

But if the course is still open to ball golf traffic (and another consideration is are your BG customers going to like sharing their space with DG'ers), and the layout largely follows a layout made for ball golf, I'm out. Ball golf is a different game with different mechanics and a different means as to go about avoiding obstacles, and while I'm sure there are some decent setups like say Old English, I've never found that style of play to be particularly enticing.

Emerald Isle was a blast... and I'm sure other ball golf course layouts would be too.

Usually, ball golf course have water, always a bonus in disc golf... and, ball golf course have Par 4's and 5's, (I know, they're all 3's), and that makes for some awesome shots.

Plus, when you make other features OB (sandtraps and greens) and place the pins in proximity to those OB features, it makes for some pretty difficult golf. Placement, although on a fairly wide open area, becomes the priority. It's not that the course is simply wide open and therefore boring or easy...

DSCJNKY

 

[waynewf]

Paying for things makes them seem more important.

 

[yawpstang64]

$5 (/day) and I doubt I'd be disappointed for an 18-hole. The course would really have to shine to charge more than that though.

 

[jsc430]

There is a course here in Chicago:

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=1226

its 15$ for the day per person, but u get a golf cart, and its a huge course alongside a ball course. you can bring your own beer and drinking is legal there!

pricey yes... def fun every once in a while.

WORTH it

 

[jsc430]

Considering the pay to play courses at Circle R ranch. Two of the best layouts designed by one of the best course designers in the world is $5 for the day. I would have to say not much more than $5 unless you provide a lot more than just golf and a few discs.

Last time i went to Circle R(may 2010) it was $10

 

[andrewtclarkson]

I pay 8/ round 15 all day at my home course

 

[wkelly42]

Not sure I'd pay more than $5 a round, which would make things difficult for the course.

As has already been mentioned, if you've got traditional golfers and disc golfers playing the same course at the same time, and the disc golfers are paying less, it's not going to be too long before the traditional golfers stop showing up. I play both, and there's no way I'd pay $25 to play a course where disc golfers are paying $5 or $10 for the same course and the same amenities. I seriously doubt there will be enough disc golf business to compensate for the loss of business from long-time customers/players if there is a price disparity. And there will be a loss of business from long-time customers if there is a price disparity.

If it's a nine-hole course, they probably don't charge traditional golfers much anyway, so it may not be a problem; just charge everyone the same price.

 

[Peterb]

$5 a day or a $60 annual pass is worth it.

 

[InnocentCrook]

I paid $15 to play at Browns & Bows this weekend and I was okay with it. Of course it was a drop in the bucket compared to the $125 worth of gas I burned through to make the trip.

I also payed the $15 to play these two courses. I was more than happy to pay that to play two very nice courses that were not at all crowded. The front course had more landscaping than any course I've been on. The tighter back course was a nice compliment to the mostly open front course. I was able to play three rounds. Next time I'll probably show up a little earlier than 10:30 am so I can get an extra round or two in.

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=4224

 

[KDencker]

I know this is off topic, but I think this would be an awesome idea for a ball club to do.

Charge 5 dollars per day. Any more than that will scare people away.

Since the course is so far away from other courses it should start to build up a club like stucture. Membership to the club 20 dollars a year. If you pay for membership you get into the course for 2 dollars a day.

Then they put on events. Doubles, Handicaps, maybe even a Tournament (PDGA or not) Take in one/two dollars a player don't have a green fee. This will get people out each week, and bring in more money. While keeping down the cost for person who wants to play there all the time.

I think it if they build up the disc golf course membership then they should be able to bring in enough money to maintain it at a profit.

 

[cjskier]

There is a private course in Northern California thats 15 per day to play their 2, 18 holes courses as much as you want. Everyone I know who has played there will says its worth the 15 and more.

 

[wolito]

I think $5 is fine, but if it's more than that, it really be a special course...with amenities.

Yeah, I would pay 5 bucks without too much hesitation, as long as it was nearly a 4 of 5 rated course.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

Here in Spring, it's $3 for all day. No carts for disc golfers. 27 holes. http://springvalleygolfclub.com/disc_golf.htm

 

[Steve West]

I play both, and there's no way I'd pay $25 to play a course where disc golfers are paying $5 or $10 for the same course and the same amenities.

Please fill us in on how it hurts you as a $25 golfer to have a $5 disc golfer also play. I'm NOT trying to argue that it doesn't, I just want more insight into what's going on in your head. This is a real concern for one of my client courses.

In a related note, there is a good reason for charging disc golfers less: a major part of the cost of maintaining a golf course is keeping the greens in perfect shape. That's why they're called "greens fees". The disc golfers don't use (and don't wear down) the greens.

To the OP: don't worry too much about the admission fee. The majority of the revenue will come from cart rental (if offered), and beer and disc sales. Start low, if the course gets too crowded, raise it.

 

[DSCJNKY]

In a related note, there is a good reason for charging disc golfers less: a major part of the cost of maintaining a golf course is keeping the greens in perfect shape. That's why they're called "greens fees". The disc golfers don't use (and don't wear down) the greens.

You ever seen a spike hyzer hit a green? Talk about a Divot! And, disc golfers don't usually carry around divot fixing tools.

If the disc golf course follows the ball golf course... there's no reason that disc golfers should pay less to play on the same land, even if the game is somewhat different.

There's already enough conflict between the two groups where space is shared. Plus, if the disc golfers pay less, it won't be long before the course is overrun with disc golfers and the ball golfers stop showing up.

That's just my experience.
DSCJNKY

 

[KMaC]

Spring Valley in Spring , TX has a Power 9 that plays down a ball golf course, and a Finess 18 that plays around the course . The Power 9 is off limits on weekends, because of all the ball golfers, but the 18 doesn't mess with the ball golf course, it plays around the outside of it in the wooded area surrounding the course.

Its a private, Pay to Play course, that has a complete Disc Golf Pro Shop, and the also sell drinks, chips and hot dogs.

I think with tax, its $3.40 to play all day. Great course to play if you are ever going to be in the Houston area. I have taken a few people from the site here to play there (like Sloppydisc) and they enjoyed it. Challenging course.

I played that course when I was in TX last spring and I have to say the finesse 18 was an awesome course that had some of the tightest fairways I've ever seen.

 

[wkelly42]

Please fill us in on how it hurts you as a $25 golfer to have a $5 disc golfer also play. I'm NOT trying to argue that it doesn't, I just want more insight into what's going on in your head. This is a real concern for one of my client courses.

It doesn't HURT me, but it means that I am paying significantly more for essentially the same services. We play the same course, at the same time, using the same carts -- traditional golfers are going to be pissed if they're paying more for that.

IF you educate the people who are already there about the differences in the two sports (your point about wear and tear on courses is a good one), you probably won't have as many get mad and stop playing the course -- but if the difference is $20, then that's a HUGE gap to cover. I can justify a $10 difference, but not a $20. Cart rental should, obviously, be the same price, and that's where you'll probably make the most money. I'm wondering if you can require disc golfers to use the carts but not everybody else? That might irritate the disc golfers that the course is trying to attract, but it would also increase the revenue stream from them.

I've never played a dual-use course (I'm playing Tupelo Bay in a couple months), so I don't know about attitudes from the regulars about disc golfers on the course. I'd think you wouldn't get a lot of the problems on a course that's pay to play.