Only a handful of area golf courses didn’t raise green fees this spring. Increases ranged from a little to a lot, especially on weekends.
Six nearby courses—Caswell Pines, Hillandale, Lake Winds, Occoneechee, Quaker Creek, Twin Lakes (9 holes)—maintained the same rates as last year, according to CSN’s annual public golf update on three dozen regional courses.
You could almost add Southwick, Mebane. They kept weekday rates the same ($30) but added one dollar to weekend fees ($35). No courses surveyed by CSN reduced rates.
The three-university owned courses in the Triangle are considered a separate category because their rates are complicated with student, staff, booster and general public fees, and have high end green fees. Duke, which offers a lower Triangle rate, held the line on fees. Lonnie Poole (Raleigh) hiked rates by $20 for weekdays, $25 weekends. Poole will close in June for new grass installation (story elsewhere in this issue). UNC Finley increased weekdays by $10, weekends $20.
Golfers noted several courses moved Fridays from weekday to the weekend rate schedule, while others have different fees for Friday and weekends.
Five courses (Grandover West, Heritage, Duke, Finley, Lonnie Poole), plus an unknown number of the eight local layouts with variable pricing now charge more than $100/ round on weekends.
The lowest prices for 18 are close to Chapel Hill: Southwick, Graham, $30 and $35; Quaker Creek, Mebane, $32 and $42; Hillandale and Lake Winds, Durham, $40 and $45; Occoneechee, Hillsborough, $47 and $55; Caswell Pines, Yanceyville, $49 and $53.
Here are some of the increases at other courses: Bryan Park (both courses), The Challenge, Quail Ridge, Reedy Creek hiked rates $5 across the board; Lochmere $5 weekdays, $6 weekends; The Heritage $4 weekdays, $5 weekends; Neuse $10 weekdays and $5 Fridays; Riverwood $2 weekdays, $4 weekends; Pine Hollow $3 weekdays, $7 Fridays, $5 weekends; The Valley, city owned by Burlington, $5 across the board; Willowhaven $4 weekdays, $10 weekends.
Joel Bulkley