Everything costs more in the Triangle including public golf, and green fees were hiked substantially nearly across the board and these aren’t nickel dime increases. In past years, price increases normally were limited to a dollar or two weekdays or maybe $5 for weekends. No more. Price increases this year were often higher.
Duke, UNC, Lonnie Poole, Heritage Golf all are now around or over $100 weekends, and many others are over $70 for Saturday/ Sunday/holidays. Getting in a round of golf during the week is now a way to save big bucks over playing on weekends. Duke raised cart fees to $35 per player. Most courses include cart fees as part of the cost for the round.
The annual CSN golf survey of about three dozen regional courses found only five that held the line on green fees, two had small reductions, with two dozen raising rates. The fees at Duke, Finley, Lonnie Poole are so complicated with discounts for students, faculty, alumni, club members, etc, we didn’t count them. Three courses with variable pricing don’t publish their rates so we don’t know about them.
Bryan Park (Greensboro), The Challenge (Graham), Keith Hills (Buies Creek), Mill Creek (Mebane), Twin Lakes (Chapel Hill) kept prices the same as last year. Lake Winds (Durham) lowered rates by $1, and Southwick (Graham) lowered weekdays by $2, Fri/Sat/Sun by $1.
At the other end of the spectrum, Heritage Golf (Wake Forest) raised weekdays by $7, Neuse (Clayton), Wildwood Green (Raleigh) hiked M-Th $8. Caswell Pines, Hedingham, The Valley, Lochmere, Reedy Creek, River Ridge. Quail Ridge raised weekdays by $5. About ten courses hiked weekdays by $3.
Locally, The Crossings Grove Park raised weekdays by $1, weekends by $3; Hillandale hiked weekdays by $4, weekends by $3; Occoneechee raised rates by $1 for both; Umstead Pines (Willohaven) raised M-F by $8, SS by $9.
Biggest weekend price increases were $8 for Olde Liberty, Reedy Creek; $9 Heritage Golf, Umstead Pines; $10 River Ridge.
J.B.