The Arizona Republic
Jul. 28, 2005 12:00 AM
Describing summer golf prices is a little like
explaining the temperature - prices are as cheap as the sun is
hot.
But come September, when courses post their in-season rates,
prices take on a life of their own. Weekday morning rates.
Non-holiday weekend twilight rates. Early morning brunch and
golf specials.
If you put in a little research time, you can bring down the
$80-$120 price of playing a round of golf during the prime
season by choosing off-times and looking for discounts.
Added into the pricing equation are hotel and restaurant
discounts and various golf club membership deals. Most courses
are forced to raise their prices to offset the cost of all the
discounts, said Kevin McGraw, general manager at Foothills Golf
Course in Ahwatukee.
At Club West Golf Course, an estimated 85 percent of rounds are
discounted in some way or another, head professional
Monte Gegenheimer
said. Most of the discounts he sees during the summer are from
the Southwest PGA Golf Pass, a $150 card sold at most golf
courses that gives holders rate cuts at certain times of the
year. When Valley hotels host conventions and travelers in the
fall and winter, Gegenheimer processes a large number of
hotel-generated coupons.
"I would love it if we could just charge one rate and leave it
at that," he said. "But the market is so competitive and golf so
popular, it's just never going to happen."
McGraw said frustration runs deep on both sides of the
clubhouse. "You will literally go through 12 different rates
when people call when in reality the guy just wants to play at 4
p.m. on a Thursday," he said.
To keep things simple, Gegenheimer and McGraw suggest golfers do
some research of their own before calling. Both claim the
Internet is the best tool for finding deals.
"If you are a smart and savvy consumer in this market, you will
save a lot of money," McGraw said.
