St. Andrews Links Trust freezes green fees for 2009 on its seven golf courses

The steady climb in green fees at golf courses in Scotland appears to be slowing down. The St. Andrews Links Trust announced today it will freeze its 2009 green fees at current 2008 levels.

Green fees in St. Andrews and around Scotland and Ireland have steadily rose for the last decade, some £3-5 a year average, and today clubs that aren’t even famous can get three-figure green fees. A “steal” is a course generally in the $90-100 range.

Due to higher fuel and transportation costs and a weakening economy that’s spreading globally, those days of price rises seem to be on hiatus for now.

The Old Course will remain at £130, while the new Castle Course will stay at £120. The New Course and Jubilee will remain at £65.

In a release, the Links Trust had this to say on the state of golf tourism in Scotland:

While visitor numbers to the Links courses this year have remained at normal levels and The Castle Course is enjoying a busy opening season, the Links Trust has taken the decision to freeze prices at an increasingly uncertain time for the economy and amid suggestions in some quarters that Scottish golf tourism is suffering.

These little annual increases can add up. When I was in St. Andrews in 2006, green fees on the Old Course were £115, roughly $30 cheaper than they stand now.

When you consider the Old Course isn’t even the most expensive golf course in Scotland (in fact, Kingsbarns about seven miles up the road is £160 and Turnberry is £200 on weekends), they could probably get away with a few more fee hikes, so kudos to them for keeping their fees somewhat reasonable compared to its lofty status in the golf world.