Green fees for people who aren’t members anywhere.

Hi all,

I have questions……

I played golf for a year or so when I was 13/14 years old. I drifted away from it but always intended to get back to it because I actually loved it. 30 years later, I finally bought some clubs and have been hitting the driving range every week for a few months to get back into the swing of things (excuse the pun).

Anyway, with the spring approaching, I finally want to get back out on a course. But I actually don’t know anyone who plays golf any more and I thought I’d seek advice here. I don’t know how much I’ll get to play and I was thinking of paying green fees rather than paying for membership because I’m not in a position to pay a grand for the privilege if I end up only playing 5-6 times a year. If it turns out I want to play every week and have the time, I would obviously just join a club. But I just want to test the waters first.

So what is the rate I would have to pay? Is it the international visitors rate? Local course is €150 which seems a bit steep. It’s a third of that for GUI members. There’s another local course that has €25 twilight rounds but it doesn’t specify whether you need a GUI membership. It says you must have a handicap under 28 but obviously I don’t have one. I know “just ring them up” is the simplest answer but I would like to be forearmed with some idea. I hear a lot of people are playing different courses and paying green fees rather than joining one but I can’t imagine at €100-200 a round that many people are at that?

And are courses happy enough to have a randomer turning up to play by himself? Obviously not at peak times but of a quiet evening? I would prefer to play a few times by myself before being paired up with a stranger. I get stage fright when someone else comes into the driving range ☹️ And I like the idea of playing alone rather than having to keep up small talk. Ideally I’d like to book a tee time online when there seems to be a lots of free times and just turn up, pay and play without annoying anyone.

I know the etiquette and I bought decent used clubs and have appropriate clothes and soft spikes. And can hit a ball. So I’m not talking about turning up in jeans and hacking my way around with a set of rusty McGregors from the 80s. So I would not stick out as a complete noob. What sort of reception would I get? Am I a regular sort of customer or some sort of aberration who won’t be welcome?

Anyway, if you read all that, thanks even if you can’t answer any of them.