P2P vs. Free Courses

[Blaaaake77]

What is everyone's thoughts on courses that require a green fee vs. courses that are free of charge? I am conducting a little research for a course proposal and could use everyone's input.

What is too much to pay to play? $5, $10 or $20, what is your top price you will pay?

Along with answering the survey, what do you look for in P2P courses vs. free courses? Does price really play a factor when deciding a course and are you usually one person who looks to play at free courses before even thinking about paying for a course.

Thank you in advance, I appreciate the input from you all.

 

[sidewinder22]

IMO generally p2p are better courses, better venue, and less riffraff. I do tend to seek these out.

I've paid $25 for daily pass a few times, but that also included the use of all the other facilities, zip line, hiking trails, meals, and is also one of the best courses I've ever played. How much I'm willing to pay will depend on the perceived value.

 

[Finny]

It 100% depends on the quality of the golf offered. I paid the $ for Maple Hill and felt like it was a great deal. I'd be happy to pay $10 to play there every time.

 

[ThunderEagle]

I said free, that doesn't mean I wouldn't be willing to pay. I like to get out 4-5 times a week when it is nice out. If I had to pay say $5 each time, well, I wouldn't play that often. I would always want a free course to hit up.

I wouldn't mind paying to play a very well maintained course from time to time, and I could see purchasing a yearly pass as long as I saw the value in the money.

I also have participated in a several leagues at my home course where I really have no chance in winning where a portion of the funds goes straight to the course and I have made donation that probably would well exceed a yearly membership.

 

[enragedmullet]

Agreed that it depends on the quality of golf offered but if the course in question is rather steep, more than $10, and in an area where there's not much else, it's nice to see a good deal offered to locals like an annual pass or some other incentive.

 

[Mike C]

IMO generally p2p are better courses, better venue, and less riffraff. I do tend to seek these out.

I've paid $25 for daily pass a few times, but that also included the use of all the other facilities, zip line, hiking trails, meals, and is also one of the best courses I've ever played. How much I'm willing to pay will depend on the perceived value.

This has been my experience as well. They seem better maintained, less trash, more likely to have all tee signs etc.

I don't have a hard limit on how much I'll pay. Like sidewinder it depends on what the course presents, along with any additional amenities.

I will add that I'd always like to have some sort of free course near me, if nothing else for when I introduce people to the game.

 

[DavidSauls]

Yes, as with everyone. It's a faulty poll. I'd certainly rather a course, or anything else, to be free. But some courses I would be willing to pay to play.....some, I'd be willing to pay a good bit.

As with others, it depends on the course, as well as what other options are nearby.

As it is, P2P and free courses aren't comparable; most P2P courses are higher quality than most free courses.

One subtlety on the cost is that, the more expensive a course is, I might be willing to pay......just not as often.

 

[Timeetyo]

There are so many factors in play that it is really hard to get a good sense from a thread like this. For me personally, I will easily pay $10 for a course that I deem worth it. But....

1 - The area and nature of courses around it / DG population are a huge factor. Put a PTP course in an area with overcrowding at all normal courses and it'll thrive. Put one in the middle of nowhere with no DG population and it likely won't do well.

2 - The quality of the course & facility. If you want folks to pay it needs to offer something more that the nearby free courses don't. Better DG. Better facilities. Less rifraff. etc.

3 - For price - who are you targeting? Travelers passing through in a high tourism area? Locals who'll play 1+ times per week? Make sure you price accordingly.

 

[DavidSauls]

Along with answering the survey, what do you look for in P2P courses vs. free courses? Does price really play a factor when deciding a course and are you usually one person who looks to play at free courses before even thinking about paying for a course.

I am only looking at how good the course is---whether free or P2P. And, perhaps, how far away it is.

*

But free courses are almost always public courses, in public parks, and there are certain constraints that go with that. P2P are usually privately-owned, and thus have more freedom in course quality.

 

[DavidSauls]

I'm not sure anything here is going to particularly help with the proposal, because this is very much a regional issue. Ask the folks in Maine, where P2P is the norm. As opposed to here, where there's only one P2P course within 2 hours of me (though another private course that, though free, is more similar to P2P).

 

[MarkDSM]

* poll is not applicable to those that live in disc golf hot areas where pay for play is unheard of.

Example: me in Des Moines, Iowa. Lots of very good quality within 80 miles. Nearest courses that have cash free will donor boxes near 100 miles and only two I know of in the state.

 

[wims]

I don't think there's even a single pay-to-play course in my country. I would probably only play a handful of times per season on a pay-to-play course, but only if the course was excellent, there was little to no queues etc. The product would have to be significantly better than the free-to-play courses around

 

[Sunday Mike]

I have paid to play, but I much prefer not having too.

 

[Treeplant]

As a former ball golfer first, for a great course I would happily pay $20/round or more. For a world class course with the rounds managed (tee times, course marshals etc.) I'd pay $100-$200 per round, but I don't think anything like that exists in the world that I know of.

That said, I'm the type that will pay $350/round to play the top ball golf courses in the world (Pebble, Pinehurst etc.), so $100 a round for a top end experience is cheap in my eyes.

My experience is disc golfers are just about the cheapest group of sports enthusiasts I've ever met (except when it comes to buying weed and weed paraphernalia it seems), so I know I'm a massive outlier. When I said I paid $35 for a Frogger golf towel to use for disc golf I was treated like I burned a $1000 bill in front of everyone's eyes for fun.

 

[CreemCheese]

I haven't been to many pay courses, but the ones I have seem to be in worse shape than free. Trash, unmowed, broken baskets.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I don't mind P2P... a lot of parks all over the country charge entrance fees.
I've paid $35 for an annual pass to a private course that had nothing but an excellent course with no pedestrian traffic.

IMO generally p2p are better courses, better venue, and less riffraff. I do tend to seek these out.
...
How much I'm willing to pay will depend on the perceived value.

Agree 100%.

 

[DanJon]

P2P is pretty common around here.

At least the courses I prefer/play.

 

[jtrod]

Pay to Play should not be a problem. Morley field is $5 per day on the weekend and $4 during the week. Sun Valley is $6 per 18. Colina Park is $7 for 18 or $10 for all day. Olive Glen/Sycuan is $5 per day. These courses are well kept and have solid business.

As disc golfers, we carry 10-20 discs valued around $100-$200, we have a $75-$300 bag/backpack and some of us have a $200+ cart to carry our stuff around, so I'm not going to be the one complaining about having to pay a few dollars to play a round of disc golf.

I guess I should be complaining about the stacks of back up discs, that are inside my out dated bags sitting in the garage.

 

[JC17393]

Given the choice between a P2P and a free course, I'm likely to choose the P2P every time, all else being equal. I'm all for paying to play a course where I won't have to watch out for or wait for pedestrians and picnickers and dog walkers. If the only other people I'm going to encounter on my round are other disc golfers, it's worth the price.

 

[da Crippler]

P2P keeps the riff raff out. Vandals don't like to pay an entrance fee.