Here in Spain all golf courses operate a seasonal pricing strategey with prices changing throughout the year with the seasons.
Typically March,April,May,September,October and November are high season periods when prices are at their highest and January,February,June,July,August and December are low season periods when prices are at their lowest.
This all a balancing act for visiting golfers to the area because when golf prices are high accommodation and flight costs are low and when golf prices are low accommodation and flight prices are high.
In recent years we have seen signicant increases in green fee prices for courses near Torrevieja but courses in Murcia and Alicante remain at lower levels.
Over the years the demographic of golfer in Spain has changed and these has been a switch from mainly British Golfers to those in Northern Europe who have significantly higher disposable income and pensions and local courses operate on a supply and demand basis and while golfers can pay the higher prices the courses will continue to charge them.
Unfortnately this leaves many British Ex-Pat Golfers living in Spain on smaller pensions in a position where they can’t afford the golf any more and only have the chance to play with local golf societies to obtain reasonably affordable golf.
This does leave a nasty taste in the mouths of the British Ex-Pat Golfers who feel they have supported the golf industry in Spain well for nearly 30 years and feel they should be being treated better by the local golf courses.
Now without doubt the cost of maintenance on golf courses in Spain is significantly higher than in the UK due to the amount of grass cutting needed and of course high water costs BUT there needs to be a balance somewhere before British Golfers start leaving Spain or targetting other golfing destinations in the world.
The problem can be seen in late May when the golfers from Northern Europe return home for the summer months leaving courses empty and Ex-Pat British Golfers who remain here unable or unwilling to pay the high prices demanded by the courses,so no winner anywhere here.
Hopefully common sense will overcome greed and the correct balance of pricing will be offered by the golf courses to potential clients.