Birthday Golf Specials

I awoke this morning to a quartet of emails offering “birthday golf specials.” My birthday is in November, so these were early offers while the courses are still open.

Turns out that they weren’t much of a deal:

A “free cart with a fully paid round of golf.” Nothing for me here, since I walk whenever possible, and I especially would walk on that particular course. I think it tells you how little carts cost the courses, though.

“Bring three friends and your round is free.” I don’t have a regular group, so this does nothing for me. Also, that particular course is overpriced for the area, so I would be making my friends pay extra (relative to their usual tracks) so I can get a free round. It is a good deal for the course, though, since once three have paid in full, the marginal cost of the fourth is pretty close to zero. Actually, once the first player has occupied a tee slot, the marginal cost of the others is very low.

A “free dog, chips and drink.” Seriously? How does gas station cuisine entice me to a course? And again, this happens to be a course that’s on the high end of the area norm. I can play a course that is ten dollars cheaper and nearly as nice. Figure no more than five bucks for a dog and drink and the birthday “deal” is costing me money.

The worst, however, was an offer for a $99 overnight stay with a round of golf at an “Up North” resort. Of course, that is only with double occupancy with the other person paying “full price.” Full regular price is $189 for the room and $78 for the round). And only in September, which not coincidentally is after Labor Day and the beginning of the “off season”—after prime golf for most people, and before the snow flies and ski season. A little rooting around on the resort’s site also turned up this nugget: they have double occupancy package deals where each player pays $99. So the birthday “deal” where I pay $99 and the other pays “full” is just highway robbery.

These marketers should be ashamed of themselves.

I think I’ll stick to my usual birthday plan. Assuming there’s no snow on the ground, I’ll play on my birthday on my local course, which by that time will have prices down to $10 a round. It’ll be cold, but I’ll be on foot and wearing my high tech cold weather golfing gear. And I’ll have the course practically to myself.