‘Golf by the Hour’: Solid Logic?

A 36-hole golf course in Missouri, The Lodge of Four Seasons, has introduced ‘golf-by-the-hour’ pricing.

Their new pricing plan allows players to pay for the amount of time spent playing the course rather than the traditional method of paying for a set number of holes. The initial plan is $10 per hour plus taxes, only good on ‘off-peak’ times.

The logic invoked by Director of Golf Matt Tausig on the plan is fine from this angle:

“A full 18-hole round of golf traditionally takes four-plus hours to play. But many avid golfers who play faster don’t want to pay a full rate when they’re on the course for a fraction of the time. Then there are also players who pay for a full round but run out of time before finishing their game.”

So far so good.

And even this makes sense:

“Golfers may receive a more equitable value for their money based on how long they play, whether it’s the dad who has an hour to burn while his wife and kids are out shopping or the local golfer who can swing by during non-peak hours.”

But there are two huge flaws the plan seems to miss:

– A player pays MORE to take longer to play, and most people don’t want to take longer; and

– How angry would you be if you had to pay more greens fee money because the hacks in front of you take forever? Fistfights could break out if a slowpoke group holds up a faster one that is paying by the hour.

There may be a kernel of an idea here, but some of this logic needs to go back to the drawing board…