CONSUMER RESEARCH: Paying to play

Is golf only for the elite? You be the judge: Nearly a third of core golfers usually pay less than $40 for a round of golf with cart and only 8 percent spend $70 or more (See the chart, "Core golfers’ average cost per round with cart.") NGF defines core golfers as those who play eight or more rounds per year.

Golfers report the average they usually pay for a round with cart is $46. Walkers spend even less, averaging $36 – and nearly one-third of rounds in the U.S. are walked.

Some high-profile public courses with high green fees perpetuate the image of golf as overly expensive, NGF says. Some examples of peak rates: Torrey Pines Golf Course (South course) $240; Chambers Bay Golf Course ($169); Cog Hill Golf & Country Club (Dubsdread course) $150; and Bethpage State Park Golf Course (Black course) $125.

How have prices changed? Three in four golfers say they’re spending the same or a little more than five years ago for a round of golf. So, as with the American economy in general, inflation in golf isn’t an issue.