Tassie 2024

Crikey looks like a sign of the times. There was a time when if you couldn't type fast you were somewhere down the reserve list after about 2 minutes with the 340 spaces gone in the first minute. Application went online at 1:00pm today and as at 1:15 it was only 2/3rds full. That is a massive drop in interest.

When I started doing it in 2010 it was £180 and it ticked up by £10 or so for a few years. Post covid it shot up to £340, then £375, this year is £425. In the Grand scheme of things it's still a bargain (find another comp on an open rota venue where you're guaranteed 6 rounds with a minimum 3 on the Championship Course). I'm guessing a LOT of regulars have looked at £425 and thought...Nah!!

Just done a wee bit of a Google re average salaries (source ONS) and derived that average salary has risen 35% since 2010. IF the entry price had risen by the same amount then it would be 35% higher than its 2010 value…so £243 but it’s £425. THAT fellow golfers is an example of how golf, like society in general is caught in a drift to widening inequality. It will soon be the case that golf at better venues will slip back into an elitist sport not available to the masses.

Carnoustie as a publicly owned facility should be bloody ashamed of itself!!

I do find JAS that golfers are especially peevish when it comes to the context of how they are spending money.
They'll happily spend 500 on a driver which does nothing for their game, but won't splash out on a more important putter, and won't pay for an experience either.

The Old Course has gone up to £320 next year, up from £180 a couple of years ago, Kingsbarns is over £400, so there is a point when it does become ridiculous.
I once paid £700 for an afternoons Heli-boarding. I'd probably pay £400 for a round of golf , bit it would have to be something pretty special.

super_realist wrote:I do find JAS that golfers are especially peevish when it comes to the context of how they are spending money.
They'll happily spend 500 on a driver which does nothing for their game, but won't splash out on a more important putter, and won't pay for an experience either.

The Old Course has gone up to £320 next year, up from £180 a couple of years ago, Kingsbarns is over £400, so there is a point when it does become ridiculous.
I once paid £700 for an afternoons Heli-boarding. I'd probably pay £400 for a round of golf , bit it would have to be something pretty special.

You’re not wrong Supes re golfers financial choices. spending £500 per year on a new driver when basic common sense  says…”it’s the user not the equipment that’s the issue”. Have half a dozen lessons and enjoy spending the change from £500… and play better!!!

Re the escalating cost of the Tassie, there’s 2 sides to it. Yes the cost is now accelerating away at a pace that is going to either kill it worst or at best completely change the demographic of the competitors. The intro talks about the wonderful camaraderie, yes I’ve experienced that but it seems to be less and less every year. On the other hand the CGLMT will say “no other rota course holds a comp anything like the Tassie. We’re the cheapest course on the rota and you’re getting to play it several times in a comp at a price that will get you one round and maybe lunch on most other rota courses.” True statement in itself but maybe the issue is about the costs of now playing most Top courses has just become ridiculous. The thing is though, if people are prepared to pay in sufficient numbers then that is the price. Trouble is there will come a point where visitor numbers will just plummet

There's an interesting thing going on in Scotland at courses near to tourist hubs like St Andrews, Muirfield, Carnoustie etc and increasing prices. American tourists simply turn their noses up at courses that cost less than £100 to play.
Therefore the likes of Ladybank, Montrose, Monifieth, Lundin etc are all laughably expensive. You could say it subsidises members lower fees but it does alienate the more average income tourist.

I'd actually rather the member fees went up because there's been some real scum join clubs around the covid boom.

Yep and the Covid boom is another factor, Covid certainly halted then reversed the declining participation trend in golf. Trouble is, increased demand drives prices higher. Many clubs now have waiting lists again. Just before Covid I’d hummed and ha’d about Country membership at Saunton, which at the time was about £400. It’s now £750 with a big joining fee and the waiting list is over 140…wtf!!

I'm in a situation where I'm trapped into paying for membership that I'll barely use in UK, but can't give it up because it would take me 6-7 years to get it back again.

What is Heli-boarding?

McLaren wrote:What is Heli-boarding?

Getting a helicopter to drop you off in areas of untouched snow Mac.

Still not full 3 days in. There's people saying "ah it's because it's moved to May"(from Sept), others are saying "it's because they started using the Buddon as the 2nd course rather than the Burnside" (oddly the 2nd course IS the Burnside this year - they alternate it). Those excuses are being trotted out as if somehow the price isn't a factor.

Like I said previously it IS still a bargain for what you get (if you enjoy playing world class courses) but equally many of those that have been going for many years just look at the price acceleration in the past 5-10 years and think wtf??

It's only a bargain if you don't have an issue with the now exorbitant visitor fees being charged by courses.

McLaren wrote:It's only a bargain if you don't have an issue with the now exorbitant visitor fees being charged by courses.

You’re not wrong Mac, it’s only a bargain in that context. I’m torn as to whether to keep supporting it (because I absolutely love the week) or vote with my wallet and stop supporting it. The trouble with the latter is that if many more do the same (and there are many “regulars” now giving it a miss) over the next couple of years it simply won’t fill, the organisers will NOT think “we’re pricing too high” they’ll think “this tournament is no longer viable” and they’ll bin it, replacing it with £1200 tee times every 8 minutes for the week and a unique piece of amateur golfing folklore will just evaporate away.

Jas

If the organisers cared about the legacy of the event they would price it accordingly. If they don't care its not up to you to support it.

McLaren wrote:Jas

If the organisers cared about the legacy of the event they would price it accordingly. If they don't care its not up to you to support it.

It would appear that the organisers have lost that capability, just had a look back from 2010 to 2018 it rose from £180 to £240. Then the long time organiser retired.

Then in 2019 it was £300, 2 empty years for Covid, a switch to May and it’s gone £340, £375, £425. Think it’s fair to say the new regime don’t care about the legacy of the event the way the old one did.

There are loads of unsung courses in Scotland of great quality. Sure, I guess it might be nice to play the Angus at Carnoustie, but actually, why? So one can say "I played a course on The Open rota!" ? Do people enjoy being beasted by the Angus? I'd imagine too many that take it on simply aren't good enough to do so. I guess the organisers of this really don't care about the game per se, as there are lots of rich people who can pay whatever silly fee they're asking...

How much of a dump the town of carnoustie is has to be taken into account when setting the green fee.

McLaren wrote:How much of a dump the town of carnoustie is has to be taken into account when setting the green fee.

It is it’s the cheapest course on the Rota.

Anyway does it matter that much? I’d say it to more of a village than a town. There’s enough restaurants to eat in a different one each night on a weeks stay. Besides the the minibus load of your average golf tourists will rock up, play the course, buy a £150 polo shirt and bugger off without even touching the sides.

Speaking of staying near a top course, when I played RSG recently we stayed in Margate….now if you think Carnoustie’s a dump….

Thought you'd relish being in "working class towns" Mac seeing as you always bam on about equality and taking care of those less fortunate.

Is Carnoustie a working class town Supes? I’ve always seen it as Dundee’s seaside retirement village.
Interesting point re Broughty Ferry just outside Dundee on the Carnoustie side, at the turn of the 20th century it had more millionaires per head than any other borough in the country.

JAS wrote:Is Carnoustie a working class town Supes? I’ve always seen it as Dundee’s seaside retirement village.
Interesting point re Broughty Ferry just outside Dundee on the Carnoustie side, at the turn of the 20th century it had more millionaires per head than any other borough in the country.

I think there was a time when Dundee had more millionaires per square mile than anywhere in Europe Jas, but that was ever such a long time ago. Indeed even Churchill was a Liberal MP there for over a decade.
I think Carnoustie, like a lot of these towns has become a commuter village, and suffers from a lack of investment. Always seems pleasant enough, but just looking a bit tired. Certainly not a ghetto, but not exactly Kensington either.

Where are people commuting to from Carnoustie?

Dundee Mac, like it or not people have jobs there.

Started to pack for the trip last night (travelling up Friday). Not quite a full field this year (about 20 shy). Times they are a changing. First year I got in I was 37th reserve on entry and got the call about 10 days before.

What I haven’t packed this year at all is any expectation. After the shoulder injury in March I just don’t seem to have a remotely reliable swing. This might well be my last one, as much as I’ve loved every every one I’ve done, I’m finally hearing the wee voice at the back of my head saying “enough - this in turning into an annual savaging of your game that you can do without”

Well, practice round and day one medal done. Had a couple of triples on the practice round which blighted an otherwise good round, lesson learned was ALL about the consequences of poor decision making which was a good thing to take into the first medal round. Out in 39 which was waaay above expectations. On the back 9 however the roof caved in. After missing a 2 footer for par on 10 I felt like I was fighting my putter for the rest of the round. Shame really but for putting and 1 stray drive on 12 I could have broken 80.

As it is 84 net 72 (yes 12 shots from an index of 7.6) puts me in the mix for the handicap KO, think the scratch KO is gone but that’s ok, I’m not at a level that would likely survive Round 1. Good steady round today can assure qualification for the hcp KO though for the first time since 2016.

…and qualified for the hcp KO, 78 for a net 141 over the 2 days, nice and steady but a triple out on the blue on 6 kept me on my toes, tried to be too cute with approach and ended up plugged in green side bunker. Otherwise managed game well, spent half an hour videoing my putting on practice green this morning and noted a couple of things, corrected and voila, no putting dramas today. Felt for one of the other guys in my group he had a stormer today 72 net 64, having played with him over 2 days he would have been a real threat in hcp but as it happens his 155 gross was good enough to take 64th place in Scratch KO meaning he’s up against no 1 qualifier tomorrow.