How much would you pay?

[Mike Clark]

The course I am talking about would be the best course this area has ever seen. It will be pay to play on private property.

It will be a professionally run course.

It will be disc golf only.

It will be  a unique design on very rare land in our area. Lots of elevation, open holes, wooded holes. Very challenging as well as beginner friendly.

Will have all amenties. Bathrooms, concessions(including beer), food. If business dictates a full service resturant.

A fully stocked pro shop for all of your disc golfing needs.

1 or 2 18+ hole course. There is the possibility of more than 1 course. I want at least 1 - 27 hole course and 1 - 18 hole course. Depends on intrest from players.

Would be located within 30mins of most of Lake County, IL.

What I have in mind will operate much like a traditional golf course just not at the high cost.

Please be honest. Do not just pick the lowest cost.

The land owners are in this to make money from the use of the property. So it is a simple as if they can make enough money to justify the effort it will more than likely happen.

Please post any questions or comments.

[Mukey]

I picked the $5 round option, not because it's the lowest, but it's on the same $ level as playing Highbridge

With beer & food on the course I'd have no reason to leave, so they'd get my lunch $ also

[dana]

Who do I need to send my resume to?

[Jon Brakel]

I picked the $5 round option, not because it's the lowest, but it's on the same $ level as playing Highbridge

With beer & food on the course I'd have no reason to leave, so they'd get my lunch $ also

I chose $10 per round to chase Mukey away because I don't want him puking on my tee.    

[Mike Clark]

I choose the $10 option because I feel the more money put into course fees the more money they will put back into course maintenance and improvements. At least that is what I am trying to sell them on. I am trying to make sure that they return some of the profits to the course and tournaments run there.

[Mukey]

I picked the $5 round option, not because it's the lowest, but it's on the same $ level as playing Highbridge

With beer & food on the course I'd have no reason to leave, so they'd get my lunch $ also

I chose $10 per round to chase Mukey away because I don't want him puking on my tee.    

Jeez, a guy ralphs twice (heat exhaustion & bad Avanti's) in the stinky Peoria-area air 2 years ago and it still gets brought up  

[El Mexicano]

If it is a course consisting of true par 4s and par 5s, manicured and such, I would not have an issue with paying $10-$15. We are talking about a round that will take 2 1/2 to 3 hours to play.

[ChrisE]

I chose the 5 a round, due to the fact that I know myself and most of my friends like to disc golf as it is fairly inexpensive, and working and going to school is a bit difficult money wise.    I would definitely purchase the yearly pass however. 

[Mike Clark]

If it is a course consisting of true par 4s and par 5s, manicured and such, I would not have an issue with paying $10-$15. We are talking about a round that will take 2 1/2 to 3 hours to play. How about a season pass for $50.

It will not be a deuce or die course. It will be more along the lines of what I see as the future of the sport. There will be plenty of true par 4s and par 5s. It will have easy tees for beginners but my plan is that it will be very challenging from the advanced tees. There will also be multiple baskets anchors. I am hoping for 3 or 4 anchors per hole to be able to move the baskets around.

For season passes I went with simple math. If you play 20 rounds you break even. I thought that was more than fair. That would be about 3 rounds/month for a 7 month season. The season pass would include course fees for leagues and tournaments. Until there is a 2nd course in the ground the season would probably only be open from Apr-Nov. That and tournament is the main reason I want 2 courses.

Edited cause I am a spaz and do pay attention to what I am writing most of the time.

[Arok]

5-8 bucks a day and maybe a weekend special

[stpitner]

I voted for 10/20/200, but I think that $200 might be too high.  I'd say maybe more around $100-$150.  I'd also think that M-F rates should be maybe $7/15 and weekends 10/20.

One thing to also consider is that a place like Great America sells season passes for all of $70.  You go 3 times and you're paid off.  If you charge $200 not only do I have to go there and play 20 rounds to pay it off, I'd have to go even more than that to feel like I'm getting value out of that amount.  Otherwise I would have just paid the $10/round.  I'd think that if it's not super close to me that about 1-2 times a month would be on average, so about 10-12 trips over that same 7-month period.  That feels more realistic of a season pass.

And yeah, I'd sooo be jealous of this setup - the pro shop, pay to play, running tournaments there, everything.  Running it would be like a dream come true for me!

[Mike Clark]

I voted for 10/20/200, but I think that $200 might be too high.  I'd say maybe more around $100-$150.  I'd also think that M-F rates should be maybe $7/15 and weekends 10/20.

One thing to also consider is that a place like Great America sells season passes for all of $70.  You go 3 times and you're paid off.  If you charge $200 not only do I have to go there and play 20 rounds to pay it off, I'd have to go even more than that to feel like I'm getting value out of that amount.  Otherwise I would have just paid the $10/round.  I'd think that if it's not super close to me that about 1-2 times a month would be on average, so about 10-12 trips over that same 7-month period.  That feels more realistic of a season pass.

And yeah, I'd sooo be jealous of this setup - the pro shop, pay to play, running tournaments there, everything.  Running it would be like a dream come true for me!

Great America charges the way they do because they are trying to get people into the park. Once they have people in the park they are counting on people to pay for the overpriced concessions and merchandise. I would rather have a balanced business model where both the course fee and concessions are fairly priced. I like the idea of different weekday/weekend course fees. I just did not want to create too many options for the poll.

[jack]

I voted for the $10 per round/ $20 all day/ $200 per year option. I'd play the course once to check it out, and my future use would depend on my initial impressions. If I really liked it, I might play an average of once a month, but I'd consider buying a season pass. I'd be inclined to play more frequently if there were a weekly doubles, or preferably, singles league. I don't live in Lake County, so the time needed to travel there and back slightly influences my decision. Also, I'm single and have a full-time job so I don't have some of the financial restrictions that might keep families and students, two of your target demographics, from jumping on the pay-to-play idea. Good luck to you. It will be awesome if you can pull this off!

[can't putt]

I voted zero.  In all honesty, I'd pay whatever fee was requested one time just to play the course.  I'd probably not go back except for special events / tourneys.  I am not in favor of fee based courses, and am skeptical as to their long term viability from a business perspective.

For me, I either play tourneys or casual rounds at dawn with my dog and kids.  I would much rather spend my support dollars encouraging and enhancing public parks.  From where I live (central Kane County) I would be far more likely to drive to Oswego and Joliet to play public courses than to Lake County or Wisconsin for pay-to-play.

That said, I have no problem paying the park fees at Lemon Lake or Token Creek.  Go figure ...

[Mike Clark]

I voted for the $10 per round/ $20 all day/ $200 per year option. I'd play the course once to check it out, and my future use would depend on my initial impressions. If I really liked it, I might play an average of once a month, but I'd consider buying a season pass. I'd be inclined to play more frequently if there were a weekly doubles, or preferably, singles league. I don't live in Lake County, so the time needed to travel there and back slightly influences my decision. Also, I'm single and have a full-time job so I don't have some of the financial restrictions that might keep families and students, two of your target demographics, from jumping on the pay-to-play idea. Good luck to you. It will be awesome if you can pull this off!

If the course goes in the ground. I plan on running both a doubles league(upper/lower pools) and also a singles handicap league both with season ending payouts.

[Mike Clark]

I voted zero.  In all honesty, I'd pay whatever fee was requested one time just to play the course.  I'd probably not go back except for special events / tourneys.  I am not in favor of fee based courses, and am skeptical as to their long term viability from a business perspective.

For me, I either play tourneys or casual rounds at dawn with my dog and kids.  I would much rather spend my support dollars encouraging and enhancing public parks.  From where I live (central Kane County) I would be far more likely to drive to Oswego and Joliet to play public courses than to Lake County or Wisconsin for pay-to-play.

That said, I have no problem paying the park fees at Lemon Lake or Token Creek.  Go figure ...

I totally agree about the use of public land and parks. Unfortunately in Lake County, IL we have been unable to find anyone willing to work with, who owns the required land, who is willing to install and maintain a true championship caliber course. We have a million 9 hole courses and 3 18 hole courses none of which are anything special. The latest attempts have been shot down because of the budget cuts that ILDNR have continue to deal with. I have waited until all public options in Lake County have been exhausted before I started to pursue pay to play on private property because it will cost more to support a course on private land than it would on public. I would like to keep the cost of playing disc golf to a minimum but I also want to play great course at home like I do when I travel.

Either private or public the future of disc golf at a championship level is pay to play. The people who play disc golf have to financially support the sport because we are the only people who care about the sport. Just my opinion.

[El Mexicano]

Sounds secretive so far, but whereabouts is this elusive course to be installed?

[Mike Clark]

Sounds secretive so far, but whereabouts is this elusive course to be installed?

The location would be at Wilmot Mountain, WI. Just over the IL border. If anyone would like send a simple email saying something to the effect of "If you build a disc golf course I will pay to play it." that might go a long way in convincing them it is something worth pursuing. Their email address is general@wilmotmountain.com.

[Dan Michler]

Pitner is right, nobody is going to pay the 200 bucks if you can just pay 10 dollars per round.  I'm not going to gamble that I'll drive to Wisconsin for casual disc golf more than 20 times per year.  I don't even think I've played Fairfield 20 times this year.

Make it 10 bucks/round or 50 bucks/year.  If it was in Lake County and within 20 minutes of my house then I'd probably pay 200 bucks.

[Fox Metro Discer]

I would have to go with the $10/ round option as well. I live almost 2 hours from the WI border and do not see myself getting up that way enough to pay for the yearly fee, however, I have no problem $10 to even $15 a round at a pristine course.