# Cost of Public Golf



## Pam2017 (Apr 20, 2016)

Hi,

I am apparently brimming with questions. This is a super important one, though.  I am new to the sport, but I have really caught the bug! I read that there are many golf courses in Portugal which is great. However, when I look at the green fees for the tourist destinations online, I wonder if I can afford to golf as much as I might like. 

My husband and I enjoy going to the driving range a few times a week and look forward to playing golf in our retirement. We will be moving from the U.S. We currently pay $8 for a large bucket of balls at the driving range and $18 or thereabouts to golf at some of the municipal short courses. 

What can we expect in Portugal? We don't need fancy and _I_ certainly can't hack the "world's best courses." Just a place to practice and a handful of reasonably priced courses would be wonderful. Any insights?

Pam


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## Pennyqss (Dec 7, 2015)

Hi. We also love our golf. But anywhere on the algarve is not cheap. Portugals golf is geared to the holiday golfer really and the courses are top notch. Expect to pay about 5-8 euros for a bucket of balls for driving range. But for the actual round it ranges from 40pp to 160+pp. the smaller less resorty courses are the cheaper ones. And anout 30-45 euros extra if you want a buggy. 

Saying that if you avoid may/June and sept:October which are the highest cost months and if you opt to play before 8am or after 2pm there are offers of early bird/twilight rounds. 

It's still an expensive sport over there tho but well well worth it. 

If you get membership then of course you can have unlimited golf or reduced green fees depending on type of membership but you'd have to be living there to make it worth it

Enjoy


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## Pam2017 (Apr 20, 2016)

Pennyqss said:


> Hi. We also love our golf. But anywhere on the algarve is not cheap. Portugals golf is geared to the holiday golfer really and the courses are top notch. Expect to pay about 5-8 euros for a bucket of balls for driving range. But for the actual round it ranges from 40pp to 160+pp. the smaller less resorty courses are the cheaper ones. And anout 30-45 euros extra if you want a buggy.
> 
> Saying that if you avoid may/June and sept:October which are the highest cost months and if you opt to play before 8am or after 2pm there are offers of early bird/twilight rounds.
> 
> ...


Thanks, Pennyqss. It seems that there are no public courses in Portugal. We don't live there yet, but plan to. At that point, we'd have to see if a membership makes sense. I have located a few executive courses and some reasonable green fees across the country, even in the Algarve. I should have avoided the golf bug, but too late now! LOL


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