Crisp spring air, beautifully trimmed fairways, fast green and frustrating bunkers make golf the ideal spring hobby.
Southern Arizona is home to dozens of beautiful golf courses. But golf is an expensive hobby. Spring is a prime season for golf in Arizona, which results in the highest prices for 18 holes.
For golfers who want to enjoy the nice weather without the expense, many golf courses offer deals, seasonal passes and other perks to help golfers save a few dollars while they enjoy a round.
The winter and spring months of the year see a high demand of golfers and that leads to higher costs.
Golf Passes
To offset the high-season prices, the City of Tucson offers several annual golf passes for unlimited rounds at municipal courses. The passes start at $1,650 and cost as much as $3,799, according to the city’s website.
The passes are aimed at golfers who want to play regularly throughout the year, including during the popular spring season.
Carson Woo, a regular golfer and University of Arizona student, said he believes annual golf passes are worth the upfront cost.
“It makes it a little easier to just sign up, hit the range and hit the course,” he said.
Madeline Feinberg, an employee at Randolph Golf Course at 602 S. Alvernon Way, said the Tucson City Card is valuable for those who play more than three times a week.
“On average, you save about $15 per week if you were going to be using the city pass,” she said. “On top of that, you get discounts on all the merchandise in the store.”
The Tucson area is also home to 12 golf courses owned by Troon, which offers three annual passes.
In addition to other benefits, passes allow golfers to pay the same rates year-round.
Finding the green
With or without a pass, Tucsonan Tyler Kolar golfing on a pleasant spring day is worth the higher price.
“I would say with warmer weather, I am more inclined to pay a higher tee time fee,” he said.
But with better spring weather also comes less availability.
“If you try to book [the] same day or next day, you’re most likely not going to get a tee time due to high traffic and [at] this time the weather,” he said.
Golfers can use third-party platforms like GolfNow, an app that allows golfers to search and book tee times in their area, to find both discounts and course availability.
The app’s GOLFPASS creates a reward system where users accumulate points each time they book a tee time on GolfNow. The “Hot Deals” section of the service shows discounted prices available to users at a variety of golf courses in the area.
Ty Kniffin, a legal intern and golfer, uses GolfNow frequently to book his tee times.
“It lets me see what courses are available and what tee times are available, along with all the prices,” he said.
Kniffin said he relies on everything being in one place and appreciates the layout of the app. The only possible downside is that prices aren’t always low, he said.
While prices are high now, as the temperatures continue to rise and summer approaches, they will start to fall and golfers can take advantage of the lower rates.
