Green Fee Inflation, 2025 to 2026
Pebble Beach went to $695. The Old Course went to £355. We tracked what the great courses are charging in 2026, how far the headline numbers moved, and the part the headline never tells you: where the round you remember can still be had for a fraction of the marquee price.
Photo: Pebble Beach Golf Links via Google.
The story behind the sticker
Two of the most quoted green fees in golf moved again this year. The resort guest rate at Pebble Beach Golf Links rose from $675 in 2025 to $695 from April 1, 2026, and the standard high season fee on the Old Course at St Andrews went from £340 to £355. Neither jump is dramatic on its own, roughly three to four percent, but they sit at the top of a market that has trained golfers to expect a higher number every single spring.
The more interesting trend is not the size of the increase, it is the shape of the pricing underneath it. The marquee courses increasingly price dynamically, so the gap between a peak weekend and a quiet shoulder week is now wider than the year over year rise. A traveling golfer who only watches the headline fee is reading the wrong line. The number that decides your trip budget is the one attached to the week you actually travel.
What the great courses charge in 2026
Indicative high season visitor green fees for 2026, with the verified year over year move where a clean comparison exists. These are headline figures and exclude caddies and extras unless noted.
| Course | 2026 indicative fee | Recent move |
|---|---|---|
| Pebble Beach Golf Links | $695 resort guest (from April 1, 2026) | Up from $675 in 2025, about 3 percent |
| Old Course, St Andrews | £355 standard high season | Up from £340 in 2025, about 4 percent |
| TPC Sawgrass, Stadium | About $750 peak, $550 in summer (cart, forecaddie and range included) | Wide seasonal split; summer is the value window |
| Kingsbarns, Scotland | About £486 in peak season 2026 | Among the steepest links visitor fees; spring shoulder rate is lower |
| Pinehurst No. 2 | Roughly $450 to $595 by season, resort guests only | Two night minimum stay; twilight rounds drop sharply |
Fees verified June 2026 from the clubs and resorts and leading rate trackers; Pebble Beach and Old Course year over year moves are confirmed, the rest are 2026 levels with seasonal context. Dynamic and package pricing means your rate depends on the day you play. Always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Our take
The headline fees are not the problem. A once in a lifetime round at Pebble or the Old Course is still, for most golfers, a once in a lifetime expense they will gladly pay, and a single figure rising a few percent a year barely changes that calculation. The trap is letting those numbers anchor the whole trip. Spend the marquee fee on the one or two anchor rounds that justify the journey, and refuse to pay marquee prices for the supporting cast.
That is where the real money is saved. The second tier of every great region delivers eighty percent of the experience at a third of the price, and shoulder season turns a fair rate into a steal at courses that price dynamically. Travel in late spring or early autumn, book the off peak window rather than the holiday weekend, and treat twilight as a feature rather than a consolation. Done well, the rising headline fee becomes a line you control rather than a tax you simply pay.
For the data behind the supporting cast, our companion studies break down the cost of playing a country's top ten and where the shoulder season delivers the deepest value. Read together, they make the case that 2026 is an expensive year to chase only the famous names, and a very good year to plan a smarter week.
Plan around the fees, not against them
Tell us the courses you dream about and the budget you have, and we will build the week that spends the marquee fee where it counts and finds value everywhere else. Costed to the head, no obligation.
Common questions
How much did the Pebble Beach green fee rise for 2026?
The resort guest green fee at Pebble Beach Golf Links moved from $675 in 2025 to $695 from April 1, 2026, an increase of about 3 percent. These are indicative figures; always confirm current rates directly before booking.
How much is a round on the Old Course at St Andrews in 2026?
The standard high season green fee on the Old Course is £355 in 2026, up from £340 in 2025, an increase of about 4 percent. Resident schemes and the daily ballot can cost far less. Always confirm current rates before booking.
Are golf green fees still rising in 2026?
Yes, but modestly at the top, typically in the low single digit percentages year over year. The bigger shift is dynamic pricing widening the gap between peak and off peak, which means shoulder season and twilight are where value now lives.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Green fees and year over year moves verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.