Once upon a time golf used to be a sport in which you could take a walk down to the closest green and enjoy a relaxing game with fellow friends or family members. A few years ago you used to be able to play on some of the best known greens in the country for a small fee.

But things have changed in the world of golf, it has become a lot more known. I mean it is literally all over our TV screens, one of the most famous sports figures Tiger Woods is a golf player. With the increase in advancements in computer consoles, a lot more kids are getting into golf as a sport.

So this has all lead to the cost to play one round of the game reach a ridiculous level. A huge amount of golfers can no longer afford to actually play on the famous greens, they have become so expensive that only the rich can benefit from them.

Below is a quick comparison, showing just how much prices have increased recently.

Course                    1991     2009
Carnoustie               £35     £130
Muirfield                   £40     £175
Royal Birkdale           £32     £165
Royal Liverpool £25 £150
Royal Lytham £25 £137
Royal St George's £30 £180
St Andrews              £30     £130
Turnberry                £40     £210
Sunningdale             £58     £190
Wentworth              £100     £210

As you can take note from above, most of the courses have more than tripled within a few years. Which goes to indicate that golf has actually become quite an expensive hobby. The best thing I would personally recommend especially now during the credit crunch is to get you golf trolleys top up your leisure batteries and head for the nearest free golf green. Although it might feel nice to play on a famous green, it is not a must.