“STAYING ON SITE IS VERY OFTEN THE BEST WAY TO AFFORDABLE GOLF” Not that long ago, golf clubs had a visitor's green fee. There may also have been a winter rate, and if the club was slightly avant garde and took visitors at weekends, that too might have been different. By and large, however, that was about it.
A wealth of options
Nowadays, for understandable marketing and business reasons, there is a coffee-table book full of costs which takes into account every conceivable situation. Depending on which Top 100 course you want to play, you may encounter green fees that are high-, mid- or low-season, discounted replay rates, twilight fees, books of tickets, fees for juniors, hotel resident rates, fees based on your post code, rates for the tee time…