When detailing the average price of public golf, it’s not uncommon to hear the refrain, “But that’s not it costs to play golf where I live.” And there’s a reality behind those assertions. Not only can peak weekend fees be substantially higher, but playing fees vary widely by geography as well as the type of public facility.

The money golfers pay to play benefits courses and companies throughout the industry. But for the first time in a generation, golf courses are perhaps the business segment enjoying the greatest benefit from the game's current surge.