Golf Glossary
Green Fee
In short
A green fee is the charge you pay to play a golf course as a visitor. It usually covers one round of 9 or 18 holes. Members normally pay no green fee on their home course, because their playing rights are part of the membership. Anyone playing as a guest is called a green fee player.
What does green fee mean?
The term green fee comes from English. „Fee“ is the charge. „Green“ does not only refer to the closely mown green around the hole. In older English usage, „green“ meant the whole golf course. You can still see this in the former rules term „through the green“, which described the area between tee and green until 2018.
So the green fee is the charge for using the course. It pays for the right to play a round. Golf courses are expensive to maintain. Grass, bunkers, greens and water features need daily work from greenkeepers. Members cover these costs through their subscription. Visitors pay their share through the green fee.
In German the word is usually written as one word, Greenfee, but you will also see Green Fee. Both mean the same.
Who pays a green fee? The green fee player
A green fee player is any golfer who plays a course where they hold no playing rights of their own. That covers very different people:
- members of other golf clubs playing away, for example on holiday or a day trip
- golfers with a distance membership who have no fixed home course
- beginners who play public facilities after earning the Platzreife
- guests who play a round together with a member
Members of the home club usually pay no green fee there. Many clubs also have agreements with partner clubs, whose members then receive special terms.
There are also public golf facilities with no membership requirement at all. Many golfers play there regularly as green fee players. For beginners, this is an easy way to gain experience without a long commitment.
What affects the level of a green fee?
Each golf facility sets its own green fee, and the differences can be large. A few factors matter almost everywhere:
- Day of the week: at weekends and on public holidays, green fees are often higher than on weekdays.
- Time of day: some facilities offer lower rates for late tee times in the evening.
- Season: in winter, when greens and fairways are being protected, different rates often apply.
- Number of holes: a 9-hole round usually costs less than 18 holes.
- Course: a well-known championship course generally charges more than a small course.
- Status: juniors, students, members of partner clubs or guests playing with a member often pay less.
Current terms are usually listed on the facility's website. Check there whether you need to book a tee time in advance.
What does a green fee include?
First and foremost, the green fee covers the right to play one round on the course. What else is included varies from facility to facility.
Often charged separately:
- range balls to warm up before the round
- hire clubs if you have not brought your own
- a golf buggy or an electric trolley
- food and drink in the clubhouse
Some facilities offer packages that include range balls or a buggy, for example. Many courses also charge a separate range fee for using the practice facilities without playing the course.
Ask exactly what is included when you book. It saves surprises at reception.
Requirements for green fee players
On most regular golf courses you cannot simply turn up and play without proof of ability. These requirements are common:
- Platzreife or a course permit: proof that you can play safely and within the rules.
- Membership: many clubs require membership of another golf club. In Germany you show this with the DGV card.
- Handicap: some courses set a handicap limit, especially at weekends.
- Tee time: you often need to book a starting time in advance.
On top of this come the facility's house rules, such as a dress code or rules on trolleys in winter. Also check the cancellation terms. If you do not cancel a booked tee time in time, you may still have to pay the green fee.
Short courses, pitch and putt facilities and practice courses are often open without the Platzreife. They are ideal for your first rounds.
Platzreife and green fees: no automatic right to play
Many beginners assume that once they have passed the Platzreife they can play anywhere as a green fee player. That is not quite right. Every golf facility decides under its own house rules who may play its course. The DGV states explicitly that facilities do not have to accept a golfer with the DGV Platzreife as a green fee player.
In the association’s view, the Platzreife is an intermediate step towards a membership or playing rights. If you want to play other courses regularly, you therefore usually need a membership with a club or facility belonging to the DGV, for example a distance membership. You prove it with your DGV card.
Public facilities and short courses are often more relaxed. There the Platzreife is frequently enough for a green fee round, and sometimes not even that is required.
Example: how a round as a green fee player works
Imagine you want to play an 18-hole course away from home on a Saturday. This is how it usually works:
- A few days before, you book a tee time online, for example 10:30 for a group of three.
- On the day you arrive around 30 to 45 minutes before your start. At the office or pro shop you show your DGV card and pay the green fee.
- You receive a scorecard and often a bag tag, so course staff can see that you have paid.
- You warm up on the range and hit a few putts on the practice green.
- A few minutes before 10:30 you are ready on the first tee. On some courses a starter calls the groups.
After the round you hand in your scorecard if required. Out on the course, keep up with the group in front.
Common mistakes and tips for green fee players
Most annoyances on visitor rounds can be avoided with a little preparation:
- Requirements not checked: find out beforehand whether the facility asks for a membership, a handicap limit or a booked tee time.
- DGV card forgotten: without proof, the office may not be able to let you start.
- Arriving too late: turning up at your tee time leaves no time to warm up and puts the groups behind you off their rhythm.
- Local rules overlooked: other courses have their own local rules, for example on no-play zones or out-of-bounds lines. They are usually printed on the scorecard.
A tip for anyone with a handicap: a green fee round can also count for handicap. Register a private round with the host facility before your first tee shot and play with a marker.
Try it at Golf Lounge
Visitors without a membership are welcome on the 9-hole Black course at Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg. You need the Platzreife (DGV) to play it. The course is a par 33 and is open from April to December. Tee times can be booked online for one to four players. Without the Platzreife you can play the 6-hole Red short course, where a round typically takes under an hour. All terms for your round are on the 9-hole course page.
Frequently asked questions
What does green fee mean in golf?
A green fee is the charge for a round on a golf course where you hold no playing rights of your own. „Green“ once referred to the whole golf course, and „fee“ is the charge. Through the green fee, visitors contribute to the cost of maintaining and running the course.
What is a green fee player?
A green fee player is a golfer who plays a course as a visitor and pays the green fee for it. That might be a member of another club, a golfer with a distance membership or a beginner at a public facility. Members are not green fee players on their home course, because their playing rights come with the membership.
Do I need the Platzreife to pay a green fee and play?
On most regular 9-hole and 18-hole courses in Germany, yes. Many clubs also require membership of a golf club, shown by the DGV card, and sometimes a certain handicap. Short courses and pitch and putt facilities are often playable without the Platzreife. Each facility lists its own rules on its website.
What is the difference between a green fee and a range fee?
You pay the green fee for a round on the course. You pay a range fee for using the practice facilities, such as the driving range, without going out on the course. Range balls are often extra. Some facilities include range use on the day in the green fee, others charge for it separately.
As of: October 2026