Look, golf ain’t cheap these days, right? Especially nice courses like Timbers over in Michigan. Wanted to play but my wallet was screaming “DON’T!” So yeah, figured I’d dig deep and see where I could save some serious dough on those greens fees. Here’s how it went down.
The Initial Shock
First up, I grabbed my laptop and jumped straight onto Timbers’ actual website. Easy enough to find their golf section. Clicked around for rates. Boom! Sticker shock hit me hard. Peak season weekend morning? Way higher than I remembered. Felt like my eyeballs were gonna pop out. Jotted down those numbers:
- Peak 18 Holes (Weekend AM): Ouch territory
- Twilight Rates: Better… but still steep
- Cart Fee: Added a whole extra chunk
Thought maybe I was missing some secret page. Searched again. Nope, just the main fees staring back. Knew I had to do better than paying that full whack.
The Phone Call Gamble
Websites often hide deals. Grabbed my phone next. Dialed the Timbers pro shop number I found online. Mild phone anxiety kicking in, like always. Rang, someone answered. “Uh, hi! Just checking… any discounts right now? Like… locals? Or maybe booking super early?” Guy sounded friendly enough but basically said “Nope, what’s online is what we got right now.” He mentioned twilight again, but when? Like 3 PM? Man, that barely gives you time to finish before dark. Hung up feeling a bit defeated.
Third-Party Deep Dive
Alright, official channels weren’t helping. Time to get sneaky. Opened a new tab. Started punching stuff into search engines:
- “Timbers Golf Michigan discounts”
- “Save money Timbers golf fee”
- “Timbers twilight booking”
Scrolled past the official site results. Boom! Couple discount tee time sites popped up. Clicked on one. Had to create a stupid account first – usual email and password hassle. Logged in, searched for Timbers. Bingo! Saw that same peak fee… but wait, down below was a “Hot Deal” section. Hot Deal rates showing slots for late afternoon – significantly less than the official Twilight rate! Like, we’re talking 40% off peak price kind of deal. Almost couldn’t believe it. Wrote down the specific date and time slot where the deal was live. This felt promising.
The Old-Timer Play & The Fine Print
Remembered something my buddy Dave mentioned once. Older folks often get better breaks. Looked back at Timbers’ website under “Memberships & Info,” specifically for Senior rates. Found it! Senior rate was a solid chunk cheaper, even compared to that Hot Deal I just found online! But… you gotta be 55+. My buddy Chuck qualifies. Made a note: “Call Chuck? Split fee?”
Checked the discount site again. That sweet Hot Deal? No cancellation allowed. None. Zero. Weather bad? Tough luck. Pay up. Also, some required pre-payment right then and there. Official Twilight rate? Cancellation policy seemed way more forgiving, even if it cost more upfront. Trade-offs. Always trade-offs.
Scoring the Savings (Seriously!)
So, what actually worked? Here’s the real juice:
- The Online Discount Site Hot Deal: Massive discount. Huge winner on price IF you can lock in and pray for sun.
- Senior Rate: Legit savings if you or your partner qualifies. Not quite Hot Deal level, but reliable.
- Walking vs. Riding: Seriously thought about ditching the cart. Fee for walking was way, way smaller. Figured I could haul the bag, burn the calories, save like 30 bucks. Added it to the options.
Ended up booking via that third-party site for a Hot Deal twilight time next Thursday. Paid online. Got the confirmation email. Still feels a bit risky with that no-refund policy, but saved over 60 bucks compared to the next best official rate. Used that extra cash already – treated myself to a nice burger on the way home from digging through all this! Worth the hassle? Heck yeah.
