DC300
The majority of green fees around here are below $30 weekdays and Below $50 weekends. A few will go over $250 but those are far and few in between.
Golfers here are more practical in a sense.
I, certainly have other obligations. Personally, I'd forgo new suits, gourmet food, or to see a show ..... to play an 18, but that's about the limit. Personal sacrifice, yes. Dig into the obligations for family, ..... I'm afraid I'll chose obligations instead of golfing.
Even at $30 green fees, most retired folks could not afford to get on the golf course more than a weekly visit. In theory, a retired person should be able to golf as much as he or she wish.
In general, the demise of the industry is the widening gap between the cost of living and fixed income. Lets not to talk about healthcare. If anyone tells me we are doing better in the last 8 years, he is either blind or lying.
Golf is considered a leisure industry, a non- necessity to life ( according to the non-golfers ), and typically will be hit hard first before the rest of the industry. What's coming is simply un-avoidable.