In response to my post about the Citi Prestige 4th night free perk, Million Mile Secrets reader Amerikop45 commented:
You forgot the golf benefit! Three free rounds of golf at a host of courses around the world. Some really nice ones which cost over $150 per 18 holes. Really adds up as an opportunity to recoup the annual fee!Citi Prestige cardholders get 3 free rounds of golf per calendar year at participating courses around the world through July 23, 2017.
But there’s a secret bonus perk making this card extra valuable if you use it to play golf at courses in Asia!
I’ll explain how to find golf courses and why you might want to use this perk to get up to 18 free rounds of golf in Asia! Or how to get 6 free rounds of golf anywhere else before the annual fee is due again.
What’s the Deal?
Link: Citi Prestige Card
Link: My Review of the Citi Prestige 50,000 Point Offer
The Citi Prestige now has a better sign-up bonus of 50,000 Citi ThankYou points after completing minimum spending requirements. (EXPIRED.)
And it comes with lots of valuable perks like airport lounge access, the 4th night free on paid hotel stays, and a $250 per calendar year airline fee credit (including airfare!). These benefits can easily offset the $450 annual fee.
If you golf, you’ll get even more value from the Citi Prestige card. You’ll get 3 free rounds of golf at participating courses each calendar year through July 23, 2017.
And up to 18 free ROUNDS at golf courses in Asia!
But if you’re NOT a golfer (like me!), you can NOT use this benefit. That’s because the free rounds can only be used by the primary cardholder. 🙁
How Does It Work?
Link: Citi Prestige Benefits Terms & Conditions
Link: Citi Prestige GolfSwitch
1. Golf Courses in the US, Canada, Latin America, Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, and Africa
You can book your free rounds of golf at courses in the US, Canada, Latin America, Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, and Africa through an organization called GolfSwitch.
To see participating golf courses, 1st select your golf destination on the GolfSwitch website.
Then select “Golf Courses” to see which cities and courses are available.
To actually book a tee time, create a GolfSwitch account and provide your Citi Prestige card number. Or you can call the Citi Prestige Concierge at 877-288-2484.
Note: You can only make 1 reservation at a time. So you’ll have to complete your 1st free round before you book the next one.Your Citi Prestige card must be used to reserve your golf rounds. As long as the round is eligible, your credit card will NOT be billed.
So you do NOT have to pay for the round then wait for a statement credit!
There are some important restrictions:
- Only the primary cardholder can use the free golf rounds
- You must book at least 3 days prior to the tee date
- You have to use your Citi Prestige card for the reservation
- If you cancel less than a day prior, you’ll be charged the entire greens fee for all rounds you’ve booked
To cancel a reservation, follow the instructions on the GolfSwitch site for the course you’ve booked. Or contact the Citi Prestige Concierge at 877-288-2484.
This perk could be worth hundreds of dollars if you use your free rounds at expensive golf courses. Some courses charge $200+ for a weekend round of golf!
And remember, it’s per calendar year. So you can golf 3 rounds in 2015, then 3 more rounds in 2016 before the annual fee is due.
2. Golf Courses in Asia
The rules are different if you want to book a free round of golf in Asia. You have to call Citi Prestige Concierge at 877-288-2484 to book your tee time.
But there’s something very interesting in the terms and conditions:
Primary Citi Prestige cardmembers are entitled to book and play for a maximum of three (3) times a year at each of these 6 courses
I confirmed with Citi Prestige Concierge that cardholders can get 3 free rounds of golf at each of the 6 courses available (2 each in China, Malaysia, and Singapore). That’s 18 rounds of free golf!
And Citi confirmed these rounds are in addition to the 3 free rounds per year you get elsewhere.
There are other restrictions:
- Weekday bookings must be made at least 4 days in advance
- Weekend bookings must be made at least 8 days in advance
- You can NOT book more than 14 days in advance
- You can NOT have more than 1 booking at a time
- Greens fees are waived, but buggy fees, caddy fees, taxes and other charges are the cardholder’s responsibility
- Minimum golfer requirement per flight applies as required by the respective golf clubs
- Cardmembers and guests must have valid handicap and the club may require golfers to produce their Handicap card upon registration
You could do very well if you’re an avid golfer and can use this perk in Asia. For example, greens fees at the Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore are over $300 per round on the weekend!
This is a great way to introduce a friend to our miles and points hobby. Wouldn’t your buddies like to know how you got those free rounds!
If you’re golfing with a pal, you could split the cost of your friend’s round between the 2 of you. And when they ask how, you can tell them how you collect miles and points for travel and great perks like free golf!
Bottom Line
Citi Prestige cardholders can get 3 free rounds of golf per calendar year at golf courses in the US and throughout the world through July 23, 2017.And up to 18 rounds of golf (3 at each course) at 6 golf courses in Asia!
However, only the primary cardholder can use the free rounds. But you could treat your pals to a beverage with the money you saved on greens fees! 😉
Have you used the Citi Prestige free golf benefit?