Raring to get away for golf on the ocean but a little short of “special occasion” cash? Here are three value-priced courses that will have you seeing deep blue and extra green.
Pacific Grove Golf Links
Pacific Grove, Calif.
Well-documented as the “Poor Man’s Pebble Beach” thanks to its coastal scenery and green fees hovering at $50 for weekday walkers, Pacific Grove dazzles with a back nine directly on the ocean. The standout hole is the 513-yard, par-5 12th, which boomerangs around sand dunes, although the 15th and 16th holes overwhelm as well, with a lighthouse that looms in the right-side rough. $50-$73
Highland Links
N. Truro, Mass.
One of America’s oldest links is this nine-holer on Cape Cod that dates to 1892. Among its enticements are beach canyons, cliff-top tee boxes overlooking the Atlantic and a medieval tower honoring 19th-century songbird Jenny Lind. Unforgettable are the 171-yard, par-3 seventh, the 353-yard, par-4 eighth and the 136-yard, par-3 ninth, which play in the shadows of the Highland Light, the Cape’s oldest lighthouse, dating to 1767. $35-$45
Wailua Municipal Golf Course
Kauai, Hawaii
This busy muni near the Kauai Lihue Airport boasts a USGA pedigree, having played host to three U.S. Amateur Public Links Championships, a breeze-fueled location next to the Pacific and a green fee that encourages multiple plays. While trees often obscure the views you long to see, the par-3 17th is 173 yards of oceanside bliss. Residents pay as little as $15 to walk. $48-$80
