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***Update: The City of Sarasota voted to approve the $12.5 million renovation at Bobby Jones Golf Club on Monday evening, also passing a measure granting conservation status over the land in perpetuity.***

Before Bobby Jones Golf Club could earn an audience with one of the most famous players in the history of the sport, the Sarasota, Fla.-based municipal course faced a slightly different issue: it needed a name.

It was 1926, and after a prolonged period of construction, the famed Donald Ross had completed his design work on the course — the latest in a string of design efforts across the Sunshine State. Ross had done a particularly noteworthy job in Sarasota, building the 6,700-yard, par-72 course on a large parcel of public property about three miles inland.

When the town’s residents eventually decided they ought to name the course they so frequently enjoyed, only one name found itself in consideration: the most famous golfer of the era, Robert Tyre “Bobby” Jones.

Travel

Jones was an adopted son of Sarasota. He was first introduced to the area in 1925, when he competed in a highly publicized 72-hole match against Walter Hagen at Whitfield, another nearby Ross course. It was still seven years before Jones would become Augusta National’s founding member, and his winter schedule was light. So Jones returned to Sarasota in the winter of ’26, playing a half-dozen more matches against the finest players of the era.

On February 13, 1927, with Jones in attendance, the people of Sarasota officially dedicated Bobby Jones Golf Club. Jones would go on to shoot 73 on Ross’ work that day, besting a group of local amateurs by two strokes.

In the near-hundred years since that grand opening, Bobby Jones Golf Club has seen a ton of golf, and precious little change. Yes, the land looks different — the surrounding area is now a nature sanctuary, open for public use well beyond golf. But up until the summer, the facilities were untouched from their mid-century development, and years of use had sagged the condition of the namesake course.

Today, the course remains closed and its facilities have been bulldozed. But there is hope for the future — hope that could come as quickly as Monday.

According to a report from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the city of Sarasota will consider a series of measures this week that could alter the future of the club for the better.

Courses

The headliner is a proposed $12.5 million renovation to the park which, if passed, will cover the cost of expanded access to walking trails, new facilities, a new clubhouse, the construction of a nine-hole executive course, and most pressingly, a full-fledged restoration of the beloved, 18-hole Ross muni. A course development company named QGS Developments has been given the contract for the restoration, should the city’s commission give the green light. The city will also debate whether to hand over course management responsibilities to Antares Golf, LLC, operators of a host of municipal courses nationwide. And the cherry on top, for golf-lovers and Ross nerds? The city will also consider a motion urging it to give conservation status to the course, which would prevent the course from being developed or sold in perpetuity.

There’s much we won’t know until the city of Sarasota communes Monday evening to discuss the changes, but the club’s decision to bulldoze the remaining structures would seem be a favorable sign for proponents of a large-scale renovation.

For now at least, there’s reason for cautious optimism for the future of one of golf’s most historic munis. That’s good news.

As for clearing up the naming discrepancy with Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta? Well, we’ll leave that for a future day.

The post This historic Donald Ross muni could soon undergo a $12 million renovation appeared first on Golf.

The post My muni: The favorite municipal courses our staff has played appeared first on Golf.

The post My muni: The favorite municipal courses our staff has played appeared first on Golf.

My muni had carts that were purposely slowed by the clubhouse guy so the “kids” wouldn’t go speeding around. The carts were born with average acceleration. Now? You could walk faster. 

My muni also had about a dozen carts where its one-time riders wrote loving words about the clubhouse guy in scoring pencil on the roofs and steering wheels. 

My muni has my wife’s wedding ring. She’d take it off to play. But one round about a decade or so ago, it slipped out of her purse, and we searched in vain for about two hours in the darkness trying to find it. We gave our numbers to another clubhouse guy in case it turned up, but we never got a call. 

My muni also has a bird that may have my wife’s wedding ring. As we left that night, the clubhouse guy had a theory. “The birds like shiny objects, so he probably scooped it up and dropped it in his nest.”

My muni is Spring Lake Golf Course in Omaha, Neb. 

Courses

It’s an executive nine-hole course south of downtown and just south of the zoo and old Rosenblatt Stadium, the former longtime home of the College World Series. No hole is longer than 290 yards. Its 9th, its finisher, is a 100-yard par-3 — that’s divided by a street. (There’s fencing on both sides.) Its 6th is a 127-yard par-3 that I’ve played maybe 50 times, and though I haven’t kept a record, I’m positive that I’ve hit it short and right 50 times. I’ve played it in the winter, spring, summer and fall. I’ve played it on my birthday. I played it on the morning of my wedding day. 

We all have a Spring Lake, a muni where you remember the yardages, angles and breaks. A muni where you have your own clubhouse guy stories. It might be on GOLF.com’s new list of the 30 best municipal golf courses in America. Or it might not. But it’s No. 1 to you. 

Below are the GOLF.com staff’s favorite munis:

Bellport Country Club, Bellport, N.Y. 

My favorite muni doesn’t sound like one: the Bellport Country Club. But it’s a muni, at least for the people who live in Bellport, a small village on the South Shore of Long Island, about 65 miles from the Empire State Building. Bellport was founded as a private club but has been owned by the village forever, and anybody who lives in the village can play or join it. It’s a short, flat course credited to Seth Raynor and fixed up by Bill Love and the course’s current caretakers. It’s on a bay, the sand in the bunkers is coarse, it’s not overly manicured, the grass on the greens is thick, you can play it in three hours on a long summer day, you’ll find your ball, you can play it for score or you can gamble on it. For me, it’s where I fell in love. It’s home. — Michael Bamberger 

Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale, N.Y.

I have the distinct honor of my favorite muni doubling as my favorite course on earth: Bethpage Black. (Thanks for letting me have this one, Ashley!) I grew up not far from Bethpage but was never fortunate enough to have access to the many great private clubs also within a stone’s throw of my childhood home. For years, I resorted to “accidentally” driving through the pearly gates of those courses to check out the scene from the other side of the fence, content on securing at least a glimpse of the golf history around me. But as the years have gone by, I’ve realized that the privacy of the Long Island golf scene only serves to underscore the brilliance of “The Black.” It is one of the world’s greatest courses, and anyone with a few bucks in their pocket and a willingness to scour the online reservation system can secure a tee time tomorrow. To me, a great course has three things: accessibility, quality and affordability — and the Black Course has each in spades. There’s no challenge like it, for sure, but there’s also no accomplishment like conquering the beast.  — James Colgan

Bethpage Red Course, Farmingdale, N.Y. 

Growing up 15 minutes from Bethpage State Park, I would always shake my head at those who traveled from across the world to get their teeth kicked in by Bethpage Black on my way to check in for a Red Course tee time. “Baby Black” is the perfect degree of challenging and fun in ways that its bully big brother isn’t. There can be some serious pace-of-play issues on Bethpage’s other sister courses, but I rarely find that issue on Red. This is where the “People’s Country Club” members actually play. Enjoy your Black Course warning sign photo. I’ll enjoy my round on the Red Course. — Tim Reilly 

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Brookside Golf Club, Pasadena, Calif.

My hometown in Southern California didn’t have a lot of munis, so I grew up on reasonable daily-fee courses, including my beloved home course, Calimesa Country Club, may it rest in peace. Brookside was a special-occasion course — it was an hour drive away, depending on the traffic. My dad’s brother lived in Pasadena for a long time, and we met him several times over the years for rounds at Brookside, which has 36 holes. The 1928 William P. Bell design always played long and tough, and, as longtime USC football fans, it was always a thrill to play the holes that run alongside the Rose Bowl, site of many Trojan triumphs. More than anything, though, Brookside represents great memories of exotic childhood trips to Pasadena, rounds with my dad, and post-golf meals at Hamburger Hamlet. Perfect days. — Jessica Marksbury

Cavendish Golf Course, Lanai City, Hawaii 

One of my top five favorite courses of all time, muni and beyond, is Bethpage Black. But since I know one of my colleagues will rank that beautiful beast as their No. 1 muni (most of us have lived in or near New York City for some portion of our adult lives), I’ll focus instead on a muni that totally surprised me in all the right ways. There’s a nine-hole golf course in the heart of Lanai City called Cavendish. When I visited Lanai for the first time in late 2018, locals told me Cavendish was a hidden gem and free to play. One of my Instagram followers who grew up in the area told me membership costs $35 per year. My husband and I had no intention of leaving the Four Seasons Lanai during the three days we’d visited the island, but when we heard about this nine-holer, we knew we needed to experience it ourselves. We woke up at 5:30 a.m. on the day we were scheduled to leave the island, and we got to the course by 6:15 a.m. Cavendish was just a 20-minute ride from the Four Seasons Lanai, but it certainly felt like a world away. We showed up, walked to the 1st tee and played nine holes — no payment necessary, and we couldn’t even find an honor box. Along the way, we waved to the maintenance crew and couldn’t get over how much fun the course is to play. Its tree-lined fairways, smart routing and varied hole designs make it a pleasure of a walk. The locals we spoke with told us they play Cavendish often, and they feel grateful to have such a gem of a nine-hole course in their backyard. That gratefulness shines through in the condition of the course — the community that surrounds it helps maintain it beautifully. — Ashley Mayo 

George Wright Golf Course, Hyde Park, Mass. 

This was the muni of my high school summers, when I worked nights as a waiter and played golf early mornings. A terrific Donald Ross design from the WPA-era 1930s, blasted through a rocky landscape just outside Boston. The bones were always great, but conditioning had become an issue until superintendent Len Curtin became part of an effort to bring it back into fighting shape. Just last week, on a long-postponed trip back East, I played George Wright for the first time in more than 30 years. It’s fair to say I’m biased. But it’s also fair to say that by any muni measure, the place is looking and playing great. For $40 or thereabouts, it’s about as great a steal as there is anywhere in the country. — Josh Sens 

Gold Mountain Golf Club, Bremerton, Wash. 

My trip there came on recommendation from the golf staff at Chambers Bay. Real recognize real. Gold Mountain is where Jordan Spieth won one of his U.S. Junior Amateur titles, and there are plenty of relics from that victory inside the clubhouse. Tall pines flank every hole at Gold Mountain — all 36 holes, that is — and the commute from Seattle is a piece of cake. The Bremerton Ferry will have you on the tee in under 90 minutes, and the best part is the place won’t drag down your wallet. You could have played it on Friday ,June 11th for $71 in the morning, and just $30 after 3 p.m. There might not be a better deal in golf. — Sean Zak

Interbay Golf Center, Seattle 

Interbay Golf Center in Seattle. It’s three minutes from my apartment and has something for everybody. A nine-hole, fun-sized course consisting of one 275-yard par-4 and eight par-3s. A mini-golf course with a top-notch soundtrack blaring from the middle. A two-story driving range fully equipped with Toptracer games. If I go early in the morning, I can play nine and be back at my front door in just over an hour. If I go in the afternoon, there’s no shortage of fellow golf-lovers of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds and abilities to join in on the fun. Plus the hot dogs are reasonably priced. — Dylan Dethier

Kahuku Golf Course, Kahuku, Hawaii

My favorite munis are usually the cheapest, scrappiest and quirkiest. The ones that are a little rough around the edges, that exist as a kind of hybrid between a golf course and a regular patch of grass. The epitome of that is Kahuku Golf Course in Hawaii, a nine-holer sitting on some intensely beautiful (and valuable) land on northwest Oahu. You tee off next to a graveyard on the 2nd hole, navigate an Augusta-style tier on the 3rd green, tee off mats on the short par-3 4th hole and chip toward a green 100 feet downhill, then begin looping back around for the closing stretch directly on the ocean. It’s exactly what municipal golf is supposed to be: A place where every kind of golfer can show up, play quickly and not take anything too seriously. — Luke Kerr-Dineen

Kahuku Golf Course, Kahuku, Hawaii

Kahuku Golf Course sits alone atop the list of most beautiful muni golf courses I’ve ever played. With a slope of 112 and a USGA rating of 34.5, the nine-hole layout itself could never be confused with a championship setup, but the property sits adjacent to the Pacific Ocean — and almost every shot has an ocean view, and the beach is just steps away throughout most of the round. The blustery ocean winds are the course’s only true defense, but the entire experience is what muni golf is all about. The clubhouse is bare bones, the drinks are served out of vending machines, and they offer used golf balls for free to be returned after the round (provided you don’t lose them in the ocean). There’s no dress code, and greens fees will run you around $16-33 depending on time and day. If you want to play oceanfront golf in Hawai’i without paying resort prices, Kahuku is a wonderfully unique, no-frills experience. — Andrew Tursky 

Lions Municipal Golf Course, Austin, Texas

Lions — or, as it’s affectionately known to the locals, Muny — is oozing with history. If the trees lining the fairways could talk, the stories they’d have would be endless. It was the first course south of the Mason-Dixon Line to desegregate. It was the course where Ben Crenshaw learned the game (and eventually bought his trusty Wilson 8802 putter). And it’s where my passion for golf and reporting finally intersected in college. The future is uncertain at Muny, as I detailed in this ode last spring, but the vibrance of the course will never fade. As they say in Austin, “Forever Green. Save Muny.” — Zephyr Melton 

Marine Park Golf Course, Brooklyn, N.Y. 

As an avid NYC muni-goer, this was a very exciting prompt, but the more I thought about it, the tougher it became to narrow down. Van Cortlandt Park is by no means my favorite golf course, but there is something unique and special about hopping on the 1 train with my clubs and playing a six-hour round with strangers. (Maybe I’m just a masochist …?) I knew the Long Island boys of GOLF would cover Bethpage Black and Red (my personal fave of the two). So, that leaves me with a course I have selfishly refrained from writing about up until this point as I play it most often and have yet to make the loop in more than four hours: Marine Park. For just $35, it’s far and away the best-value muni in NYC. The links-style track has distant city views, challenging greens, and is always in great shape. The one hold up? You can’t get there via public transportation, so it does require a friend with a car (shout-out Zephyr Melton). — Emily Haas

Papago Golf Club, Phoenix

My list of munis I want to check out is long, but my favorite I’ve ever played that isn’t called Bethpage Black is Papago in Phoenix, which GOLF ranked 15th on our 30 Best Munis compilation. It’s great for locals and the ideal course for travelers since it’s just a few miles from the airport, making it the perfect spot for fly-in/fly-out days. The course was renovated in 2008, and they went in and re-turfed the greens, fairways and rough, reshaped bunkers and removed trees. It’s a fun test that’s not going to cause you as much heartburn as some other nearby resort courses. What makes the experience even better is Lou’s Bar & Grill, which opened in September 2018 and is a perfect spot to hang after your round. — Josh Berhow

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The post Munis you love: 25 underrated municipal golf courses, according to you appeared first on Golf.

The post Munis you love: 25 underrated municipal golf courses, according to you appeared first on Golf.

In the June issue of GOLF Magazine, we named America’s 30 best municipal courses (you can view the list here), but we know many more munis are worthy of recognition.

That’s where you came in.

In recent weeks, we have been polling you, our readers, for your most beloved munis — local faves that have a great course, a fun vibe or some combination of the two. 

Travel

Your votes poured in, with more than 150 recommendations to date, from coast to coast. Here are 25 of the candidates, sorted by region and with testimonials written by actual golfers. If there are other munis you believe are worthy of consideration, please let us know here.

***

NORTHEAST

Hominy Hill Golf Course
Colts Neck, N.J.

Why you love it: “Original Donald Ross design. Extremely playable off the tee with wide fairways. This is a second-shot golf course. If they firmed the greens up it would play very difficult to some pin positions as second shots are played to uphill greens. Magnificent walk for a Monmouth County N.J. Parks muni.”

Eisenhower Red
Nassau County, Long Island, N.Y.

Why you love it: “It held the PGA and a number of senior tour events. The design is diverse and you never get tired of playing it. The layout is spectacular with doglegs, long holes short holes. At 7,200 yards from the tips, it is a helluva challenge. For the average hitter, the white tees offer a fun and challenging round. A senior can walk for $28.”

The Meadow at Peabody
Peabody, Mass. 

Why you love it: “The course is situated on 259 acres with rolling terrain and various elevation changes. It offers big greens, great fun and a challenge for golfers of all skill levels.”

Capital Hills at Albany
Albany, N.Y. 

Why you love it: “$50 max price for non-residents. Hosts Symetra Tour event every year. Challenging par 71, plays 6,332 from the tips. Hilly layout with a mix of wide-open holes and tight positional holes. Doubles as a dog/walking park in the offseason.”

Jeffersonville
Norristown, Pa.

Why you love it: “A restored Donald Ross which is kept in really good shape, has character, and asks for a lot of different shots it is right up there with any other 6,400 yard course.”

MID-ATLANTIC

East Potomac Golf Course
Washington, D.C.

Why you love it: “A great course for the public to learn to play and great access from Washington, D.C. and the surrounding suburbs. The atmosphere is welcoming to anyone and relatively cheap at $36 walking 18 or $51 with cart. It’s not in pristine condition and doesn’t have everything you would possibly think of, but it does have what you need, and when the park finally opens the outdoor pool in a couple years you will have a pool next door you can go to, too.”

Eagle’s Landing Golf Course
Berlin, Md.

Why you love it: “Lush greens, an abundance of wildlife, plus a spectacular view of the serene Sinepuxent Bay and unspoiled beauty of Assateague Island National Seashore. Variety of water holes, large white-sand bunkers, elevated tees, lush, rolling fairways, and contoured greens. Six of Eagle’s Landing’s 18 holes meander through the saltwater marshes of Sinepuxent Bay.”

SOUTH

Heritage Oaks
Harrisonburg, Va.

Why you love it: “This muni has been considerably upgraded in the last three years and is in beautiful condition now. The course is very walkable with great views of Massanutten Peak as you play the course. The greens are full of subtle breaks and the pin placements can alter the difficulty of each hole drastically. The five par-3s require different clubs and different shots.  The par-4s are short but full of risk and reward. The three par-5s produce lots of birdies and double bogeys. The course calls for draws and fades off the tees. Bunkers are well-placed. The holes range from wide open to closely tree-lined. This is a course that is not too hard for beginners who want to take up the game, but can be extremely challenging for a low handicapper to shoot par. People who play this course as they travel through the area are happily surprised at the quality of this muni! And anyone who played it more than three years ago would be amazed at how much more challenging and beautiful it is now.”

The Links at Galloway
Memphis, Tenn. 

Why you love it: “The course is about to be 100 years old and is located in the middle of the city. The course was in rough condition when it was shut down for 20 months and totally redesigned. Lakes, mounds, sand traps and new greens were added and since the redesign they have worked hard to maintain it. The staff in the clubhouse is very friendly, they have the best BLT in town at the snack bar, and the cost is incredible — as a senior golfer (62 and up) I pay $11 to walk 18! We also have other city courses that are in the best shape in my lifetime, but Galloway is the jewel of the system.”

Cedar Creek
San Antonio, Texas

Why you love it: “Scenic, challenging and always in excellent condition because it is not played as much as some of the other courses inside the city. Undulating raised greens and beautiful rolling fairways where Texas begins to turn into the western United States make this one of my favorite places and the price is excellent. It rivals many of the surrounding higher-priced clubs like the Hyatt and Marriott resort courses, but for half the price. Often see deer and turkey roaming around among the beautiful, twisted oak trees and limestone rock.”

Ross Rogers Golf Course
Amarillo, Texas  

Why you love it: “Ross Rogers has two courses, Mustang and Wild Horse, which have both been redone in the last 15 years. It’s incredible. Weekend green fee without cart is $29! With cart $45. Dallas Morning News ranked it No. 3 this year of ALL public courses in Texas. We are extremely lucky to have these two courses. Always in great shape. Great pros. And a blast to play!”

MIDWEST

Swope Memorial
Kansas City, Mo.

Why you love it: “An old A.W. Tillinghast design that has the best hole in town, No. 17. A reachable par-5 but it takes two very good shots, and the view on your second shot is unbeatable. There are also quite a few other great holes out there: 2, 4, 9, and 11-13.”

Bunker Links Golf Course
Galesburg, Ill.

Why you love it: “This 18-hole, par-71 muni has a clubhouse, driving range and practice putting green. Following the completion of Galesburg’s 18-hole golf course in 1929, the Galesburg City Council named the course in honor of its architect, Dwight Carpenter Bunker. Bunker Links has several daily groups, two of which go by the name of Dew-dusters and Green-busters. Count on these groups playing every day of the week, lining up and picking teams ‘captain style.’ You can also count on the course being in great playing condition day in and day out. One other thing to count on is PGA Professional and General Manager, Bryan Luedtke, providing a first-class experience. A well-stocked clubhouse, terrific signage from the parking lot to the golf course, clean golf carts and many innovative features make Bunker Links Golf Course stand apart. Recently an Eagle Eye camera has been installed high above the 18th green to enjoy watching your finishing shots on the new veranda following your round of golf. Without a doubt Bunker Links will provide an excellent test of golf and pleasurable experience at a rate well below $40 every day of the week.”

Elbel Park Golf Club
South Bend, Ind.

Why you love it: “A challenging course on the outskirts of town. Course wraps around Mudd Lake, making it an ideal nature center and walk. Deer, herons, geese, turtle, and more to enjoy along with your golf. Well-maintained with tough, rolling hills. Great place to bring a friend for a game of golf.”

Blue Ash
Blue Ash, Ohio

Why you love it: “In better shape than ever. Great small town and great course near Cincinnati. Very affordable!”

Baker National Golf Course
Hamel, Minn.

Why you love it: “Amazing public course. It’s located in the heart of a nature preserve and is one of the only golf courses I’ve ever played where you can’t see a house from anywhere on the course. The Championship course is an awesome test with tons of variety. There is also a fun executive course called the Evergreen, which is a perfect track for beginners. There is a massive practice facility that doubles as a sweet sledding hill in the winter! The snack bar has good burgers/brats and a surprisingly good beer selection. The course is also part of the First Tee program and home to several junior tournaments and high school matches. Truly an amazing public golf course in every way.”

Brown County Golf Course
Oneida, Wisc.

Why you love it: “Just outside of Green Bay, this Lawrence Packard design is playable for all levels. Not a single house or street near this parkland layout along Duck Creek. It was also the first public course chosen to host the Wisconsin State Amateur in 2005.”

WEST

Indian Canyon
Spokane, Wash. 

Why you love it: “Short but hilly, narrow and tree-lined, with small undulating greens. Always in good shape, has hosted a bunch of NW events. Long hitters think they can overpower it but come away shooting the moon. You have to pick your lines, and know when to attack and when to lay back. Almost everyone’s favorite in Spokane.”

Mill Valley Golf Course
Mill Valley, Calif.

Why you love it: “The 9-hole course was first opened in 1919 and the original first tee box was at the base of the clubhouse, which was separated from the course by the road that leads to houses up the canyon. While the box still exists today it is unfortunately no longer in use. The course is a Par 33 with six par-4s and three par-3s. Four of the par-4s are drivable, though risk/reward must be accounted for. While city run, there is a group of volunteers who get together monthly to help with course beautification: divot repair, tree-trimming, weed-whacking and even rebuilding bunkers. On any given day, you will find golfers of all skill levels and ages enjoying themselves playing golf in this idyllic setting. In my opinion, the charm of this place is undeniable and the setting is so peaceful there is no possible way to spoil a two-hour walk around this little gem.”

Rancho Park
Los Angeles, Calif.

Why you love it: “One of the most played courses in the United States. Has some history as home to the L.A. Open with a dedication to Arnold Palmer on the 18th tee. Challenging par-3s, with mature trees throughout. Finishes with a par-3 followed by two barely reachable par-5s that provide the opportunity to go home happy.”

Pacific Grove Golf Links
Pacific Grove, Calif.

Why you love it: “One of the most beautiful courses I have ever played, and that list includes Pebble Beach, Spanish Bay, Poppy Hills, Bayonet/Blackhorse and other beautiful coastal layouts. They don’t call Pacific Grove ‘Poor Man’s Pebble” for nothing. The front nine plays through the coastal trees. Back nine plays around a beautiful lighthouse with amazing views of the Pacific Ocean. Just an absolute pleasure and a course I have recommended to hundreds of fellow golfers.”

Fossil Trace
Golden, Colo.

Why you love it: “Situated at the foot of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, the layout is spectacular as well as scenic. Elevation changes, monumental rock outcrops, fossils, wildlife, as well as a piece of old excavator equipment are just some of the great features of this course. Our annual golf trip to Denver always ends with this being our last round every year for the last 10 years. Course conditions are always fantastic with a great staff to assist you.”

Conquistador
Cortez, Colo.

Why you love it: “An exceptional course that does not get any attention due to being situated close to Durango. The course is as challenging as any, extremely well-groomed, clean and the pro is top notch.”

Legion Memorial
Everett, Wash.

Why you love it: “Recently remodeled to a par of 71. Some pretty water views and some elevated views over parts of the course and city. The biggest plus is the mix of peeps that play here, a progressive mix of young, old, male, female.”

Eastmoreland
Portland, Ore.

Why you love it: “Traditional, tree-lined and narrow, you can enjoy eagle sightings, a rhododendron garden and a lovely old neighborhood. Best, most demanding muni I’ve ever played.”

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8AM Golf affiliate Golf Logix.

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The post GOLF’s 30 best munis: The most affordable municipal golf courses for locals, ranked appeared first on Golf.

The post GOLF’s 30 best munis: The most affordable municipal golf courses for locals, ranked appeared first on Golf.

Affordability is woven into the DNA of public golf. For those courses the general public can actually play, a smaller number still fall into the category of being courses the general public can reasonably afford to play.

For all its awestriking beauty, Pebble Beach (at $550 per person, per round) does not fall into this category. Neither does TPC Sawgrass, at a beefy $600.

In the sweet spot between accessibility and affordability lives municipal golf. These publicly funded, publicly maintained courses hold a unique place in the golf world. They’re public works, not necessarily public profit.

Courses

Muni golf is a bit of a passion project for GOLF.com. Our Muni Mondays franchise profiles municipal courses around the world, and just this week (and in the June 2021 GOLF Magazine) we unveiled our inaugural ranking of the 30 best munis in America.

Below, we’ve taken that ranking a bit further — sorting the 30 best muni courses in the U.S. by price. For this list, we sorted all 30 by the lowest possible price for locals, who usually get a discount. That way we can truly see which courses are the best of the best for those just down the street. But don’t fret — the majority of these tracks aren’t priced to scare away out-of-staters, either.

May your handicap (and wallet) rejoice.

*CHECK OUT THE FULL MUNI RANKING HERE*

GOLF’s 30 best munis in America, sorted by price for locals

1. Wailua; Lihue, Hawaii (GOLF Muni Rank: 26)  — $15

T2. Charleston; Charleston, S.C.; (GOLF Muni Rank: 19) — $20

T2 Papago; Phoenix, Ariz. (GOLF Muni Rank: 15)  — $20

4. Palatka; Palatka, Fla. (GOLF Muni Rank: 29)  — $22

5. Buffalo Dunes; Garden City, Kansas (GOLF Muni Rank: 8) — $25

6. Wilmington; Wilmington, N.C. (GOLF Muni Rank: 21) —  $27

T7. Memorial Park; Houston, Texas (GOLF Muni Rank: 7) — $30

T7. Wintonbury Hills; Bloomfield, Conn. (GOLF Muni Rank: 25)  — $30

T7. North Palm Beach; Palm Beach, Fla. (GOLF Muni Rank: 20)  — $30

10. Brackenridge Park; San Antonio, Texas (GOLF Muni Rank: 16) — $31

11. Keney Park; Windsor, Conn. (GOLF Muni Rank: 14)  — $32.50

T12. Sleepy Hollow; Bracksville, Ohio (GOLF Muni Rank: 13)   — $34

T12. Manakiki; Willoughby, Ohio (GOLF Muni Rank: 27)  — $34

14. Indian Wells (Players); Indian Wells, Calif. (GOLF Muni Rank: 23)  — $35

15. Butterfield Trail; El Paso, Texas (GOLF Muni Rank: 10)  — $39

16. George Wright; Hyde Park, Mass. (GOLF Muni Rank: 3)  — $41

T17. Corica Park (South); Alameda, Calif. (GOLF Muni Rank: 12)  — $42

T17. Triggs Memorial; Providence, R.I. (GOLF Muni Rank: 22) — $42

T19. Montauk Downs; Montauk, N.Y. (GOLF Muni Rank: 17)  — $43

T19. Bethpage Red; Farmingdale, N.Y. (GOLF Muni Rank: 4)  — $43

21. Torrey Pines (North); La Jolla, Calif. (GOLF Muni Rank: 18)  — $44

22. Pinon Hills; Farmington, N.M. (GOLF Muni Rank: 9)  — $45

23. Highland Park; Birmingham, Ala. (GOLF Muni Rank: 30)  — $54

24. Gold Mountain (Olympic); Bremerton, Wash. (GOLF Muni Rank: 11)  — $56

25. Torrey Pines (South); La Jolla, Calif. (GOLF Muni Rank: 5)  — $63

26. TPC Harding Park; San Francisco, Calif. (GOLF Muni Rank: 24)  — $64

T27. Bethpage Black; Farmingdale, N.Y. (GOLF Muni Rank: 1)  — $65

T27. Harborside International (Port); Chicago, Ill. (GOLF Muni Rank: 28)  — $65

29. Chambers Bay; University Place, Wash. (GOLF Muni Rank: 2)  — $140

30. Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point; Bronx, N.Y. (GOLF Muni Rank: 6)  —  $154

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It’s time to celebrate the best municipal golf courses in America. Finally, right?

In the past year, GOLF released its new and improved rankings for its Top 100 Courses in the U.S. and Top 100 Courses You Can Play lists. On top of that, we also unveiled our inaugural 100 best short courses in the world ranking. Naturally, standout municipal courses seemed like a logical next step.

So in GOLF Magazine’s June 2021 issue, we trotted out GOLF’s 30 best munis in America, which was put together by GOLF Architecture Editor Ran Morrissett and GOLF’s Top 100 Course Panelists. This list has everything — East Coast, West Coast and Midwest must-plays, bucket-list gems and uber-affordable sleepers. You can check out the entire list, with breakdowns of all 30 courses, right here.

Wondering where these 30 land on the map? That’s where this article comes in. Scroll down to see a state-by-state breakdown. And if you want to put a course on our radar, for this list or to feature in upcoming Monday Muni spotlights, click here and send us a note.

GOLF’s 30 best munis in America (rank in parenthesis)

CALIFORNIA

Torrey Pines (South), LA JOLLA, CA (5)
South Course at Corica Park, ALAMEDA, CA (12)
Torrey Pines (North), LA JOLLA, CA (18)
Indian Wells Golf Resort (Players), INDIAN WELLS, CA (23)
TPC Harding Park, SAN FRANCISCO, CA (24)

NEW YORK

Bethpage Black, FARMINGDALE, NY (1)
Bethpage Red, FARMINGDALE, NY (4)
Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, BRONX, NY (6)
Montauk Downs, MONTAUK, NY (17)

TEXAS

Memorial Park, HOUSTON, TX (7)
Butterfield Trail, EL PASO, TX (10)
Brackenridge Park, SAN ANTONIO, TX (16)

WASHINGTON

Chambers Bay, UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA (2)
Gold Mountain (Olympic), BREMERTON, WA (11)

OHIO

Sleepy Hollow, BRECKSVILLE, OH (13)
Manakiki, WILLOUGHBY, OH (27)

CONNECTICUT

Keney Park, WINDSOR, CT (14)
Wintonbury Hills, BLOOMFIELD, CT (25)

FLORIDA

North Palm Beach Country Club, NORTH PALM BEACH, FL (20)
Palatka, PALATKA, FL (29)

MASSACHUSETTS

George Wright, HYDE PARK, MA (3)

KANSAS

Buffalo Dunes, GARDEN CITY, KS (8)

NEW MEXICO

Piñon Hills, FARMINGTON, NM (9)

ARIZONA

Papago, PHOENIX, AZ (15)

SOUTH CAROLINA

Charleston, CHARLESTON, SC (19)

NORTH CAROLINA

Wilmington, WILMINGTON, NC (21)

RHODE ISLAND

Triggs Memorial, PROVIDENCE, RI (22)

HAWAII

Wailua, LIHUE, HI (26)

ILLINOIS

Harborside International (Port), CHICAGO, IL (28)

ALABAMA

Highland Park, BIRMINGHAM, AL (30)

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8AM Golf affiliate Golf Logix.

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The post 7 numbers to know from our all-new ranking of best munis in America appeared first on Golf.

It’s easy, in the golf world, to spend our time and energy focused on the courses we can’t play — the ultra-private, the extra-secret, the uber-exclusive. Those clubs have dominated course rankings for decades.

But what about the courses we can play? The courses that keep the game alive, welcoming golfer after golfer to our ranks? Munis have fewer dress codes. More hot dogs. And some of them are top-notch tracks, too.

That’s part of the reason why we have released GOLF’s first-ever ranking of municipal courses. You can find that list, which includes our Top 30, here. But if you’re looking for some more insight, here are seven numbers you need to know from our list.

1. Which state has the most top munis?

If you’re going purely by representation in our top 30, California is the big winner with five courses — led by Torrey Pines South at No. 5. It’s worth noting, however, that New York has four courses on the list including three in the top six. Texas has three courses represented, too, and several other states (Washington, Florida, Ohio, Connecticut) have two each. Time to start planning trips…

Travel

2. What year did the newest Top-30 muni open?

If we’re talking brand-new courses, the new kid on the block is Corica Park’s South Course, an Australian sandbelt-style gem in Alameda, Calif. The Rees Jones design opened in 2018. The second-newest course on our list is the Jack Nicklaus-designed Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, which opened for play in 2015 — still brand-new by course architecture standards.

Travel

But those are hardly the only courses on the list with brand-new feels. Rees Jones also did a renovation at Torrey Pines’ South Course which finished up in 2019. Nicklaus headed up a facelift of North Palm Beach in Florida, which re-opened in 2019 as well. Tom Doak finished his work on Memorial Park in 2019, too, before it hosted a PGA Tour event last season. And Charleston, a 92-year-old course known locally as “The Muni,” reopened in 2020 after a radical redesign from Troy Miller.

3. What year did the oldest muni on the list open?

There are plenty of courses on the list that area approaching their 100th birthdays; Sleepy Hollow (1924), Palatka (1925) N. Palm Beach (1926), Wilmington (1926) and Keney Park (1927) are among the oldies. But the most seasoned course on the list is Brackenridge Park, which opened in 1916 and remains the pride of San Antonio today.

4. What’s the least expensive muni on the list?

It’s just $15 for residents to play Wailua in Hawaii. Shoutout, too, to Charleston Muni ($20 for locals) and Palatka ($22). And Memorial Park costs as little as $30 for local residents, unheard of for a PGA Tour host. Golf courses (and, well, most businesses) are often operated with the sole intent of making as much money as possible, so it’s refreshing to see operators (and cities) buck that trend, with the well-being of golfers in mind. Munis rule.

5. What’s the most expensive muni on the list?

Despite some bargains, the price tags on some of these courses serve as a reminder that these are premium products you’re paying for. Chambers Bay has dynamic pricing that can reach $289 for a tee time, while the going rate for non-residents can reach $252 at Torrey Pines. In either case, however, living local can knock well over $100 off your golden ticket; San Diego residents won’t pay more than $78 for a trip ’round Torrey.

6. Which architects are most represented on the list?

No surprise here: The leader in design credits is Donald Ross, with an impressive five courses on the list, led by the ever-underrated George Wright in Boston (if a course that’s No. 3 on our list can still be underrated). A.W. Tillinghast has three design credits that made the list, including Red and Black at Bethpage State Park. Rees Jones is on the list thrice, too. And so is William Bell, with credits at both Torrey Pines courses as well as Papago in Phoenix.

7. How many courses on the list have hosted PGA or LPGA Tour events?

Let’s count ’em: Bethpage Black has hosted majors and playoff events. Chambers Bay held the 2015 U.S. Open. Torrey Pines South hosts the Farmers every year, plus a particularly high-profile U.S. Open. Memorial Park just hosted its first PGA Tour event. Papago served as fill-in LPGA host in 2009. Brackenridge Park used to host the Texas Open. Torrey Pines North helps host the Farmers. And TPC Harding Park hosted last year’s PGA. That’s eight courses by my tally, although it’s possible there’s another Tour event from years gone by that slipped through the cracks.

These munis, after all, have layers to them.

You can find the complete list here.

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