America’s best golf courses for $100 or less: Where memorability meets affordability
From left: Manakiki (Willoughby Hills, Ohio); Pacific Grove (Pacific Grove, Calif.); Montauk Downs (Montauk, N.Y.)
courtesy Manakiki; joann dost; jon cavalier
Who doesn’t love a bargain?
Golfers certainly do. But with the game in higher demand than ever (hurrah!) and inflation persisting, good values have become increasingly harder to find.
That in mind, GOLF’s course raters and editors set out to compile a list of 18-hole golf courses in the United States that represent exceptional bang for the buck. Our criteria were simple: To qualify for our list, courses needed to be (1) accessible to the public, (2) the kind of golf experience you’d recommend to a friend and (3) offer peak-season weekend walking rates that do not exceed $100.
This fee requirement was a hard line, and at times a painful one to be bound by. Take Rustic Canyon, a fantastic design north of Los Angeles, where green fees max out at $104. Or Stoatin Brae in Michigan, designed by the principals of Renaissance Golf Design. This open, linksy course generally costs less than $100 save for a few prime weekend tee times. Still, we had to omit both courses as we had to establish a cut off, and $100 felt like a nice round number.
What you’ll find below is not a ranking but rather our first attempt at identifying the country’s best affordable golf courses by region (Southeast, Northeast, Heartland and West). To compile the list, we sourced recommendations not only from GOLF’s raters and editors but also from course experts from around the industry and even you, our loyal, golf-loving audience.
As you’ll see, the Heartland leads the way in quantity; more land and fewer residents means lower fees. This area of the country also is blessed with great diversity of landforms well suited to golf.
Generally, everything costs more around population centers, but we still found a handful of low-cost gems in major metropolitan areas, like George Wright outside of Boston, CommonGround just east of Denver and Bethpage State Park not far from New York City, where of its quartet of courses only the fees at the fabled Black creep north of three digits.
A couple of other Big Apple-area courses also made the cut: the revamped Francis A. Byrne and Hendricks Field courses, both of which are in New Jersey’s Essex County Parks system. Both designs now feature classic architectural features for which Charles Banks became famous, including Redan, Biarritz and Road Holes. Strategic golf, we believe, is the game’s most addictive form of design, and these courses embody that fundamental.
Happily, our list is chock full of courses designed by great architects, including A.W. Tillinghast, Donald Ross, Stanley Thompson, Robert Trent Jones Sr., Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Tom Doak, Jack Nicklaus and Coore & Crenshaw. Talk about star power! There also are a couple of former major-championship sites in the mix, namely Cedar Crest in Texas (1927 PGA Championship) and Tanglewood in North Carolina (1974 PGA Championship).
About 40 percent of the courses are owned by municipalities; hat tip to those public officials who understand the value and importance of funding exceptional public golf. Cities like Cleveland (Sleepy Hollow, Manikiki) and states like Alabama with its RTJ Trail and Highland Park — which offers dazzling views of Birmingham — deserve recognition for their stewardship.
We hope other municipalities follow suit and make similar investments to promote the use of outdoor spaces, which, in the case of golf courses, boosts civic pride. How exciting would it be if some legendary Golden Age designs, like Sharp Park In California, Timber Point in New York and East Potomac in Washington, D.C. (where plans are in the works), saw their original features restored?
Alas, with improvements come publicity and praise and increased demand, which often leads to price hikes. We get it. Golf courses are businesses, and economic pressures are real. But we’re hopeful this list’s creation — and subsequent updates to it — might incentivize courses to stay value-minded.
We welcome your feedback regarding other worthy candidates. Nothing would please us more than to see this compilation grow!
America’s best golf courses that you can play for $100 or less
Fees represent peak-season weekend walking rates (as of Sept. 4, 2024)
NORTHEAST
Bethpage Red
Farmingdale, N.Y.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1935
$100
Brattleboro
Brattleboro, Vt.
Wayne Stiles, 1930; Steve Durkee, 2000
$74
Brunswick
Brunswick, Maine
Charles L. Bowker, Capt. George Skofield and Col. George L. Thompson, 1898; Wayne Stiles, John Van Kleek, 1921; Geoffrey Cornish, 1959
$85
Country Club of Barre
Orange, Vt.
Wayne Stiles, John Van Kleek,1924
$65
En-Joie
Endicott, N.Y.
Ernie Smith,1927; Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry, 1999
$76
Francis A. Byrne
West Orange, N.J.
Charles Banks,1926
$80
George Wright
Boston, Mass.
Donald Ross, 1938
$62
Green Mountain National
Killington, Vt.
Gene Bates, 1997
$79
Hendricks Field
Belleville, N.J.
Charles Banks, 1929
$60
Hominy Hill
Colts Neck, N.J.
Robert Trent Jones, 1963
$84
Jeffersonville
Norristown, Pa.
Donald Ross, 1931
$80
Keney Park
Windsor, Conn.
Devereux Emmet 1927; Robert Jack Ross, 1931
$51
Montauk Downs
Montauk, N.Y.
Robert Trent Jones Sr, 1968
$96
Neshanic Valley
Neshanic Station, N.J.
Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry, 2004
$92
Saratoga Spa State Park
Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Unknown, 1936; William Mitchell, late 1950s; Barry Jordan, 2017
$59
Seven Oaks
Hamilton, N.Y.
Robert Trent Jones Sr, 1957
$85
Shennecossett
Groton, Conn.
Donald Ross, 1916
$55
Triggs Memorial
Providence, R.I.
Donald Ross, 1932.
$55
Wintonbury Hills
Bloomfield, Conn.
Pete Dye, 2003
$90
SOUTHEAST
Aiken
Aiken, S.C.
John Inglis, 1915
$35
Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain
Crossville, Tenn.
Nicklaus Design, 1999
$57
Bear Trace at Harrison Bay
Harrison, Tenn.
Nicklaus Design, 1999
$54
Bobby Jones
Sarasota, Fla.
Donald Ross, 1926; Richard Mandell, 2024
$89
Boone
Boone, N.C.
Ellis Maples, 1959
$70
Capital City
Tallahassee, Fla.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1935
$75
Charleston Muni
Charleston, S.C.
J. M. Whitsett, 1929; Troy Miller, 2020
$60
Cheraw State Park
Cheraw, S.C.
Tom Jackson, 1992
$45
Fort Myers CC
Fort Myers, Fla.
Donald Ross, 1917
$30
Highland Park
Birmingham, Ala.
Bob Cupp, 1998
$99
Jax Beach
Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
Sam Snead, 1959; Harrison Minchew, 2018
$67
The Links at Audubon
Memphis, Tenn.
Bill Bergin, 2024
$45
Lonnie Poole
Raleigh, N.C.
Arnold Palmer, 2008
$75
Mirimichi
Millington, Tenn.
William F. Mitchell, 1965
$63
Mooresville
Mooresville, N.C.
Donald Ross, 1948; Kris Spence, 2016
$55
Oak Hollow
High Point, N.C.
Pete Dye, 1972
$45
Palatka
Palatka, Fla.
Donald Ross, 1925
$34
Pines Crossing
Auburn, Ala.
Eddie Loos, 1946, 1951; Bill Bergin, 2023
$35
RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill (Senator)
Prattville, Ala.
Robert Trent Jones, Sr., 1999
$100
RTJ Golf Trail at Grand National (Lakes)
Opelika, Ala.
Robert Trent Jones, Sr., 1993
$100
RTJ Golf Trail at Grand National (Links)
Opelika, Ala.
Robert Trent Jones, Sr., 1993
$100
RTJ Golf Trail at Highland Oaks (Highlands & Magnolia)
Dothan, Ala.
Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1992
$100
Tanglewood Park (Championship)
Clemmons, N.C.
Robert Trent Jones, Sr., 1958; Richard Mandell and Robert Trent Jones, Jr., 2018
$66
The Fields Golf Club
LaGrange, Ga.
Mike Young, 1989
$48
Wellman
Johnsonville, S.C.
Ellis Maples, 1966 and 1971; Rees Jones, 2022
$62
Wilmington Municipal
Wilmington, N.C.
Donald Ross, 1926
$46
HEARTLAND
Annbriar
Waterloo, Ill.
Michael Hurdzan, 1991
$77
Bent Tree
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Jeffrey Brauer, 2000
$48
Boiling Springs
Woodward, Okla.
Donald Sechrest, 1971; Jeff Blume, 2013
$42
Brown Deer
Milwaukee, Wis.
George Hansen, 1929; Andy North, Roger Packard, 1991
$81
Buffalo Dunes
Garden City, Kans.
Frank Hummel, 1976
$30
Brackenridge Park
San Antonio, Tex.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1915
$68
Butterfield Trail
El Paso, Tex.
Tom Fazio and Dennis Wise, 2007
$50
Cedar Crest
Dallas, Tex.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1916
$35
Champions
Columbus, Ohio
Herbert Strong, 1922; Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1954
$61
Chaska Town Course
Chaska, Minn.
Arthur Hills, 1997
$61
Cypresswood (Tradition)
Spring, Tex.
Keith Foster, 1988; Rick Forester, 1997
$95
Diamond Springs
Hamilton, Mich.
Mike DeVries, 1999
$60
Fowler’s Mill
Chesterland, Ohio
Pete Dye, 1971
$92
Harrison Hills
Attica, Ind.
William Langford, 1924
$55
Hawktree
Bismarck, N.D.
James Engh, 2000
$95
Kankakee Elks
St Anne, Ill.
William B. Langford and Theodore Moreau, 1926
$41
Keller
Maplewood, Minn.
Paul Coates, 1929; Richard Mandell, 2014
$53
Kearney Hill
Lexington, Ky.
Pete, P.B Dye, 1989
$38
Lakewood Shores (Gailes)
Oscoda, Mich.
Kevin Aldridge, 1992
$65
Links of North Dakota
Ray, N.D.
Stephen Kay, 1995
$75
Manakiki
Willoughby Hills, Ohio
Donald Ross, 1944
$47
Park Mammoth
Park City, Ky.
Brian Ross and Colton Craig, 2022
$50
Pilgrim’s Run
Pierson, Mich.
David Wisen, Scott Pierre and Jerry Trannell, 1998
$65
Purgatory Golf Club
Noblesville, Ind.
Ron Kern, 1997
$85
Sand Creek Station
Newton, Kans.
Jeff Brauer, 2006
$50
Sleepy Hollow
Brecksville, Ohio
Stanley Thompson, 1924
$47
Swope Memorial
Kansas City, Mo.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1934
$42
Mines Golf Club
Walker, Mich.
Mike DeVries, 2005
$69
Valley of the Eagles
Elyria, Ohio
Nicklaus Design, 2018
$70
Winnetka
Winnetka, Ill.
William Langford, 1917; Rick Jacobson, 2024
$92
Wolf River Golf Park
Bear Lake, Mich.
Unknown, 1964; Steven Biehl, 2022
$37
Warren Golf Course
South Bend, Ind.
Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, 2000
$80
Washington County
Hartford, Wis.
Arthur Hills, 1997
$65
Wild Horse
Gothenburg, Neb.
Dave Axland and Dan Proctor, 1999
$75
WEST
Bandon Crossings
Bandon, Ore.
Dan Hixson, 2007
$86
Black Mesa
Española, N.M.
Daxter Spann, 2002
$84
Cochiti
Cochiti Lake, N.M.
Robert Trent Jones Jr., 1981
$58
CommonGround
Aurora, Colo.
Tom Doak, 1972
$80
Coronado Golf Course
Coronado, Calif.
Jack Daray, 1957
$59
Devil’s Thumb
Delta, Colo.
Rick Phelps, 2001
$53
Gold Mountain
Bremerton, Wash.
Ken Tyson, 1971; John Harbottle III, 1996
$54
Heron Lakes (Greenback)
Portland, Ore.
Robert Trent Jones Jr., 1971
$53
Heron Lakes (Great Blue)
Portland, Ore.
Robert Trent Jones Jr., 1992
$56
La Purisima
Lompoc, Calif.
Robert Muir, 1986
$88
Lincoln Park
San Francisco, Calif.
William Watson, 1914; Tom Bendelow, 1917
$61
Northern Pines
Kalispell, Mont.
Andy North, 1996
$85
Pacific Grove
Pacific Grove, Calif.
H. Chandler Egan, 1932; Jack Neville, 1960
$82
Piñon Hills
Farmington, N.M.
Ken Dye, 1989
$51
Riverdale Golf Club (Dunes)
Brighton, Colo.
Pete Dye and Perry Dye, 1985
$57
San Vicente
Ramona, Calif.
Ted Robinson, 1972; Andy Staples, 2021
$89
Sea Ranch
Sea Ranch, Calif.
Robert Muir Graves, 1974; Robert Muir Graves, 1995
$82.49
Soule Park
Ojai, Calif.
William F. Bell, 1962
$49
Tokatee
Blue River, Ore.
Ted Robinson, 1966
$67
University of New Mexico (Championship)
Albuquerque, N.M.
Robert (Red) Lawrence, 1967
$72
Wailua
Lihue, Hawaii
Toyo Shirai, 1930; second nine added in 1961
$100
Whitefish Lake (South)
Whitefish, Mont.
John Steidel, 1994
$93
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