There are some things that money can’t buy, like, for instance, a tee time at Augusta. But access to other courses on GOLF’s latest Top 100 Courses in the U.S. list is a simple matter of economics. Pay, and you can play. Here are the seven courses that charge the most (note: all prices are peak-season rates).
Shadow Creek, Las Vegas, Nev.
U.S. Top 100 rank: 76
$1,000
Here in the land of slot machines and sleight-of-hand artists, lots of money can change possession quickly. At this Tom Fazio-designed Shangri-La, $1,000 transfers from your wallet to the pro shop in exchange for passage to the first tee. That doesn’t cover your caddie or your room at an MGM property, where you must stay to book a time.
TPC Sawgrass, Stadium Course, Ponte Vedra, Fla.
U.S. Top 100 rank: 50
$840
The PGA Tour has been spending boatloads on increased purses and player incentives. With dynamic pricing at its flagship TPC, the folks in Ponte Vedra stand to make some of that back. Just this week, on GolfNow, a foursome at Sawgrass was fetching $840 per head. Caddie services sold separately.
Kiawah Island Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, S.C.
U.S. Top 100 rank: 32
$600
When you book a time at the famous host site of the War by the Shore, the Ryder Cup that changed it all, you might feel a battle brewing between your inner golfer and your inner accountant. We recommend that you live a little and let the inner golfer win. And if you stay on property, the rate drops for $463.
Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.
U.S. Top 100 rank: 11
$595
In 2012, a seaside manse behind the 10th green that once belonged to Gene Hackman went on the market for $79 million. For that kind of scratch, you could play 132,773 rounds at the country’s most fabled public course.
Whistling Straits, Straits Course, Haven, Wis.
U.S. Top 100 rank: 54
$485
The late Herb Kohler of Kohler faucet-making fame was the driving force behind this exhilarating Pete Dye course along Lake Michigan. Compared to the price of a bathroom remodel, golf here comes relatively cheap.
Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst, N.C.
U.S. Top 100 rank: 12
$470
Already a host of more big-time tournaments than we can tick off here, this Donald Ross masterpiece has been chosen as a U.S. Open anchor site, meaning it will stage multiple iterations of the national championship in the years ahead. Under a recent policy change, you must stay at the resort to play No. 2, so greens fees are often bundled into stay-and-play packages (the peak is $390), although a rack rate would be $470.
Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, S.C.
U.S. Top 100 rank: 63
$450
Widely recognized for the red-and-white lighthouse behind its 18th green, this artful course plays host to the RBC Classic. Like the Tour pros who compete here, you’re required to take a caddie. Ok, a forecaddie. The resort rate is $420 but it can go up to $450 if you aren’t staying on property.