As an avid golfer and travel writer, one of my passions is seeking out high-quality yet affordable golf courses around the country and globally. With inflation continuing to drive up prices everywhere, value has become even more important for both recreational and touring golfers.
With this in mind, I led the research team at Golfaq.com to compile our first ever list of America's Best Golf Courses that can be played for $100 or less. Our team combed through recommendations from course raters, industry experts, and feedback from our readers to identify public access courses across the United States that offer an exceptional golf experience at a reasonable price.
The full list reveals some interesting trends. At first glance, it may surprise some to see over 40% of the courses included are municipality-owned. This underscores how important it is for cities and states to support accessible public golf. Places like Cleveland, Birmingham, and the great state of Alabama, which features multiple courses along the legendary Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, deserve recognition for their commitment to supporting the game.
What really struck me however, was the incredible pedigree of design talent featured across these affordable courses. Names like Donald Ross, Stanley Thompson, Pete Dye, Tom Doak, Jack Nicklaus, and Coore/Crenshaw litter the list. Rarely will you find such star-studded architecture available at such value-minded rates. It's clear many of these courses were built to last and have withstood the test of time.
The diversity of landscapes represented also matches the variety of our great country. From seaside links to desert tracks, parkland oases to mountain views, there is no shortage of scenic backdrops for a budget-friendly round. And the presence of two former professional major championship sites shows these courses are worthy of the highest levels of play.
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NORTHEAST
1. Bethpage Red (Farmingdale, N.Y.) – A.W. Tillinghast, 1935 – $100
2. Brattleboro (Brattleboro, Vt.) – Wayne Stiles, 1930; Steve Durkee, 2000 – $74
3. Brunswick (Brunswick, Maine) – Charles L. Bowker et al., 1898 – $85
4. Country Club of Barre (Orange, Vt.) – Wayne Stiles, John Van Kleek, 1924 – $65
5. En-Joie (Endicott, N.Y.) – Ernie Smith, 1927 – $76
6. Francis A. Byrne (West Orange, N.J.) – Charles Banks, 1926 – $80
7. George Wright (Boston, Mass.) – Donald Ross, 1938 – $62
8. Green Mountain National (Killington, Vt.) – Gene Bates, 1997 – $79
9. Hendricks Field (Belleville, N.J.) – Charles Banks, 1929 – $60
10. Hominy Hill (Colts Neck, N.J.) – Robert Trent Jones, 1963 – $84
11. Jeffersonville (Norristown, Pa.) – Donald Ross, 1931 – $80
12. Keney Park (Windsor, Conn.) – Devereux Emmet, 1927 – $51
13. Montauk Downs (Montauk, N.Y.) – Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1968 – $96
14. Neshanic Valley (Neshanic Station, N.J.) – Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry, 2004 – $92
15. Saratoga Spa State Park (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) – Unknown, 1936 – $59
16. Seven Oaks (Hamilton, N.Y.) – Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1957 – $85
17. Shennecossett (Groton, Conn.) – Donald Ross, 1916 – $55
18. Triggs Memorial (Providence, R.I.) – Donald Ross, 1932 – $55
19. Wintonbury Hills (Bloomfield, Conn.) – Pete Dye, 2003 – $90
SOUTHEAST
1. Aiken (Aiken, S.C.) – John Inglis, 1915 – $35
2. Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain (Crossville, Tenn.) – Nicklaus Design, 1999 – $57
3. Bear Trace at Harrison Bay (Harrison, Tenn.) – Nicklaus Design, 1999 – $54
4. Bobby Jones (Sarasota, Fla.) – Donald Ross, 1926 – $89
5. Boone (Boone, N.C.) – Ellis Maples, 1959 – $70
6. Capital City (Tallahassee, Fla.) – A.W. Tillinghast, 1935 – $75
7.Charleston Muni (Charleston, S.C.) – J.M. Whitsett, 1929 – $60
8. Cheraw State Park (Cheraw, S.C.) – Tom Jackson, 1992 – $45
9. Fort Myers CC (Fort Myers, Fla.) – Donald Ross, 1917 – $30
10. Highland Park (Birmingham, Ala.) – Bob Cupp, 1998 – $99
11. Jax Beach (Jacksonville Beach, Fla.) – Sam Snead, 1959 – $67
12. The Links at Audubon (Memphis, Tenn.) – Bill Bergin, 2024 – $45
13. Lonnie Poole (Raleigh, N.C.) – Arnold Palmer, 2008 – $75
14. Mirimichi (Millington, Tenn.) – William F. Mitchell, 1965 – $63
15. Mooresville (Mooresville, N.C.) – Donald Ross, 1948 – $55
16. Oak Hollow (High Point, N.C.) – Pete Dye, 1972 – $45
17. Palatka (Palatka, Fla.) – Donald Ross, 1925 – $34
18. Pines Crossing (Auburn, Ala.) – Bill Bergin, 2023 – $35
19. RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill (Senator) (Prattville, Ala.) – Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1999 – $100
20. RTJ Golf Trail at Grand National (Lakes & Links) (Opelika, Ala.) – Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1993 – $100
21. RTJ Golf Trail at Highland Oaks (Highlands & Magnolia) (Dothan, Ala.) – Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1992 – $100
22. Tanglewood Park (Clemmons, N.C.) – Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1958 – $66
23. The Fields Golf Club (LaGrange, Ga.) – Mike Young, 1989 – $48
24. Wellman (Johnsonville, S.C.) – Rees Jones, 2022 – $62
25. Wilmington Municipal (Wilmington, N.C.) – Donald Ross, 1926 – $46
HEARTLAND
1. Annbriar (Waterloo, Ill.) – Michael Hurdzan, 1991 – $77
2. Bent Tree (Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Jeffrey Brauer, 2000 – $48
3. Boiling Springs (Woodward, Okla.) – Donald Sechrest, 1971 – $42
4. Brown Deer (Milwaukee, Wis.) – George Hansen, 1929 – $81
5. Buffalo Dunes (Garden City, Kans.) – Frank Hummel, 1976 – $30
6. Brackenridge Park (San Antonio, Tex.) – A.W. Tillinghast, 1915 – $68
7. Butterfield Trail (El Paso, Tex.) – Tom Fazio and Dennis Wise, 2007 – $50
8. Cedar Crest (Dallas, Tex.) – A.W. Tillinghast, 1916 – $35
9. Champions (Columbus, Ohio) – Herbert Strong, 1922 – $61
10. Chaska Town Course (Chaska, Minn.) – Arthur Hills, 1997 – $61
11. Cypresswood (Tradition) (Spring, Tex.) – Keith Foster, 1988 – $95
12. Diamond Springs (Hamilton, Mich.) – Mike DeVries, 1999 – $60
13. Fowler’s Mill (Chesterland, Ohio) – Pete Dye, 1971 – $92
14. Harrison Hills (Attica, Ind.) – William Langford, 1924 – $55
15. Hawktree (Bismarck, N.D.) – James Engh, 2000 – $95
16. Kankakee Elks (St. Anne, Ill.) – William B. Langford, 1926 – $41
17. Keller (Maplewood, Minn.) – Paul Coates, 1929 – $53
18. Kearney Hill (Lexington, Ky.) – Pete Dye, 1989 – $38
19. Lakewood Shores (Gailes) (Oscoda, Mich.) – Kevin Aldridge, 1992 – $65
20. Links of North Dakota (Ray, N.D.) – Stephen Kay, 1995 – $75
21. Manakiki (Willoughby Hills, Ohio) – Donald Ross, 1944 – $47
22. Park Mammoth (Park City, Ky.) – Brian Ross and Colton Craig, 2022 – $50
23. Pilgrim’s Run (Pierson, Mich.) – David Wisen et al., 1998 – $65
24. Purgatory Golf Club (Noblesville, Ind.) – Ron Kern, 1997 – $85
25. Sand Creek Station (Newton, Kans.) – Jeff Brauer, 2006 – $50
26. Sleepy Hollow (Brecksville, Ohio) – Stanley Thompson, 1924 – $47
27. Swope Memorial (Kansas City, Mo.) – A.W. Tillinghast, 1934 – $42
28. Mines Golf Club (Walker, Mich.) – Mike DeVries, 2005 – $69
29. Valley of the Eagles (Elyria, Ohio) – Nicklaus Design, 2018 – $70
30. Winnetka (Winnetka, Ill.) – William Langford, 1917 – $92
31. Wild Horse (Gothenburg, Neb.) – Dave Axland and Dan Proctor, 1998 – $65
WEST
1. Bayonet (Seaside, Calif.) – Robert Trent Jones Jr., 2007 – $80
2. Buenaventura (Ventura, Calif.) – William F. Bell, 1932 – $36
3. Corica Park (South Course) (Alameda, Calif.) – Rees Jones, 2018 – $86
4. La Purisima (Lompoc, Calif.) – Robert Muir Graves and Robert L. Barber, 1986 – $77
5. Pacific Grove (Pacific Grove, Calif.) – H. Chandler Egan, 1932 – $82
6. Portland (Eastmoreland) (Portland, Ore.) – Chandler Egan, 1918 – $52
7. Soule Park (Ojai, Calif.) – William F. Bell, 1962 – $52
8. Torrey Pines (North) (La Jolla, Calif.) – William F. Bell, 1957 – $66 (resident rate)
9. Wickenburg Ranch (Wickenburg, Ariz.) – Bill Brownlee and Wendell Pickett, 2015 – $89
It is our hope this list will not only help golfers discover new courses to experience, but also provide motivation for facilities to remain affordable and accessible. We believe the more public golf there is, the healthier the game will be. Updates to this compilation are forthcoming, so be sure to send any other recommendations our way. Most of all, get out there and enjoy some exceptional yet inexpensive golf across America!
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