The Best Value Golf Courses in America

Lesley Kruger February 13, 2023

1 minute read

Time-consuming, challenging, expensive. These three critiques are etched in the tome of golf literature that should-but-won’t steer us towards a more practical hobby, like birdwatching or that pickleball league our spouse has begged us to join. A round on the links will always be both difficult and swallow up a good chunk of our day—that we can’t avoid. Pricey, though? Yes, golf can be costly, but it doesn’t have to be. This guide to the best value golf courses in America will show you how to keep your costs down. This is a player-tested, expert-curated guide to twelve of the greatest budget-friendly rounds in the country.

What’s a Value Golf Course?

While higher-priced courses do tend to produce superior layouts, that’s far from a truism (overpriced resort courses are a dime a dozen in the golf industry). On the flip side, an affordable golf course to one player’s wallet won’t necessarily align with another player’s view of a decent round. A $20 round might be economical in theory, but if its fairways are saturated with Grand Canyon-sized divots, its greens indented worse than a hail-damaged windshield, and there’s a 10-minute wait behind a fivesome on every tee box, that’s merely an inexpensive play, not a “value” play.

How We Chose These Courses—and How to Get Even Lower Rates

This guide highlights good-to-great eighteen-hole golf courses (short courses and nine-holers didn’t make the cut) at a better-than-normal price. The green fees listed below include a cart, and the figures represent the most you will pay during peak season (excluding local taxes). That means you could score even lower rates during shoulder seasons, or take advantage of lower resident/in-state, senior, weekday, twilight, walking-only, and special rates for even better deals than the prices listed below.

For instance, Rustic Canyon near Los Angeles is a Top 100 public-access course in America that tops out at $90 in peak season. If you’re a walker, the green fee drops to $74—a serious bargain. Wild Horse Golf Club in Nebraska, a very walker-friendly track, will run you just $71 à pied (versus $93 for a round with a cart).

You’ll be more than happy to book a round at any of the affordable golf courses on this list. From California to Massachusetts, all are worth the price of admission; none will break the bank. Pony up and swing away.