Seasoned golfers know that the average peak season round of golf can get pricey with rates starting at $225 and going upwards of $500. Budget-savvy golfers can save money and still enjoy playing some of the country’s best golf courses, especially if you time your travel in the off-season when rates go down and it’s easy to find affordable hotels nearby. Whether you’re headed north, south, east or west, we’ve put together a list of the best golf trips on a budget where you can enjoy a round on the green for less.
Golf on a Budget in the North
Finding places that offer affordable golf in the winter is easier in the north, where green fees are much lower in the off-season.
Eagle Springs Golf Resort - Eagle, Wisconsin
If you find yourself asking, “Are golf courses open in the winter?”, you’ll be happy to know Eagle Springs in Eagle, Wisconsin offers affordable tee times throughout the year, even in the winter months. The oldest family-owned golf course in the state boasts five generations with the same lineage, having been originally opened in 1893 as a vacation destination. Today, the historic golf course invites guests to visit their clubhouse, which was once a hotel laundry building, together with a beautiful and challenging nine-hole course.
Arbor Pointe Golf Club - Inver Grove Heights, Minneapolis
Golfers of all skill levels will enjoy playing at Arbor Pointe Golf Club. Located 10 minutes from the Mall of America, the executive course is a challenging nine holes with a par 31. You’ll find great golf deals here, including the option to complete the course twice for a full 18 holes at a discounted rate. Just be sure to reserve your tee time seven days in advance. Plus, if you happen to be traveling with your family over the weekend and can visit the golf club after 3 p.m., one junior golfer age 17 years or younger can golf for free with one paid adult golfer.
Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course - Chicago, Illinois
If you choose to book a hotel in Chicago for your next golf getaway, you’ll find a round at the Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course one of the best golf trips on a budget. Not only is the course challenging, it also runs along Lake Michigan, providing you with great views of the water and the Chicago skyline. Ever heard of a GolfBoard? If not, you’ll see them coasting all over this Chicago golf course. The glorified skateboard/surfboard/snowboard/golf cart has platform on four wheels where you stand during your ride, a spot to carry your golf bag, and even a cupholder for your beverage of choice. This experience can be reserved for a small fee in addition to the already affordable cart and green fees.
Affordable Golf Vacations in the South
Budget-friendly golf courses help you feel right at home with Southern hospitality.
The Valley at Eastport - Little River, South Carolina
Southern charm has made its way into golf at the Valley at Eastport. Designed by Denis Griffiths and founded in 1988, the course is located along the Intercoastal Waterway, just 35 minutes up the coast from most hotels available in Myrtle Beach. Green fees are discounted in the fall with twilight rates being the cheapest. Guests are also invited to visit the pro shop where golf merchandise is available for purchase. There are also practice facilities for chipping and putting available to warm up before you start off on the course. Bogies at the Valley offers a fully stocked bar, where you can unwind after your round.
Crandon Golf on Key Biscayne - Miami, Florida
If you find being in the sweltering heat relaxing and you want to golf on a budget, make your way to Florida in the off-season. From the beginning of June through the end of September, green fees at Crandon Golf on Key Biscayne drop by more than $100 from their peak season winter rates. In the twilight hours starting at 3 p.m., fees drop even lower, making this championship green one of the hottest golf deals in Florida. Highly rated by Golf Week and Golf Digest, the island paradise is only 10 minutes from the beach, making it easy to reach the green when you book your stay in Miami.
Memorial Park Golf Course - Houston, Texas
For a bit of Texas history, visit Memorial Park Golf Course for a round or two. Built in 1912 for convalescent soldiers as a private nine-hole course near Camp Logan Hospital, the property opened to the public in 1923 and has since hosted many famous golfers including Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. When you play this course, you’ll find all 18 holes are not only well cared for, they are also championship worthy as the former site of the Houston Open.
Budget-Friendly Golf in the West
Many inexpensive golf courses in the west offer players stunning sunsets and beautiful views.
Grand Canyon University Golf Course - Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona is known as the home of countless award-winning championship golf courses with green fees skyrocketing in the peak season. However, if you are looking for golf deals no matter what time of year, Grand Canyon University Golf Course offers affordable rates with the option to walk the 7,200-yard course to save even more money (and get in a little more exercise). In addition, there are putting and chipping greens, a 10,000-square-foot clubhouse and a driving range where you can work on improving your swing.
Agate Beach Golf Club - Newport, Oregon
Typically, golf courses are much like a green oasis of rolling hills. Since it first opened for play in 1931, Agate Beach Golf Club has taken golf paradise to a whole new level. Towering fir and hemlock trees surround the nine-hole course that both satisfies and challenges. Families and friends come back time and again to book accommodations in the Newport, Oregon and enjoy the course, most especially because the green fees are incredibly low throughout the year. The most beautiful and memorable portion of the course is hole eight, which serves as a memorial to Bill Martin who purchased the course in 1960 with his family.
Sky Mountain Golf Course - Hurricane, Utah
Visitors who book a hotel in Hurricane, Utah near Sky Mountain will find they can save even more money on an affordable golf vacation when they visit Sky Mountain Golf Course, a public facility owned and operated by the City of Hurricane. As if the green fees weren’t already low enough, Washington County residents with a valid Utah I.D. get an additional 20% off the already budget-friendly green fee. In addition to low rates, the 72-par property is surrounded by Zion National Park and Pine Valley Mountain Range, giving golfers splendid views from all vantage points along the course.
Inexpensive Golf Getaways in the East
Look out for east coast golf deals that make it possible to play a round of 18 holes on a golf course that is rich with history, yet low on green fees.
Atlantic City Country Club - Northfield, New Jersey
Want to know where the golf term “Birdie” was invented? Just ask the caddies and friendly staff at the Atlantic City Country Club in Northfield, New Jersey, and they’ll be happy to tell you that you’re playing at the course where it was born. If you’re there to golf on a budget, the best time to go is December through March when green fees are reduced by more than half of the summertime rate. Simply dress warmly with sturdy golf gloves, and you’ll be able to get an enjoyable round of 18 at the highest rated golf course in the state according to Golf Week, Golf Magazine and Golf Digest.
Cape Arundel Golf Club - Kennebunkport, Maine
One of the first golf courses founded in the country just so happens to be one of the best golf trips on a budget. Founded in 1896, Cape Arundel Golf Course in Kennebunkport, Maine was only one of 74 courses in the United States at the time it first opened. The extremely affordable historic course has two claims to fame; the first being that four U.S. Presidents have played there: Richard Nixon, George Bush, Sr., Bill Clinton and George Bush, Jr. The second is that the course was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
Country View Golf Club - Harrisville, Rhode Island
It’s easy to golf on a budget when you make your way to Northern Rhode Island and stop in at the Country View Golf Club. The 18-hole, par 70, public course is only a 10-minute drive when you book your hotel stay in Providence, as well as conveniently located just over the Massachusetts state line, making it easy to include some sight-seeing with your golf getaway. The property also offers a Pro Shop with souvenirs and golf equipment to make your game the best it can be, as well as a clubhouse with views, good food and crafted drinks.