Best "cheap" golf courses

[Bucki1968]

I'm getting ready to play go north and play World Woods (Pine Barrens) today and got to thinking about the amount of $ it costs as opposed to the "cheap" courses that I play more on a daily (weekly) basis. You can play some really nice courses in this area for about half what it costs to play the "resort" ones. World Woods is ranked in the top 100 in the USA but there are some great courses around it that are a lot less money might be just as good (Hernando Oaks, The Dunes, Brooksville Country Club, etc). Just wondering what where everyone else goes to play the "Cheap" courses? I'll go play a nice course every once in a while but I can't personally afford it on a weekly basis. What about you guys/gals?

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Bucki1968

I'm getting ready to play go north and play World Woods (Pine Barrens) today and got to thinking about the amount of $ it costs as opposed to the "cheap" courses that I play more on a daily (weekly) basis. You can play some really nice courses in this area for about half what it costs to play the "resort" ones. World Woods is ranked in the top 100 in the USA but there are some great courses around it that are a lot less money might be just as good (Hernando Oaks, The Dunes, Brooksville Country Club, etc). Just wondering what where everyone else goes to play the "Cheap" courses? I'll go play a nice course every once in a while but I can't personally afford it on a weekly basis. What about you guys/gals?

I guess it depends on your definition of "cheap".  That varies with a player's income and with what the going rate is in their area.  I've read posts here that say a typical round on their home course is $20 for 18 holes walking.  I haven't seen golf that low in nearly 20 years.  I sought out a job as a starter on my home course so I could afford to play as much as I wanted when I retired.  $7.55 per hour and typical summer work load was 20 hours a week.  That's $75 per week - but as an employee I still paid $20 for 18 with cart.  After taxes, it was about a wash between the cost of golf and my income from working there.  Regular green fee was $37 to walk and $14 for a cart for 18 holes.  There were a few courses in Denver which were cheaper, but not much, and certainly no better.  The upscale public courses in the area ranged from $60 to over $100.

My best solution for "cheap" golf away from my home course was the Colorado Avid Golfer passport, which gives deals on courses all over the state.  Some deals are good enough that the passport more than pays for itself in 2 rounds (Pole Creek is regular $93 - with passport $45, good for 3 rounds total, any day of the week).

[meenman]

Originally Posted by Bucki1968

World Woods is ranked in the top 100 in the USA but there are some great courses around it that are a lot less money might be just as good (Hernando Oaks, The Dunes, Brooksville Country Club, etc).

I wouldnt qualify hernando oaks as *great*, hell i wouldnt even call it *good* - that eyesore of the unfinished clubhouse says all you need to know about that course. Brooksville Country Club is nice - but without the quarry holes it would be a very non-descript course.

I rarely pay more than the $20 cart fee at my club since the reciprocal courses I play at and the guest fees at my friends private clubs are pretty much also in the low $20s. Most of the public courses that charge $20/round are barely worth that.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

I sought out a job as a starter on my home course so I could afford to play as much as I wanted when I retired.  $7.55 per hour and typical summer work load was 20 hours a week.  That's $75 per week - but as an employee I still paid $20 for 18 with cart.  After taxes, it was about a wash between the cost of golf and my income from working there.  Regular green fee was $37 to walk and $14 for a cart for 18 holes.  There were a few courses in Denver which were cheaper, but not much, and certainly no better.  The upscale public courses in the area ranged from $60 to over $100.

Not sure where my head was, but the math doesn't add up in this post.   20 times $7.55 =  $151 per week.  Sheesh...

[mailman]

I wonder down to Brampton Park here in Cambridgeshire (UK) and play twilight golf there. In the depth of winter twilight golf starts at 1pm (three hours before sundown) and during summer it starts at 530pm, which aint bad when it doesnt get unplayable until 9pm!

If Im by myself I can get through an easy 13 holes (which is supposed to be the limit) and it costs between a tenner and £12.50 (depending on who is in the pro shop at the time) AND the 6th visit is free :) Normal fees are £28 during the week for 18 and £40 for weekend play.

Paying only a tenner for a course like Brampton Park is awesome! It is easily one of the best little courses Ive played here in the UK.

Regards

Mailman

[Bucki1968]

Originally Posted by meenman

I wouldnt qualify hernando oaks as *great*, hell i wouldnt even call it *good* - that eyesore of the unfinished clubhouse says all you need to know about that course. Brooksville Country Club is nice - but without the quarry holes it would be a very non-descript course.

I rarely pay more than the $20 cart fee at my club since the reciprocal courses I play at and the guest fees at my friends private clubs are pretty much also in the low $20s. Most of the public courses that charge $20/round are barely worth that.

Well....I don't really consider the clubhouse when I"m playing a golf course. I think the layout is great and the course conditions (at Hernando Oaks) is pretty good. And the last time I checked, Brooksville CC DOES have quarry holes so I guess I would have to include them in my course evaluation. I suppose If I have to take the clubhouse into the evaluation then I would have to say that World Woods really sucks because of the portables that they use for the clubhouse. Someone should notify Golf Digest. But I digress..back to the original post (good golf courses that are cheaper).

[meenman]

Originally Posted by Bucki1968

Well....I don't really consider the clubhouse when I"m playing a golf course. I think the layout is great and the course conditions (at Hernando Oaks) is pretty good. And the last time I checked, Brooksville CC DOES have quarry holes so I guess I would have to include them in my course evaluation. I suppose If I have to take the clubhouse into the evaluation then I would have to say that World Woods really sucks because of the portables that they use for the clubhouse. Someone should notify Golf Digest. But I digress..back to the original post (good golf courses that are cheaper).

Well everyone's definition of *cheap* and *good* greatly vary. One thing I have noticed is that people will confuse *good* with *cheap* to justify their expenses. People will try to convince me that the munis in Tampa are good courses - they aren't, but they are *cheap.* I wouldnt qualify Brooksville CC as cheap (definitely a fun course) or Hernando Oaks as good or cheap.

Some people think Diamond Hills is a nice course - it's usually the jeans-wearing ilk that were kicked out of every other local course that morning.

[Chunky]

I play a public course in the San Francisco Bay area that is the cheapest in the area. It's a budget issue. The course sucks and many of it's issues aren't money. Last year the course was over watered all summer and any high or even low shot made a crater and stopped in most of the greens. This led to a green that developed some fungus issues and has been closed all winter. Basically the course superintendent sucks, I think he should go to some seminars on course maintenance. Then you have amateur pin placements, the greens here a small and very uneven. They like to put the pins on the edge of the slopes and high spots. Evidently they don't believe in a predictable short putt. On top of that the greens vary in speed from mowing , wind, uneven watering and different grasses. Hackers love this course but aren't good enough to realize that much of their bad putting is brought on by the conditions of the greens and stupid pin placements.

[k-troop]

On Oahu, the course at Marine Corps Base-Hawaii (Klipper) is a fantastic deal.  I'd rate it as the 6th or 7th best course on the island, but it's only $25 to walk.  All of the other courses I'd put in the top 5 are over $150.  Klipper has more ocean holes than any course on Oahu except maybe Waialae CC.

[clearwaterms]

Originally Posted by k-troop

On Oahu, the course at Marine Corps Base-Hawaii (Klipper) is a fantastic deal.  I'd rate it as the 6th or 7th best course on the island, but it's only $25 to walk.  All of the other courses I'd put in the top 5 are over $150.  Klipper has more ocean holes than any course on Oahu except maybe Waialae CC.

Can anybody play this course?  I am heading to Oahu at the end of summer and planning on playing golf.

[k-troop]

As long as you can get on the base.  Do you know anyone with military affiliation?  Otherwise you can just go to the gate and try to get a temp pass.

[clearwaterms]

Originally Posted by k-troop

As long as you can get on the base.  Do you know anyone with military affiliation?  Otherwise you can just go to the gate and try to get a temp pass.

I have friends that are currently active military, but I don't know that they are anybody with clout.  I will have to investigate what it takes to get on the base.  I don't know anybody stationed there currently.

But thank you for the tips, I will investigate, we are going with a group of friends, and the chief reason is a marriage of somebody who is stationed in Hawaii in the wedding.

[David in FL]

On Oahu, the course at Marine Corps Base-Hawaii (Klipper) is a fantastic deal.  I'd rate it as the 6th or 7th best course on the island, but it's only $25 to walk.  All of the other courses I'd put in the top 5 are over $150.  Klipper has more ocean holes than any course on Oahu except maybe Waialae CC.

Used to play it for $15, back in the day. Agree, great course, regardless of price!

[tefunk]

I would say the best "cheap" course I've ever played is Durand Eastman Golf Course in my hometown of Rochester, NY.  It's a beautiful course on Lake Ontario (the land owned by the county and leased by a golf company, so the rates are fixed).  It's $17-18 dollars to walk 18 (you have to have some legs to walk it though, a lot of elevation changes).  It used to be a Top 50 public course back in the day (and Walter Hagen's old stomping grounds, along with CCR).  It's a shorter course, but you have to play the right shots to score.  The only bad thing is the course isn't in the best shape it's ever been due to a very wet Spring a few years back, and they let carts out a little too early.  Before I moved, it was starting to come back into solid shape.

There is a club/league associated with the course, but their website is currently down.  I've sharing in case it's working at some point.  Some really nice pictures of the course on there.

www. durandeastmangolfclub .org/

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by tefunk

I would say the best "cheap" course I've ever played is Durand Eastman Golf Course in my hometown of Rochester, NY.  It's a beautiful course on Lake Ontario (the land owned by the county and leased by a golf company, so the rates are fixed).  It's $17-18 dollars to walk 18 (you have to have some legs to walk it though, a lot of elevation changes).  It used to be a Top 50 public course back in the day (and Walter Hagen's old stomping grounds, along with CCR).  It's a shorter course, but you have to play the right shots to score.  The only bad thing is the course isn't in the best shape it's ever been due to a very wet Spring a few years back, and they let carts out a little too early.  Before I moved, it was starting to come back into solid shape.

There is a club/league associated with the course, but their website is currently down.  I've sharing in case it's working at some point.  Some really nice pictures of the course on there.

www.durandeastmangolfclub.org/

I just clicked on it and the sit was up.  That must be one tricky course.  Not often you see a course of 6029 yards rated 70.7 with  121 slope.  The old rule of thumb was to divide the yardage by 200 and add 38.25 but their course rating is considerable higher than that.  I also liked the way they posted the scorecards from various eras to show how the course had changed.

[tefunk]

Tricky would be the way to describe it.  There are of course a few holes you can really go for it on, but for the most part you have to play it smart, or just be that good.

Unfortunately, it looks like something may be wrong with my pc, because I still can't open the site.

Not sure if any of you will be in Rochester, NY for the 2013 PGA Championship (I will def. be home for that one) and looking to get in a round or two as well, but if you are, feel free to send me a PM and I'll be happy to provide you with some good suggestions while you're in town.

[preisman]

Best cheap course in San Antonio would be Canyon Springs. I played last weekend for $45.

[RayG]

If you finish your WW round early and head down to Magnolia Valley in New Port Richey- it's $10.50 at 2:45 with cart. The only reason I play there is that I can walk from Dad's place- other than that there isn't much to say about it. a couple of decent holes but conditions aren't always at their best. I will sometimes play in October around 11am on weekday and pay no more than $20.