Affordable public access Heaven: where is it?

[John Moore II]

Jason-Yeah, Thanksgiving Point is more than $50, I think it was in the range of $65 last summer when I played there with Kalen.

I do think Utah has some real good public options, at least from what I've seen, that being said, I think overall, Pinehurst is probably better as a whole just because the courses are much closer together; and like I said, played in the off season, its affordable.

But where is very affordable during high peak season, without being municipal?

[Tony_Chapman]

I wouldn't have a clue.

Hilarious that nobody has commented on this yet. I'll leave it at that.

[Kyle Henderson]

Kelly nailed this one.  It's the UK, by a country mile.  All but a handful of courses in the entire country are public access and you can play some truly excellent courses for very reasonable prices.

Assuming the weather in the U.K. is to your liking...

[Gary_Mahanay]

I wouldn't have a clue.

Hilarious that nobody has commented on this yet. I'll leave it at that.

Well Tony, I don't want to wip a dead horse, maybe a wildhorse, but not a dead horse.

[Ronald Montesano]

Roland,

Little RTJ, much RR (Roger Rulewich) in the Alabama Trail.

[Roland Waguespack]

Ronald,
Thanks for the insight.  I took the liberty of looking at this even more.  Some others may enjoy this nice article about Rulewich and the RTJ trail:
http://www.travelgolf.com/departments/editorials/trent-jones-trail.htm

[Mark Pritchett]

Another vote for Indiana!

[Jim_Kennedy]

What I've enjoyed the most about this topic is the fact that it shows there is no shortage of affordable golf in most parts of the U.S.,  you just have to take the time to look.

Cliff,
These are courses in Ct. that I would not hesitate to say are worth the $35.00 or less they charge for a round. It's been a long day so I won't get into all the ones in W. Mass that fit this same bill.

Woodhaven- Bethany
Wintonbury- Bloomfield- moolight/anyone 2pm/resident
East Mountain- Waterbury
Fenwick - Old Saybrook
Hotchkiss - Lakeville
Hop Brook - Naugatuck
Lyman(Jones)- Middlefield
Manchester CC(Seniors)- Manchester
Norwich GC- Norwich
Farmingbury- Wolcott
Hunter- Meriden
Rockledge- W.Hartford
Southington CC- Southington
DFWheeler(Black) - Fairfield

..and Woodbridge is now public, although I don't know their prices.

 

[Carl Nichols]

Argentina, if you have an Argentine national handicap card, and especially if you are really spending dollars, pounds, or euros.  Almost all of the "private" courses are open to the public at least one day a week, and a typical unaccompanied visitor fee is 80 pesos -- or just a little more than $20.  While I think some of the courses in Argentina are overrated by Golf Digest in its top 100 Outside the U.S., they are still very very good when compared with public courses in the U.S.

[Cliff Hamm]

Jim....thanks for the list altho I don't get out to central, western Ct. often.  How is Norwich?  I should add that Golfing Magazine is the best deal going.  $39 and free golf (pay for cart - mandatory) at numerous quality courses (playing Crumpin Fox Thursday).  That's what I call affordable.

[Kalen Braley]

Kalen,

What is there in SLC?  I'm not familiar with it at all, so whatever you can tell me would be a help.

Until Kalen pops in, I'll give you South Mountain, Valley View, WingPointe, and Soldier Hollow (see Kalen's recent photo thread) as 4 options under $50 - roughly in that order of appeal.

Don't know about Thanksgiving Point.  They have one those maddening websites which seems to have hidden away the rates, so I assume it is more than $50.  Matt is on this thread - he probably knows.

Jason,

Here is how I rank the munis I would call interesting, (that is they are all at least good and/or fun to play), and are all in Northern Utah (within 45 miles of Salt Lake City):

.5)  Thanksgiving Point **
1)  South Mountain - Under 50
2)  Hobble Creek - Under 30
3)  Soldier Hollow Gold - Under 40
4)  Bonneville - Under 30
5)  WingPointe - Under 30
6)  Links Sleepy Ridge - Under 30
7)  TalonsCove - Under 30
  ValleyView - Under 30
9)  Mountain Dell - Lakes - Under 40
10)  Riverbend - Under 30
11)  West Ridge - Under 30
12)  Bountiful Ridge - Under 30
13)  Wascatch Park - Mountain Course - Under 40 
14)  Old Mill Golf - Under 40
15)  StoneBridge - Under 40

** TP is very inexpensive to play ($30) in the off-season if you don't mind the cold weather.  You can also play it for Less than $40 on a Sunday evening twilight in normal peak season.

[Ray Richard]

Cape Cod

Captains In Brewster, Cranberry Valley in Harwich, Dennis Pines and Dennis Highlands in Dennis are good courses at a reasonable price. Dozens more scatter the countryside.
Smart ones buy a house in these towns and pay around 400-500.00 a year for preferred tee times and unlimited play.

[Tim Pitner]

The Denver metro area would have to be near the top of the list and it just got better with the addition of CommonGround.  The prevailing temperatures allow for play well into the late fall and even winter when the links-like characteristics of the faux links courses emerge. 

[Scott Sander]

The Denver metro area would have to be near the top of the list and it just got better with the addition of CommonGround.  The prevailing temperatures allow for play well into the late fall and even winter when the links-like characteristics of the faux links courses emerge. 

As one who lived in both Denver and another nominated area (Indianapolis), I must concur with Mr. Pitner.

Another huge upside to Denver and nearby towns is the WIDE architectural variety of the affordable courses.  From still-semi-recognizeable parkland Ross (Wellshire) to stunning landforms (Arrowhead) to absurd moutain quirk (Evergreen) to acid-trippy Engh archaeology (Fossil Trace) to proto-prairie (Saddlerock/Buffalo Run/et al) to tremendous width (Murphy Creek) to an early Doak classroom (Riverdale Dunes) to a late-model Doak family sedan (CommonGround) to Mario Brothers terrain (Marianna Butte) to... well, it's a masters class of styles on a community college budget.  So it gets my vote.

[Steve Lang]

  Gotta be Houston.. N, NW, W, SW, S, SE, E, NE and in the center.. year round.. and if you want more hills just go a little farther out to NE, N, NW and W.. 

[Ronald Montesano]

Roland,

My pleasure...after all, we have the same first name, just different letter ordering.

Ron M.