Best courses based on value?

[zachary_car]

Every list on GCA inevitably contains American and some courses from the British Isles. I rarely see courses noted outside that group and perhaps these Canadian courses aren't up to the snuff of those listed here. But I figured I'd give a quick list a few of my favourites under $85 CAD (that's like $55 for those who are south of the border, cheaper if you are from the UK even).




Waterton Lakes (Thomson/Thompson - Alberta) - $67


Waskesiu (Thompson - Saskatchewan) - $83
Cooke Municipal (Cooke - Saskatchewan) - $66


Tarandowah (Hawtree - Ontario) - $80
Lakeview (Strong - Ontario) - $82


Grand Mere (Travis/Allison - Quebec) - $76


Just over $100 I would throw a vote behind Kawartha Golf Club (Thompson - Ontario) - $115 peak rate as an unaccompanied guest.

Alex-As the soon to be 51st state there will be more eyes on Canada’s lineup shortly.

Oddly, I was just thinking about how many of our courses would make the US top 100 if this ever happens. I suspect the "big 8"  - Thompson's 5, Toronto, and the two Cabots - would make the cut, but I'm not sure a ninth would sneak in, unless Hamilton reverses the damages inflicted from the recent butchering via Mackenzie and Ebert

[Simon Barrington]

Bethpage Black for $75 in state is incredible value. Even at $150 OOS it's pretty good for a major championship venue.

I think the value would be the Red. That's a really good course. What are they charging residents? $50?

Last Summer I was fortunate to play two great value municipal courses on either side of pond in the same week; Bethpage Red (straight off the plane into JFK, jumped onto the LIRR from the Airport transit and out) and then post my flight home similarly at Queens Park (Bournemouth).
Both were incredible value with great routings and architecture.

[Mark Pearce]

What does George Wright cost now?  I'd have thought it was a shoe in for this conversation.


My two memorable great values that side of the Atlantic (albeit both played a decade or more ago) were GW and Lawsonia Links

[Tim Martin]

What does George Wright cost now?  I'd have thought it was a shoe in for this conversation.


My two memorable great values that side of the Atlantic (albeit both played a decade or more ago) were GW and Lawsonia Links

Mark-The highest rate at GW which is for a non-resident on the weekend is $62. Two other Donald Ross city owned courses are Shennecossett in Groton, Connecticut at $55 for the top rate and Triggs Memorial in Providence, RI at $55. There are a bunch of different categories which drop the rate depending on your status.

[Stewart Abramson]

What does George Wright cost now?  I'd have thought it was a shoe in for this conversation.


My two memorable great values that side of the Atlantic (albeit both played a decade or more ago) were GW and Lawsonia Links

Lawsonia Links is now $99 weekdays and $140 weekends

[Thomas Dai]

A course that appears to be good value price vrs quality wise needs to be one that doesn’t need time consuming and costly travelling to regularly reach.
Atb

[Charlie Goerges]

A course that appears to be good value price vrs quality wise needs to be one that doesn’t need time consuming and costly travelling to regularly reach.
Atb

Every course requires time consuming and costly travel for someone. Rustic Canyon would time consuming and costly for me to play, but I'll bet it should still be considered a good value.

[Thomas Dai]

A course that appears to be good value price vrs quality wise needs to be one that doesn’t need time consuming and costly travelling to regularly reach.
Atb

Every course requires time consuming and costly travel for someone. Rustic Canyon would time consuming and costly for me to play, but I'll bet it should still be considered a good value.

Nope. Disagree.
Many a low cost but much admired course/club located in rural areas is predominantly played by locals, folks who live nearby. The essence of community golf. Ease of travel may have mitigated circumstances in some places but not everywhere.
Each to their own though.
Atb

[Matt Schoolfield]

Nope. Disagree.
Many a low cost but much admired course/club located in rural areas is predominantly played by locals, folks who live nearby. The essence of community golf. Ease of travel may have mitigated circumstances in some places but not everywhere.

Respectfully, what?!? Everyone lives on the opposite side of there earth from somewhere. The south island of NZ will never be affordably close to the highlands of Scotland, but we should still be able to talk about the value of courses in each region.

[Thomas Dai]

Value imo relates significantly to frequency as well as quality. If someone is not playing a course/club frequently, which means they need to live relatively close, then is there value in being an annual subscription paying member?
Can’t recall who but someone posting herein referred to a 30 minute circle around a club. Living within that circle means you’re likely to visit the club relatively frequently, ie more than once or twice per week. Hence your annual subs are good value. Live further away and the frequency of visits and thus value declines.
I suggest there’s probably a different perspective in relation to pay-n-play courses and longer travel excursions to special or unique courses which are essentially more of an experience than value related.
Each to their own though.
Atb

[Joe_Tucholski]

I appreciate this topic as I'm always on the lookout for a good value course.  This is the sort of thread I search for when traveling.


That being said it's weird to say value needs to be defined as the highest price a course charges.  Someone like myself searching for value is going to look for the time that provides the best price while still delivering good golf (twilight, shoulder season...).  Lots of courses are going dynamic prices which to me also makes sense.


Last, for me, value usually has to do with a comparison to alternatives.  A course in London at 100 pounds might be good value while it won't be in a rural place. 


All that said here's some courses I've found to provide good value (I'm listing the value price - ie low price for general public). 


Rustic Canyon - $39 weekday twilight (No idea how that is still possible)
Wild Horse - $65 weekday (For me personally I think this is probably the best value at $32.50 for military)
Four Mile Ranch - Website says $50 weekday with cart.  I paid $42 to walk on weekends for the last couple years.
Common Ground - $59 at twilight.
Pacific Grove - $45 at twilight on a weekday (makes the list based on alternatives)
Kaneohe Klipper - $30 for a civilian at twilight (again for Hawaii and ocean views it's tough to beat)
Pretty much any course in the UK/Ireland on the coast that's under 50 pounds.  I've got a trip to Wales planned where I'll play North Wales, Conwy, Abersoch, Nefyn, Pwllheili, Porthmadog and Tenby.  The most expensive round of that group is 55 pounds.

[Michael Felton]

Value imo relates significantly to frequency as well as quality. If someone is not playing a course/club frequently, which means they need to live relatively close, then is there value in being an annual subscription paying member?
Can’t recall who but someone posting herein referred to a 30 minute circle around a club. Living within that circle means you’re likely to visit the club relatively frequently, ie more than once or twice per week. Hence your annual subs are good value. Live further away and the frequency of visits and thus value declines.
I suggest there’s probably a different perspective in relation to pay-n-play courses and longer travel excursions to special or unique courses which are essentially more of an experience than value related.
Each to their own though.
Atb

The best measure of proximity I have heard was if you got to the course and opened your boot/trunk and realized you left your golf shoes at home, how would you feel about going home and getting them? If it's an "oh bother, ok" then you live close enough. If it's (oh god I don't think I'm up to this", then you don't. Having lived 5 minutes from my club and 15 minutes from my club, if you go a lot that difference adds up.

[Sean_A]

I appreciate this topic as I'm always on the lookout for a good value course.  This is the sort of thread I search for when traveling.


That being said it's weird to say value needs to be defined as the highest price a course charges.  Someone like myself searching for value is going to look for the time that provides the best price while still delivering good golf (twilight, shoulder season...).  Lots of courses are going dynamic prices which to me also makes sense.


Last, for me, value usually has to do with a comparison to alternatives.  A course in London at 100 pounds might be good value while it won't be in a rural place. 


All that said here's some courses I've found to provide good value (I'm listing the value price - ie low price for general public). 


Rustic Canyon - $39 weekday twilight (No idea how that is still possible)
Wild Horse - $65 weekday (For me personally I think this is probably the best value at $32.50 for military)
Four Mile Ranch - Website says $50 weekday with cart.  I paid $42 to walk on weekends for the last couple years.
Common Ground - $59 at twilight.
Pacific Grove - $45 at twilight on a weekday (makes the list based on alternatives)
Kaneohe Klipper - $30 for a civilian at twilight (again for Hawaii and ocean views it's tough to beat)
Pretty much any course in the UK/Ireland on the coast that's under 50 pounds.  I've got a trip to Wales planned where I'll play North Wales, Conwy, Abersoch, Nefyn, Pwllheili, Porthmadog and Tenby.  The most expensive round of that group is 55 pounds.

I compromise with the price and use high season, prime time weekday rate. Once you get into winter rates etc it can become a bit unrealistic for the traveler. The fee can be dramatically different and then I think well, may as well use guest rate.

Ciao

[Gary Kurth]

As an attempted contribution: I enjoyed Bunker Hill more than Wild Horse. Bunker Hill is just off the highway between Denver and North Platte.

John - You mentioned Bunker Hill above, did you mean Bayside Golf Club near Ogallala, NE?


Thank you.

[John Kirk]

I looked at every page and I don't see that Soule Park in Ojai, California has been mentioned.  Soule Park has been a standard answer to this question for years.  $42 regular rate on the weekdays.  There's a lovely video of the course here:

https://www.soulepark.com/golf/history

A second endorsement for Windsor in northern California near Santa Rosa.  A nice place, or at least it was in about 1990 when I played it.

[John Kavanaugh]

As an attempted contribution: I enjoyed Bunker Hill more than Wild Horse. Bunker Hill is just off the highway between Denver and North Platte.

John - You mentioned Bunker Hill above, did you mean Bayside Golf Club near Ogallala, NE?


Thank you.

No I don’t. Bayside is a great value if you take advantage of their lodging. I believe Bunker Hill is a better course.

[John Kavanaugh]

https://alwaystimefor9.com/the-course-at-pettys-park-brush-co/


A nice opinion piece on Bunker Hill.

[Gary Kurth]

https://alwaystimefor9.com/the-course-at-pettys-park-brush-co/


A nice opinion piece on Bunker Hill.

Thank you!

[Alex_Hunter]

Value imo relates significantly to frequency as well as quality. If someone is not playing a course/club frequently, which means they need to live relatively close, then is there value in being an annual subscription paying member?
Can’t recall who but someone posting herein referred to a 30 minute circle around a club. Living within that circle means you’re likely to visit the club relatively frequently, ie more than once or twice per week. Hence your annual subs are good value. Live further away and the frequency of visits and thus value declines.
I suggest there’s probably a different perspective in relation to pay-n-play courses and longer travel excursions to special or unique courses which are essentially more of an experience than value related.
Each to their own though.
Atb

If value is solely related to where you live and frequency of play we could never have a genuine discussion about value golf courses..




Another factor of value proposition is how it relates to your wealth or lack there of. But I think we can all agree that the concept of "value" golf courses are ones which likely charge $100 or less and have interesting character and architecture. I think frequency of play is less of a factor for GCA enthusiasts as I'd hazard we like variety and seeing new places

[Mike Worth]

Rustic Canyon - $39 weekday twilight (No idea how that is still possible)
Wild Horse - $65 weekday (For me personally I think this is probably the best value at $32.50 for military)
Four Mile Ranch - Website says $50 weekday with cart.  I paid $42 to walk on weekends for the last couple years.
Common Ground - $59 at twilight.
Pacific Grove - $45 at twilight on a weekday (makes the list based on alternatives)
Kaneohe Klipper - $30 for a civilian at twilight (again for Hawaii and ocean views it's tough to beat)
Pretty much any course in the UK/Ireland on the coast that's under 50 pounds.  I've got a trip to Wales planned where I'll play North Wales, Conwy, Abersoch, Nefyn, Pwllheili, Porthmadog and Tenby.  The most expensive round of that group is 55 pounds.

Joe. I played several of those courses last year. I would substitute Bull Bay for
Pwllheili.  I also recommend Aberdovey if it’s not out of the way.

[Joe_Tucholski]

I also recommend Aberdovey if it’s not out of the way.

I know this might stray from the topic but talking best value I think Aberdovey has to be one of the best values for an overseas membership.  Not including the initiation the overseas membership costs less than a weekend summer day ticket.  Also it's convenient with a train station right there and dormy house.  Most importantly really like the course.

[Sean_A]

I also recommend Aberdovey if it’s not out of the way.

I know this might stray from the topic but talking best value I think Aberdovey has to be one of the best values for an overseas membership.  Not including the initiation the overseas membership costs less than a weekend summer day ticket.  Also it's convenient with a train station right there and dormy house.  Most importantly really like the course.

I am not impressed with the bunker work in recent years. The new bunkers on 16 are especially heinous. Aberdovey is being dumbed down yet the greenfee is on the rise. What a shame.

Ciao

[Mike Worth]

I also recommend Aberdovey if it’s not out of the way.

I know this might stray from the topic but talking best value I think Aberdovey has to be one of the best values for an overseas membership.  Not including the initiation the overseas membership costs less than a weekend summer day ticket.  Also it's convenient with a train station right there and dormy house.  Most importantly really like the course.

I am not impressed with the bunker work in recent years. The new bunkers on 16 are especially heinous. Aberdovey is being dumbed down yet the greenfee is on the rise. What a shame.

Ciao

i’m not a fan of the new bunkering either.


But I don’t see it as dumbing the course down. Rather, it offends me aesthetically. Even with that I still recommend it

[Matthew Delahunty]

Barnbougle Dunes and Barnbougle Lost Farm


18 holes for Australians for $AUD 159 ($USD 99) or international players for $AUD 245 ($USD 153)


Hard pressed to get better value for a World Top 50 course.

[Tags:]

Tags: