Golf

GOLF's 30 best munis: The most affordable municipal golf courses for locals, ranked


best munis by price

The finest municipal values, from sea to shining sea.

From left, Patrick Koenig, Jim Frenak, Rob Perry, Patrick Koenig

Affordability is woven into the DNA of public golf. For those courses the general public can actually play, a smaller number still fall into the category of being courses the general public can reasonably afford to play.

For all its awestriking beauty, Pebble Beach (at $550 per person, per round) does not fall into this category. Neither does TPC Sawgrass, at a beefy $600.

In the sweet spot between accessibility and affordability lives municipal golf. These publicly funded, publicly maintained courses hold a unique place in the golf world. They’re public works, not necessarily public profit.


best munis

The 30 best municipal golf courses in America, according to GOLF’s raters

By:


GOLF’s Raters & Ran Morrissett



Muni golf is a bit of a passion project for GOLF.com. Our Muni Mondays franchise profiles municipal courses around the world, and just this week (and in the June 2021 GOLF Magazine) we unveiled our inaugural ranking of the 30 best munis in America.

Below, we’ve taken that ranking a bit further — sorting the 30 best muni courses in the U.S. by price. For this list, we sorted all 30 by the lowest possible price for locals, who usually get a discount. That way we can truly see which courses are the best of the best for those just down the street. But don’t fret — the majority of these tracks aren’t priced to scare away out-of-staters, either.

May your handicap (and wallet) rejoice.

*CHECK OUT THE FULL MUNI RANKING HERE*

GOLF’s 30 best munis in America, sorted by price for locals

1. Wailua; Lihue, Hawaii (GOLF Muni Rank: 26)  — $15

T2. Charleston; Charleston, S.C.; (GOLF Muni Rank: 19) — $20

T2 Papago; Phoenix, Ariz. (GOLF Muni Rank: 15)  — $20

4. Palatka; Palatka, Fla. (GOLF Muni Rank: 29)  — $22

5. Buffalo Dunes; Garden City, Kansas (GOLF Muni Rank: 8) — $25

6. Wilmington; Wilmington, N.C. (GOLF Muni Rank: 21) —  $27

T7. Memorial Park; Houston, Texas (GOLF Muni Rank: 7) — $30

T7. Wintonbury Hills; Bloomfield, Conn. (GOLF Muni Rank: 25)  — $30

T7. North Palm Beach; Palm Beach, Fla. (GOLF Muni Rank: 20)  — $30

Memorial Park in Houston has proven a worthy test for many of the game’s best.

Keyur Khamar/PGA Tour

10. Brackenridge Park; San Antonio, Texas (GOLF Muni Rank: 16) — $31

11. Keney Park; Windsor, Conn. (GOLF Muni Rank: 14)  — $32.50

T12. Sleepy Hollow; Bracksville, Ohio (GOLF Muni Rank: 13)   — $34

T12. Manakiki; Willoughby, Ohio (GOLF Muni Rank: 27)  — $34

14. Indian Wells (Players); Indian Wells, Calif. (GOLF Muni Rank: 23)  — $35

15. Butterfield Trail; El Paso, Texas (GOLF Muni Rank: 10)  — $39

16. George Wright; Hyde Park, Mass. (GOLF Muni Rank: 3)  — $41

T17. Corica Park (South); Alameda, Calif. (GOLF Muni Rank: 12)  — $42

T17. Triggs Memorial; Providence, R.I. (GOLF Muni Rank: 22) — $42

T19. Montauk Downs; Montauk, N.Y. (GOLF Muni Rank: 17)  — $43

Montauk Downs is Long Island’s hidden municipal gem.

John Cavalier

T19. Bethpage Red; Farmingdale, N.Y. (GOLF Muni Rank: 4)  — $43

21. Torrey Pines (North); La Jolla, Calif. (GOLF Muni Rank: 18)  — $44

22. Pinon Hills; Farmington, N.M. (GOLF Muni Rank: 9)  — $45

23. Highland Park; Birmingham, Ala. (GOLF Muni Rank: 30)  — $54

24. Gold Mountain (Olympic); Bremerton, Wash. (GOLF Muni Rank: 11)  — $56

25. Torrey Pines (South); La Jolla, Calif. (GOLF Muni Rank: 5)  — $63

26. TPC Harding Park; San Francisco, Calif. (GOLF Muni Rank: 24)  — $64

TPC Harding Park, host of the 2020 PGA Championship, is a rollicking Bay Area municipal test.

Getty Images

T27. Bethpage Black; Farmingdale, N.Y. (GOLF Muni Rank: 1)  — $65

T27. Harborside International (Port); Chicago, Ill. (GOLF Muni Rank: 28)  — $65

29. Chambers Bay; University Place, Wash. (GOLF Muni Rank: 2)  — $140

30. Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point; Bronx, N.Y. (GOLF Muni Rank: 6)  —  $154

James Colgan

Golf.com Editor

James Colgan is an assistant editor at GOLF, contributing stories for the website and magazine on a broad range of topics. He writes the Hot Mic, GOLF’s weekly media column, and utilizes his broadcast experience across the brand’s social media and video platforms. A 2019 graduate of Syracuse University, James — and evidently, his golf game — is still defrosting from four years in the snow, during which time he cut his teeth at NFL Films, CBS News and Fox Sports. Prior to joining GOLF, James was a caddie scholarship recipient (and astute looper) on Long Island, where he is from.



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