Even casual golfers are familiar with such legendary venues as Pebble Beach, Pinehurst and Doral. But marquee course names often involve marquee pricing. There are excellent courses that are off the beaten track or under the radar — and more affordable. Next time you plan a golf vacation, consider some of these lesser-known but superb locations…
This resort on the Oregon coast offers three magnificent tracks, two of which (Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes) are on towering bluffs overlooking the Pacific. The food and lodging are high-quality but not fancy — it’s a resort for true golf aficionados. Greens fees are $220 (May – October) for hotel guests.* Lodging ranges from $210 to $250 per night. You may encounter some wind and rain even in summer, but this adds to the appeal for hard-core golfers.
What golfers love: No golf carts. It’s a walking-only facility. 888-345-6008, www.bandondunesgolf.com.
This brand-new course offers visitors the rare opportunity to play a rough-hewn coastal layout, practically teetering into Puget Sound. The course received a boost in prestige when the United States Golfing Association awarded it two important championships — the 2010 US Amateur and the 2015 US Open. Nearby lodging runs the gamut from chic (Hotel Murano) to simple (Holiday Inn Express) for $159 to $170 per night. Midweek greens fees begin at $149 per person… weekend fees start at $169.
What golfers love: A course that the world’s best players have yet to play but will soon discover. 877-295-4657, www.chambersbaygolf.com.
Owned by the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe, this beautiful course has been awarded best-in-kind status by the publications Golf, Golf Digest, Golfweek, Zagat Survey and Men’s Health. The layout takes full advantage of its stunning setting, with pine-draped mountains, forested meadows and protected wetlands — the occasional elk or moose may ask to play through. The adjacent Coeur d’Alene Casino and its hotel offer top-notch entertainment, dining and gambling. Accommodations for two, golf included, are about $270 per night.
What golfers love: Playing in the wild — the course is surrounded by 345,000 acres of wilderness. 800-523-2464, www.circlingraven.com.
Created by the famous golf-course designer Pete Dye, this is one of the best public-access golf courses in the Midwest. It is on the grounds of historic Fort Harrison State Park — named in honor of Benjamin Harrison, our 23rd President and a resident of Indianapolis. The course climbs, dives and dips among thick woodlands and native grasslands. The nearby Harrison House, formerly used as officers quarters, offers seven spacious suites with rates as low as $69 per night. Greens fees start at $61 for the general public and $45.75 for military personnel.
What golfers love: A Pete Dye creation that is much more affordable than his better-known golf courses, such as Harbour Town, Whistling Straits and Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course. 317-543-9597, www.thefortgolfcourse.com.
Less than an hour from Cape Cod, this first-class public-access facility, designed by Rees Jones and golfing legend Jack Nicklaus, features two new 18-hole courses set among 300 acres of stately pines and rolling hills. It offers extensive practice facilities and three top-notch golf schools. A Hilton Garden Inn and a Radisson are within 15 minutes’ drive. Greens fees are about $100 midweek… $10 more on weekends and holidays.
What golfers love: To play a course designed by one of the greatest golfers in history. 866-855-4653, www.pinehillsgolf.com.
On the Hawaiian island of Kauai, this is home to Prince Course, Golf Digest’s number 39 rated course in America’s “Top 100 Greatest Courses.” The resort offers 45 holes of golf — the 18-hole Prince and the 27-hole Makai Course. The Princeville Hotel overlooks exquisite Hanalei Bay, site of the mythical Bali Hai in the movie South Pacific. Rates at the hotel start at $445 per night. Hotel guest greens fees begin at $125 on the Makai Course and $155 per round on the Prince.
What golfers love: The 13-acre facility features three separate teeing locations that allow for different shots and wind conditions. 800-826-1105, www.princeville.com.
The Saddle Creek golf course is considered one of the top 10 in California — no faint praise in a state with iconic venues such as Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Cypress Point and Torrey Pines, among hundreds of others. Located in the historic town of Copperopolis, the course features more than 100 white-sand bunkers, serene streams and a dramatic landscape framed by the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. In summer, bungalow accommodations begin at $125 midweek and $165 on weekends. Greens fees are $69 midweek and $95 on weekends.
What golfers love: The perfectly manicured course with the foothills backdrop. 800-611-7722, www.saddlecreek.com.
Though best-known for skiing, this Idaho icon also offers 18 holes of championship golf on its Trail Creek Course. It will unveil nine holes of its White Clouds Course this summer — the other nine will open in 2010. Also set to debut at Sun Valley this year is a beautiful clubhouse, 25-acre practice facility and an 18-hole putting course. Rates start at $350 per night per couple, golf included.
What golfers love: The small, classic putting greens, which require precise approach shots. 800-786-8259, www.sunvalley.com.
This golf vacation destination includes two “must-play” private courses — Camp Creek and Shark’s Tooth — and an innovative short course called Origins built for beginners and families. Guests of the 60-room inn can enjoy three-day, two-night getaway packages, including unlimited golf at Camp Creek and Shark’s Tooth and one dinner in the gourmet restaurant Fish Out of Water, for $1,165 per person.
What golfers love: The wide variety of courses that satisfy the expert as well as the beginner. 866-426-2656, www.watercolorresort.com/.
This beautiful resort spans 11,000 acres on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 90 minutes from Richmond, Virginia, and three hours from the nation’s capital. At an elevation of nearly 4,000 feet, Devils Knob is the highest course in the state and routinely 10 degrees cooler than 27-hole Stoney Creek, which features equally spectacular views of the Blue Ridge despite its lower elevation. Greens fees are $97 for 18 holes, and a one-bedroom condo is $149 – $209 per night.
What golfers love: The juxtaposition of two dramatically different courses in one spectacular location. 800-266-2444, www.wintergreenresort.com.
*All rates in this article are for summer and are subject to change at any time. Additional package deals are available upon request.
