How Much Does it Cost to Play The Best Golf Courses in America

There are approximately 15,000 golf courses in the United States, but many of the most famed belong to intensely private clubs (Augusta National, Pine Valley, Cypress Point, etc) and are extremely difficult to access for visiting golfers.

However, thankfully there are revered public and resort venues located across the nation that are widely recognised for hosting major championships and PGA Tour events. These can be played by everyday players searching for a memorable round and it's certainly a bucket list item.

We take a look at just some of the best and how much they could cost you to play.

Pebble Beach

Legendary US Open venue Pebble Beach is one of America's most iconic and scenic courses, renowned for its coastal views. Jack Nicklaus - the 1972 US Open winner on the Monterey Peninsula - famously said: "If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach."

Well, golfers worldwide can experience it for themselves with a standard green fee of $595. Accommodation packages can also be secured via our travel partners Golfbreaks.

Pinehurst No. 2

Considered the Cradle of American golf, North Carolina's Pinehurst is a lifetime destination for many golfers, with the No.2 Course being the most celebrated. Designed by Donald Ross and restored by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, this magnificent layout is now an anchor site for USGA Championships, including the US Open and US Women's Open.

Tee times are prioritised for resort guests, with overnight packages available from $598 with an additional $195 fee to play No. 2 during peak months of the season.

Bethpage Black

Host of US Opens, a PGA Championship, and the Ryder Cup in 2025, the fearsome Bethpage Black is a jewel of public golf in the United States and as such can be accessed by any golfer willing to take on its challenge. For non-New York State residents, the standard green fee is a comparatively generous $150.

Kiawah Island

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island has been a spectacular stage for the 1991 Ryder Cup and two PGA Championships, won by Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson. It has unquestionably developed into a modern classic, with the resort drawing thousands of visitors each year. 

Stay and play packages are the best value, with Golfbreaks offering them from £719.

TPC Sawgrass

Yet another Pete Dye design - and perhaps his most famous - TPC Sawgrass is showcased each year during The Players Championship, where the PGA Tour's finest have to navigate the instantly recognisable par three 17th. 

Golfers can play the Stadium Course, but it's an expensive date at $720, but attractive packages are available through Golfbreaks.

Whistling Straits

Team Europe weren't left with happy memories after the Ryder Cup, but Whistling Straits is a remarkable site, benefiting from its location on Lake Michigan. The best way to experience it for yourself is by claiming one of the resort packages, but standard green fees are priced around $555.

Harbour Town Golf Links

Designed by Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus, Harbour Town is among the PGA Tour's most respected layouts, hosting The Heritage each year. Strategic and testing, it's a richly rewarding challenge. Packages are available through our travel partners, Golfbreaks, but the standard green fee to play this South Carolina masterpiece is $335.

Spyglass Hill

Part of the annual AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am rotation of courses, Spyglass Hill can be accessed via those stay and play packages alongside Pebble Beach, but it holds a visitor green fee of $435, making it available for anyone who fancies sampling this testing course.

Erin Hills

In 2017, Brooks Koepka secured his first US Open title at Erin Hills, near Milwaukee. Opened for play in 2006, another chapter in its young history will come in 2025 when it hosts the US Women's Open. Before then, you can see what the hype is about for $330 during the peak months.

Chambers Bay

Although it divided opinion among purists when Jordan Spieth won his national championship there in 2015, Chambers Bay is considered a thrilling and fun course to play by visitors, who enjoy the imagination required to play it alongside the breathtaking views. 

You can venture to Washington State and discover that for yourself for a standard green fee of $275.

Kapalua 

Spectacularly scenic, Kapalua is a paradise in Hawaii for PGA Tour winners at the Tournament of Champions. Everyday golfers can take in those stunning vistas themselves with a standard green fee of $395.

The Greenbrier

A luxury resort with a substantial history, The Greenbrier was a regular PGA Tour venue and welcomed both the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup in decades past. Registered guests can head to West Virginia and play the famed Old White Course for $425.

Torrey Pines

Home of the Farmers Insurance Open and where Tiger Woods and Jon Rahm won US Opens, the South Course at Torrey Pines is a public venue where non-San Diego residents can play during weekdays for $202, an acceptable fee to walk in the footsteps of champions.

Bay Hill

Hugely popular for hosting the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Florida's Bay Hill is open to guests of the resort, with our travel partners Golfbreaks offering packages starting from £669 to experience one of the PGA Tour's most revered stops.

Firestone

Renowned for hosting World Golf Championships, Firestone in Ohio can be accessed through a number of packages available from the venue itself, with a regular green fee to play the South Course around $375.

TPC Scottsdale

The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale plays host to the Waste Management Phoenix Open every year. The famous 16th hole will be somewhat quieter outside tournament week - when it brings together thousands of boisterous spectators - but Golfbreaks has packages to sample it for yourself, starting from £395.

PGA National

Host of the 1983 Ryder Cup and Honda Classic, PGA National is home to The Bear Trap, a brutal finishing stretch created by Jack Nicklaus. There are packages available to this Florida resort from Golfbreaks, but the main course here can be played for a standard green fee of $347.

Bandon Dunes

Since it first opened in 1999, Bandon Dunes has developed into a world class destination for golfers, featuring six links-style courses that draw thousands to Oregon each year. For those who are staying at the venue during the summer months, any of the layouts can be played for $295.