Much like weddings or school reunions, buddies trips offer golfers a chance to reconnect with friends away from the stress of day-to-day routines. Play some golf. Have a few drinks. Needle your opponent when the match gets tight. These getaways take on different shapes and sizes, but whether you take them with buddies from college, your weekend foursome or family members, the camaraderie always makes for memorable stories told long after the return home.
Of course, much like weddings, golf trips can be expensive. The most popular golf-trip destinations, although they might include some fantastic courses, can set you back thousands of dollars. If you’re looking to plan your next golf getaway but don’t want to break the bank, we’ve got you covered.
This collection includes our 11 favorite budget golf-trip destinations. We’ve identified some of the top quality, cheaper golf options that are worth seeking out in each region. Many of these courses have stay-and-play packages available to maximize value even further.
Click around to learn more about each course and read reviews from our course-ranking panelists. And if you’re looking for more inspiration, check out our new, searchable course database, Places to Play, to plan your next trip.
Michigan is one of the most underrated public golf destinations in North America—with a ton of great courses in close proximity—it’s perfect for planning a trip around. For your next buddies’ trip, consider heading up north for startling elevation changes, stunning scenery and tremendous value.
Though Forest Dunes spirit Arcadia Bluffs would be at the top of our lists if money was no obstacle, the below options are perfect for the group on a budget.
The other courses at Grand Traverse are also worth playing:
Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail—complete with nearly 500 holes at 11 facilities spread across the state—provides some of the best value in the country. We’ve selected the best courses on the Trail between Birmingham and Montgomery for you to plan your next trip around.
Myrtle Beach has long been a staple on any list of best golf trips. For good reason: The Grand Strand boasts nearly a hundred courses, many of which offer stay-and-play packages that combine value with quality golf. On your next trip to the Palmetto State, consider these multi-course resorts.
Oftentimes, a buddies’ trip is all about the golf. A 27- or 36-hole day is commonplace for many groups looking to maximize time on the course. Colonial Williamsburg is great for that — as many resorts offer multiple courses that are all worth playing. But on at least one of the days, make sure you head to the historic center of town, where life looks similar to as it did in the 18th century.
Like Myrtle Beach, Orlando is a fixture on many golf destination lists, with a number of quality public options to plan your next trip around. There are truly an endless amount of solid Orlando golf options, but we’ve highlighted our favorite ones below.
For another getaway to the Sunshine State, consider heading down to the Tampa area, where you’ll find some great public options. Tampa offers the perfect combination of quality nightlife with very good golf. Although Innisbrook Resort or nearby Streamsong might top many traditional lists, we’ve identified some hidden gems for this buddies-trip-on-a-budget list that are solid value.
Also keep in mind that World Woods — which will be Cabot Citrus Farms when it re-opens (projected to be the end of 2023) — will become our new favorite option in the area.
It’s only appropriate that these affordable courses in the Land of 10,000 Lakes all play around … lakes. This collection of scenic tracks includes a 100 Greatest Public course and a couple of shorter options sure to inject excitement into your next buddies’ trip match.
Closer to the Wisconsin side of the state, a very worthwhile trip would be combining two 100 Greatest Public facilities: Giants Ridge and The Wilderness at Fortune Bay.
One of the more underrated destinations in this collection, West Point, Miss. boasts a couple of exceptional layouts—both ranked on our 100 Greatest Public list—that won’t break the bank.
In terms of affordable public golf, the San Antonio area is tough to beat. Of all the destinations in this collection, these Texas Hill Country courses may provide the most bang for your buck. Of course, Austin is also very doable when headed to the Hill Country, but there’s a little more value on and off the course in San Antonio.
If your typical buddies’ trip usually takes on a laidback vibe, consider centering your next one around Sweetens Cove, just outside Chattanooga. And there are some other quality options in the area to round out your trip for when you’re not whacking it around the Peyton Manning-backed nine-holer with few rules.
Mesquite, Nev./St. George, Utah
One of the most scenic destinations in this collection, southern Nevada and Utah provide some of the most dramatic rock formations you’ll find on a course. Several of these affordable tracks just northeast of Las Vegas highlight desert golf in its gentler form, with wider landing areas than are typical of many southwestern layouts.
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