You do not need to spend $150 to play a good golf course. Across the country, thousands of public and municipal courses charge economy-level green fees and still deliver a round worth remembering. Some have architectural pedigrees from designers like Perry Maxwell and Robert Trent Jones. Others sit in settings that more expensive courses cannot match. The 25 courses below are all priced at the economy level in the FairwayDB directory, and each one gives you more than your money suggests.

Northeast

The Northeast is one of the more expensive regions for daily-fee golf, but municipal courses and smaller nine-hole layouts keep the game accessible. Several of these have historical credentials that far outweigh their green fees.

Coakley-Russo Memorial Golf Course in Lyons, New Jersey was designed by Robert Trent Jones in 1947 and dedicated to New Jersey PGA professionals who died in World War II. The nine-hole, par-34 layout plays 3,300 yards on rolling Somerset County terrain, and the Jones pedigree makes it one of the more notable affordable designs in the state.

Shady Rest Golf Club in Scotch Plains, New Jersey is the first African American country club in the United States. Opened in 1921, the club hosted entertainers like Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington and was home to John Matthew Shippen Jr., the first American-born Black golf professional. Scotch Plains Township now operates it as a public nine-hole course listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hamilton Trails Golf Club in Mays Landing, New Jersey sits in the Pine Barrens just minutes from Atlantic City. The nine-hole, par-36 course plays 3,265 yards with no homes bordering the fairways, and an attractive replay rate makes 18 holes easy to fit in.

Southeast

Warm climates and a strong municipal golf tradition make the Southeast one of the best regions for budget golf. Year-round playing seasons mean courses see heavy use, and cities across the region have invested in keeping public golf affordable.

Overton Park 9 in Memphis, Tennessee was originally built in 1906 and received a full redesign by King Collins in 2021. The nine-hole layout plays 2,250 yards through old-growth forest in midtown Memphis, and the renovated 1926 Tudor-style clubhouse adds character that most budget courses lack.

Whittle Springs in Knoxville, Tennessee is the city’s first public golf course, opened in 1932. The 18-hole layout plays 5,596 yards with small bent grass greens on sloping Bermuda fairways, and it has served the Knoxville community for more than nine decades at economy pricing.

Percy Warner Golf Course in Nashville is a nine-hole municipal course set in the hills of Percy Warner Park since 1937. The hilly terrain and small, contoured greens keep scoring honest despite the 2,600-yard length, and the park setting provides a backdrop that rivals courses at triple the price.

Ocean View Golf Course in Norfolk, Virginia has been in play since 1929. The par-70 design covers 6,011 yards with Bermuda greens and fairways lined by mature oaks, and its location near the Chesapeake Bay shoreline gives it a coastal feel without a coastal price tag.

Suffolk Golf Course in Suffolk, Virginia was designed by Dick Wilson and Russell Breeden in 1951. The 18-hole, par-72 layout plays 6,475 yards through mature trees, and the driving range, practice green, and club rentals make it a complete facility at one of the lowest price points in Hampton Roads.

Skyland Lakes Golf Club & Resort in Fancy Gap, Virginia sits right off the Blue Ridge Parkway at an elevation that keeps summer temperatures cooler than the lowlands. The family-owned 18-hole course plays 6,520 yards through mountain terrain, and green fees stay well below what comparable mountain courses charge.

Tennessee River Golf Club in Decaturville, Tennessee plays 6,500 yards at par 71 with water on 10 of 18 holes. Green fees run about $38 for a full round, and the rolling hills of west-central Tennessee provide a quiet setting between Jackson and the Pickwick Dam area.

Midwest

The Midwest is home to some of the best affordable golf in the country. Low land costs, strong municipal systems, and a culture of accessible public courses keep green fees reasonable across the region. Several economy-priced courses here have genuine design heritage.

Neosho Golf Course in Neosho, Missouri has original holes by Perry Maxwell, the architect behind Southern Hills in Tulsa. The front nine dates to 1924, and the course plays 6,488 yards at par 71 with a driving range on site. Economy pricing on a Maxwell design is hard to find anywhere in the country.

Windmill Ridge Golf Course in Monett, Missouri offers two distinct experiences in one round. The front nine opened in 1940 as a parkland layout with tight, tree-lined fairways, while Donald Sechrest added a links-style back nine in 2002 with open terrain and native grass areas.

Jaycee Municipal Golf Course in Cape Girardeau, Missouri plays 5,900 yards at par 70 with water on 11 holes. The course was renovated in 2010, and the city keeps green fees at the economy level, making it the most affordable 18-hole option in the area.

Sullivan Golf Course in Sullivan, Missouri has been open since 1954, sitting along I-44 about an hour southwest of St. Louis. The par-71 layout mixes a mature, tree-lined front nine with a newer links-style back nine, and economy pricing makes it an easy stop for travelers on the interstate.

Knoxville Municipal Golf Course in Knoxville plays 6,528 yards at par 72 on rolling terrain alongside streams. Designed by D.J. DeVictor and opened in 1984, this is one of the better-conditioned economy-priced full-length courses in east Tennessee.

West

The western states offer budget golf in settings that range from high desert to canyon country to Pacific Northwest evergreens. Elevation, dry air, and dramatic geology make affordable rounds out west feel different from anything east of the Mississippi.

Forest Dale Golf Course in Salt Lake City, Utah is the oldest golf course in the state, established in 1906 as the Salt Lake Country Club. The city acquired the property in 1935, and several original tabletop greens survive on the nine-hole layout. For a course with 120 years of history, the price is hard to beat.

Nibley Park Golf Course in Salt Lake City is the oldest public golf course in Utah, dedicated in 1922 on the former site of an amusement park. The 167-yard ninth hole requires a tee shot over a large lake to a bunkered, undulating green. Mature trees and small brooks guard fairways throughout.

Green River State Park Golf Course in Green River, Utah is a nine-hole layout on the banks of the Green River between Arches National Park and Capitol Reef. The Book Cliffs form the backdrop, cottonwood trees provide shade in the desert heat, and one hole requires carrying the river itself. The adjacent campground and disc golf course make it a destination for traveling golfers on a budget.

Oquirrh Hills Golf Course in Tooele, Utah plays 6,611 yards at par 72 in the foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains. The 2007 Andy Johnson design features two contrasting nines, with tree-lined fairways on the front and open mountain terrain on the back.

Coyote Del Malpais Golf Course in Grants, New Mexico plays 7,087 yards at 7,000 feet of elevation beneath 11,300-foot Mount Taylor. Sixteen lakes, narrow fairways, and thin mountain air combine to make this one of the more demanding municipal courses in the Southwest, all at economy pricing.

Harvard Gulch Golf Course in Denver, Colorado is a nine-hole par-3 course where a round takes about an hour. The compact layout near the University of Denver campus plays 891 yards total, and the city-run course gives beginners and short-game enthusiasts a legitimate golf experience for very little money.

Interbay Golf Center in Seattle, Washington features a nine-hole par-27 course alongside an 80-stall covered and heated driving range with Toptracer technology. The links-style layout plays 1,327 yards in central Seattle, and economy green fees make it one of the most accessible places to play in the city.

Trailhead Golf Course in Liberty Lake, Washington is a municipal nine-hole course minutes from both Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. The city-owned facility includes a driving range and two indoor simulator bays for year-round practice, and a twilight rate after 5 p.m. drops the already low price further.

Finding your own budget course

The 25 courses above are a starting point. FairwayDB tracks more than 5,000 economy-priced courses across all 50 states, and many of them are within an hour of wherever you live. Browse courses by state and filter by cost to find affordable golf near your next destination. The best cheap golf courses are often the ones nobody writes about, and the directory is built to help you find them.