Your Golf Buddy Trip Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive

Golf buddy trips are gold, Jerry. GOLD!

Literally.

The National Golf Foundation says golf travel generates more than $40 billion in annual economic impact in the United States.

If you’re on the receiving end of even a little of that $40 billion, that’s a good thing.

More than 12 million Americans travel to play golf every year. And we’re certain that golfers just like us on the rest of the planet travel in proportionally similar volumes. Golf travel hasn’t leveled off much, either. It was up 49 percent over pre-COVID levels last year and up 10 percent over the mid-2000s peak prior to the great recession.

What does all this mean for your next golf buddy trip? Tee times might be harder to nail down, accommodations more difficult to find and flights, well, have you priced an airline ticket lately?

There is a fundamental difference, my friends, between a Bucket List Trip and a buddy trip. The intentionally capitalized Bucket List Trip is that once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Bandon, Pebble, Whistling Straits, Pinehurst or St Andrews. It’s going to cost you and you prepare for it. Buddy trips, however, are a different animal altogether.

So, today, we’re going give you some ideas for alternative buddy trips that won’t break the bank. Please don’t think of this as an exhaustive list. The cities are places we’ve visited and the courses are (mostly) ones we’ve played. I’m sure each one of you has your own favorites, many within driving distance of where you live. We’d love for you to share them in the comments below.

Why we take buddy trips in the first place

As mentioned, buddy trips are very different from Bucket List Trips. Those Bucket List Trips (we’ll call them BLTs for short) are what the name implies: trips to golf destinations you have to play before you, ahh, kick the bucket.

Buddy trips, on the other hand, have a completely different purpose. You’re not trying to check something off a list. Instead, you’re doing something far more valuable: spending a few precious days with old friends doing something you love. The time spent together is the important thing; the destination is secondary.

Yes, you certainly want decent golf, but the point of the trip is the bonding, not the destination.

Once we understand that, an entire golfing panorama opens up. There’s a world of golf-centric resorts out there which are convenient and, like The Legends in Myrtle Beach, priced amazingly. But you don’t have to limit yourself to destinations like that. If you’re willing to get creative, explore a little and bypass luxury and convenience, you can put together a hell of a trip without taking out a second mortgage.

Not for nothing, let me say it again so we’re clear: we’re not ranking anything here. These are just our suggestions based on our own experiences.

With that, let’s get to it.

Option #1: Spokane and Coeur d’Alene

We’ve said it before on these pages but there may not be a better place on the planet for solid municipal and county-owned golf that Spokane, Wash. Spokane’s munis may not be BLT-worthy but you’ll enjoy them. Indian Canyon, The Creek at Qualchan (personal favorite), Downriver and Esmerelda are all walkable and are all under $60, with awesome senior rates.

And since you’ve enjoyed some seriously great deals in Spokane, you can go ahead and splurge a little. The Coeur d’Alene Resort Course is an hour east of Spokane just across the Idaho border. It’s as picturesque as it gets and the famous floating island green is a hoot to play. The Resort Course can get pricey ($310 in peak summer) but if you want to play one higher-end course on your trip, it’s doable. There’s also Circling Raven ($229 peak), part of the Coeur d’Alene Casino resort, which many feel is an overall better track.

Option #2: Ocean City, Maryland

I wouldn’t try this one on a weekend during the summer. If you’ve ever tried to get to Ocean City during peak season, you know you can spend an eternity on that damned Chesapeake Bridge.

However, if you plan it right, you can avoid the crowds and score some great deals. Eagle’s Landing ($82 weekdays/$122 weekends), Ocean Pines ($80/$120) and GlenRiddle ($65-$179, depending on which of the courses you play) are all fun options. If you want to see more of the ocean, it’ll cost you. Rum Pointe ($109-$199) and the Links at Lighthouse Sound ($119-$225) will give you a slightly higher-end experience.

It’s probably best to hit Ocean City before Memorial Day or after Labor Day. The weather will be good well into November, the crowds will be gone and the prices will be lower.

Option #3: Greater Denver

Folks, there is some seriously great public golf in and around Denver. Virtually every community has fun and relatively reasonably priced municipal courses and there are plenty of must-plays to round out your trip.

Fossil Trace in Golden ($140-$175 cart included) is quirky and may not be for everyone but it’s one of my favorites in the area. It’s built through rock formations featuring legit dinosaur remains. Fossil Trace is one of the most unique courses you’ll ever play and when you’re done you can tour the Coors Brewery, only 10 minutes away.

Then there’s the Tom Weiskopf-designed Ridge at Castle Pines North ($139-$175) and the splendid Common Ground ($95, $52 for seniors or military) in Aurora. The Tom Doak design is minimalist, walkable and the caddies, part of the Solich Caddie and Leadership Academy, are free. All you have to do is tip them.

In fact, Aurora is a hotbed for city-owned golf. Murphy Creek ($64-$72) is a links/prairie hybrid type of course and a terrific value. If you get adventurous, you can travel up I-70 for some Rocky Mountain golf. We’ve played Gypsum Creek, Grand Lake and The Raven and enjoyed them all.

And stop in Idaho Springs for a fun white water raft adventure.

Option #4: Brainerd, Minnesota

I lived in Minnesota for 22 years and can tell you firsthand: that state loves its golf. There are a ton of outstanding options in the Twin Cities, but the Brainerd/Breezy Point area two and a half hours north is truly an under-the-radar golf mecca. There are no fewer than 30 golf courses within 45 minutes of Brainerd.

Deacons Lodge ($90-$170) is an Arnold Palmer design and one of the most fun tracks I’ve ever played. The Classic at Madden’s ($175 and up) is also a must-play with a great north woods vibe. Cragun’s Legacy features 45 holes of top-shelf golf ($155-$220 peak summer) while venues such as Whitefish ($108), Crosswoods ($54-$119) and The Pines at Grand View (two 18-hole gems, $130-$170 peak summer) offer good to great golf at decent pricing to round out your trip.

If you want to stay closer to the Twin Cities, you can have a time playing the Chaska Town Course, StoneRidge, Stonebrooke (you’ll love the boat ride to the eighth fairway), The Wilds, The Meadows at Mystic Lake or Willinger’s. County or city courses such as Keller in Maplewood (once hosted the PGA Championship), Braemer in Edina and the Minneapolis city courses of Hiawatha, Columbia and Gross can help round out a visit.

Option #5: Whistling Straits

OK, just hear me out on this one. I’m not suggesting the immersive extravaganza at Kohler (a great value BLT, by the way, at around $3k), I’m talking about a single round at the Straits course ($765 peak summer), finding an Airbnb in Sheboygan and then hitting up some of the great golf nearby. The Bull at Pinehurst Farms ($115-$189 peak summer) is the only Nicklaus course in Wisconsin. It’s on the pricey side but still less than the Kohler courses.

I’d recommend driving north an hour to Green Bay to play the sneaky-good Thornberry Creek (under $100). It has hosted LPGA events and is the official golf course of the Green Bay Packers. Afterwards you trek downtown to visit Lambeau Field and the Packer Hall of Fame.

South of Sheboygan is more great golf. The Bog ($85-$125) in Saukville is another wonderful Palmer course and you can visit the nearby Allan Edmonds shoe factory outlet while you’re there. Fire Ridge, Mee-Kwon Park and Hawthorne Hills ($42-$79) are all fine Ozaukee County owned courses to round out your trip.

If you’re not feeling the greens fees for the Straits, Erin Hills is in the general vicinity and is a comparative bargain ($495 peak rates plus caddie).

The UK on a budget

Sometimes a buddy trip needs to be aggressive. If your group really wants to go across the pond for some history, it’s tempting to hit the big names like St Andrews, Carnoustie, Hoylake or Royal St George’s. That’s BLT territory in venues and pricing but there are alternatives.

We checked in with our UK golf specialist Jack Sallis at Halcyon Golf Travel, who suggests England, rather than Scotland as a destination, with parkland and heathland courses rather than ocean-side links on your itinerary.

“The Midlands in England has some Mackenzie classic courses, some Open Qualifier and Ryder Cup venues and some world top 100s,” he says. “Hotels are cheap in that part of the world as well.”

The West Midlands includes the areas surrounding Birmingham, Warwickshire and Staffordshire, while the East Midlands covers Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire. It’s the heart of England, maybe a 90 minute to two-hour ride from London.

Notts Golf Club (aka Hollinwell) in Nottinghamshire is consistently ranked in the world’s top 100. There’s Sherwood Forest Golf Club for a little Robin Hood golf. Both are under US$200. As you get closer to Birmingham, there’s the delightful Little Aston ($100-$190) and a gem in the saucy town of Worcestershire called Blackwell ($189).

Northwest Ireland can also be a good value. You don’t get Old Head or Ballybunion but Cruit Island, Old Tom Morris Links, and Narin & Portnoo feature greens fees as low as $70. Hotels are less expensive there, as well.

The biggest benefit is that you can book these lesser-known venues less than six months in advance. The bigger names usually require at least 12 months notice.

Buddy trips on a budget: Final thoughts

As mentioned, please don’t consider this a definitive list or even a ranking. These are areas we’ve traveled to ourselves or that have come highly recommended. There are others. If you don’t mind the heat, you can score some serious off-season bargains in Scottsdale, San Antonio or the Robert Trent Jones trail in Mississippi and Alabama.

There is an attraction to booking something all-inclusive at a golf resort. The property will cater to you and everything will be right there. In that sense, something like Orange County National in Orlando can be very attractive. They have great Stay ‘n Play packages at the lodge on site. It’s far from luxurious but your group will have a hell of a good time.

My best advice? Be flexible. Maybe settle on an area with one key attraction and then fill it out with a few lower-priced courses. San Diego is gorgeous year-round so hit Torrey Pines and then backfill with the marvelous Maderas and other relative bargains. Airbnb or Vrbo gets you a place to stay to save even more cash. Cooking and eating in is always less expensive than eating out every night.

The key thing to remember, of course, is why you’re taking this particular trip with these particular people. Bucket List Trips are different. You’re going to Pebble Beach because it’s Pebble freakin’ Beach. A Buddy Trip is called a Buddy Trip for a reason. It’s about being buddies, first and foremost. You still want decent golf but in the end they’re just a canvas for the broader experience. You’ll remember your friend’s chip-in for eagle long after you’ve forgotten the name of the course.

Once you understand that, your options multiply.