Every year, new golf courses sprout up around the world and many of these patches of green are said to be “must play”. Just as new golf courses are created, there are still classic venues that attract players from around the globe. These beautiful golf courses have retained their character, charm and unbelievable scenery over the duration of a lifetime.
What some of these new and old golf destinations have in common is the price it costs to play a round on their hallowed turfs.
The most expensive golf courses in the world give players the chance to test their skills on the same grounds as the PGA’s elite. Even if you can’t get your PGA Tour card, you can at least play the same 18-hole courses that Rory, Tiger, Dustin and Phil do.
- Shadow Creek – Las Vegas, Nevada: $500
Designed by golf course architect legend Tom Fazio, Shadow Creek is available to guests of the MGM Resort hotels in Las Vegas. If you are a guest and want to play the beautiful 18-hole course, then you can tee off Monday through Thursday. However, Friday through Sunday Shadow Creek is only available for special invited guests.
Along with playing a round of golf, the $500 green fee pays for a limo to pick you up and take you back to your hotel. Each player will also get a personal caddy with expert advice on each hole of the Fazio created course.
- Pebble Beach Links – Pebble Beach, California: $475
Pebble Beach Links has been the host of professional golf tournaments since 1926, and for just $475, you can tee off at this course that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Pebble Beach is often regarded as one of the best golf courses thanks to its rugged scenery and the play that is influenced by the ocean winds.
The price to play at Pebble Beach does increase during the year. Golfers who descend on its greens during peak season, which starts on April 1, will see the price of a round of golf top $500. The fee also includes a golf cart.
If you are looking to play Pebble Beach Links and you are having difficulty getting a tee time, try playing around a holiday. Experts claim fewer people attempt to play Pebble Beach Links during the holiday periods as they believe it will actually be busier.
- The Blue Monster at Trump National – Doral, Florida: $450
In 2017, the price to play The Blue Monster at Trump National increased to $450. The price increase coincided with Donald Trump’s inauguration as United States President. Regardless of where you land on the political spectrum, there is no arguing that The Blue Monster is an impressive golf course.
Your $450 green fee includes a golf cart to help you around the course on those hot south Florida days. The course does require all players to have a forecaddie, which will cost an additional $25.
The Trump National Golf Club has three other courses available to play as well. The Red, Silver and Golf courses don’t cost quite as much; but they aren’t going to be played by the average golfer either.
- Old Head Golf Links – County Cork, Ireland: $400
Majestic, breathtaking and magnificent are just three of the adjectives golfers have used to describe the Old Head Golf Links course. The Irish course juts out into the sea and the beauty that surrounds you will make you feel like you are in golf heaven.
The Old Head Golf Links also features a five-star restaurant and a brilliant Irish bar called the Lusitania. It is the perfect place to drowned your sorrows after a bad day on the greens or to celebrate a win over your golf rival.
The course is known to be a very challenging 18-holes, so be ready to have your golf game pushed to the limits by this delightful Irish course. The local caddie that accompanies you should be full of tips while playing this unbelievably beautiful patch of land.
- The Players Stadium at TPC Sawgrass – Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida: $400
The Players Stadium at TPC Sawgrass can see green fees exceed $400 during the year. The fees have increased in recent time and that is most likely down to a renovation to the course in 2017.
The Players Stadium is often selected as one of the top 100 courses in the world. Designed by Pete and Alice Dye, The Players Stadium is cited as one of the most difficult golf courses to play. For just $400, you can find out just how difficult it is to play on your next golf trip.
- Pinehurst No. 2 – Pinehurst, North Carolina: $375
The Pinehurst Golf Club contains eight golf courses on its grounds, and each has its own unique charm and challenges. Pinehurst No. 2 is often ranked as one of the world’s top 10 courses; but the same can be said about Pinehurst No. 4 and Pinehurst No. 8.
Pinehurst No. 2 regularly hosts PGA tournaments and thanks to its beauty and play, it attracts golfers from all over the globe. Designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1907, Pinehurst No. 2 can be played for $375 per person. During peak season, however, the course can reach $460 a round. Regardless of the price, this course is one of the best in the world to play and enjoy.
- Kingsbarns Golf Links St. Andrews – Kingsbarns, Scotland: $342
Based on current conversion rates, Kingsbarns Golf Links at St. Andrews is seventh on the list of most expensive golf courses. Designed by Kyle Phillips, Kingsbarns was opened in 2000. Although the course is newer, the sport has been played on the same patch of land since 1793.
While most golfers go to the Old Course at St. Andrews for its history and name, Kingsbarns is considered by many to be just as good, if not better.
The course takes its caddies very seriously and will refund your caddy fee if your golf experience isn’t improved by your golf toting sidekick.
- The Ocean Course – Kiawah Island, South Carolina: $320
The Ocean Course has been ranked No. 3 in Golf Digest’s top 100 American public golf courses. It was also ranked as the toughest golf course to play in 2010. While you may be frustrated with your play during an excursion, you will at least have some incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean to lose yourself in.
The Ocean Course has been the site of numerous PGA Tour events and thanks to its popularity on the weekends, the price of playing a round can jump an additional $50.
Built for the 1991 Ryder Cup, the course’s difficulty comes due to every fairway being designed to give a view that looks down at the Atlantic Ocean. Although the course is easier to play today than it was back in the early 1990s, The Ocean Course will still challenge your golf ability.
- Spyglass Hill – Pebble Beach, California: $315
Described as an absolutely beautiful course that is extremely difficult to play, Spyglass Hill is a favorite for many golfers. Located near Pebble Beach Links course, golfers may find Spyglass Hill far easier to get a tee time at.
Opened in 1966, one of the little quirks that makes Spyglass Hill memorable is the names of each hole. The course gained its name from Rober Louis Stevenson’s book Treasure Island. Each hole has been named after a character or place in the famous 1883 book due to Stevenson using the area as a place to make notes before writing Treasure Island.
- Whistling Straits – Sheboygan, Wisconsin: $300
Opened in 1998, Whistling Straits has been a regular host for PGA Tour events. The Wisconsin golf course will host the 2020 Ryder Cup as its reputation continues to grow as a must-visit venue. Designed by Pete and Alice Dye, Whistling Straits has been ranked as one of the best golf courses in America.
Golfers have two options when playing at Whistling Straits. You can choose to play the Straits Course or the Irish Course. The Straits Course overlooks Lake Michigan as it meanders along the coastline for two miles. Meanwhile, the Irish Course features a challenging layout of taller grasses and sand dunes.
Whistling Straits earned its name from the winds that blow from Lake Michigan, as playing golf becomes a challenge to players when it picks up. At $300 a round, Whistling Straits ranks as one of the most expensive courses to play, and one you shouldn’t miss.
Journalist and author. Contributor
