Winter Golf Trip - US

General Discussion
#1

Hey everyone!

Hope the holidays are going well for folks.

As I approach mid-December here in Minnesota, the golf itch starts building again and I start looking to go somewhere for a long weekend to play golf.

Last year, a couple buddies and I spent 3 days in Tucson playing golf and that was great.

Curious what other areas people might know if that has reasonably priced golf ($100 or less) that’s decent. Scottsdale always turns me off with the exorbitant pricing but I’m open to more reasonable pricing and locations.

As far as destinations I’m looking at now, I’m looking at flights to New Orleans, Austin, Fort Myers, Miami, Palm Springs, San Diego, San Francisco, Houston and Orlando.

I’m not too familiar with the golf in these areas and am open to other locations. Curious what you all had for thoughts and good places to look.

Thanks y’all!

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#2

It would be tough to get cheaper than orlando. Abundant housing and car rentals and plenty of golf courses.

Not sure what factors would drive your decision.

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#3

Weather in Houston is nice, this time of year, and golf can be very good if you’ve reciprocal access, but I really can’t recommend tourists come here at this time. I’ve told my own family not to come down here.

As far as the public golf goes, and I’m not an expert, it’s… all right. Memorial Park is excellent. Gus Wortham has its parts that are quite good. The original Tour 18 is in a suburb of Houston, and is a lot more fun than it should be. My understanding is that courses like the Wilderness in Lake Jackson (a bit of a drive from Houston) are very good. There are several courses here that have held PGA Tour events (Shell Houston Open before Jim Crane spent the $ to fix up Memorial, and move it there) and Champions Tour events. Think there’ve been Senior and LPGA events here too.

So we’ve decent courses. Destination level for someone flying from Europe though…ehhh.

EDIT: Scratch that. No idea why I thought you lived in Europe. Where in Minnesota are you from? If it’s Minneapolis, come on down; the crime here is nowhere near as bad as I’m reading and hearing that it is there. Though we are trying…

Interesting things to see and do non-golf wise too. The Museum of Fine Arts and the
Menil Collection are world-famous. Houston’s the best food city in America. No kidding. Good to great shopping, too. It’s just really dangerous right now.

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#4

Lol it’s kind of Scandinavia Light up here!

I live in St Paul and we set a yearly record for homicides already at the end of November. Not trending in a great direction.

I think we’d be fine driving around to town to those various courses and it’d be four guys so I’d feel better regarding the crime vs. bringing my young family down.

I appreciate the ideas we we build this as.

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#5

I think Orlando is a front runner right now for all the reasons you just mentioned. I’m not sure what the golf rates run around February-March. I may be spoiled now after going to Tucson last March and paying $60-$75 a round for pretty great golf.

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#6

Lots of affordable golf in orlando. Some say its boring golf but i say it i can play golf in shorts in jan or feb im happy. If i make too many birdies i still wont complain :rofl:

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#7

We’re heading back to the Tampa area after skipping last year’s trip. We’d like to go to AZ or other points West at some point, but FL is nice for us as we’re East Coast and can fly out early AM and play golf that afternoon. Plus we’re able to do the trip pretty inexpensively as far as airfare and rooms go. The golf is probably the most expensive part.

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#8

Is your list composed of cities that you can reach by nonstop flights only? If not, I’d add Myrtle Beach to your list. Golf and hotel rates drop significantly from December to sometime in February, the weather can be good–there are the occasional days when it struggles to get out of the 40s but just as many days are upper 50s to low 70s–and there are a number of good courses under $100.

If you’re looking at three days playing, you could probably play Tidewater, Prestwick, and Arcadian Shores for an average of $100 per round with some of these courses offering replay rates at less than $50. Stay an extra day, and you can throw in the TPC or Arrowhead or one of the three courses at The Legends for approximately the same price.

I like San Francisco and the Monterey Peninsula, but of all of the options you’ve mentioned, I’d be hard pressed to build an inexpensive trip there. Whether you’re talking about hotels, rental cars, restaurants, or golf, something will be expensive–although you might be able to find seasonal specials at the two courses at the Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay or the Links at Spanish Bay that would get you close to but on the high side of $100, I like Pacific Grove Golf Links at less than $60, and there are also deals at the Bayonet/Black Horse complex that might get you down below $100. Keep in mind, though, that the Pebble Beach Pro-Am runs the week of January 31 to February 6–good if you’d like to see the pros, bad for prices and probably course availability, even off the Pebble Beach property.

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#9

I’m also planning a trip to Orlando, but for late January. Did you pick any courses yet? I’m trying to figure out where to play.

#10

I’m headed to Pasadena next week for the Rose Bowl (#GoUtes)…probably a once in a lifetime for a Utah fan. Any suggestions on courses to play around Pasadena/Anaheim that are affordable and accessible to the public?

#11

Angeles is fun to play and close enough I think. Been awhile but wasn’t super pricey if I remember right.

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#12

Here’s what I settled on

Hawk’s Landing Golf Club
Mystic Dunes Golf Club
Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course
Southern Dunes Golf & Country Club
Shingle Creek Golf Club

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#13

That’s a good set of courses. It’s been awhile since I played at Southern Dunes, but I loved it when I was there.

#14

Vegas is supposed to be great for $100 dollar golf within 1 hour of the strip

An austin trip would be Barton Creek and horseshoe bay… resort courses with $150 to $300 green fees… they take care of the courses* but they are not my favorite layouts (I am really spoiled… know people at most of the clubs in town since I grew up here)

The exception is fazio canyons at BCCC which I think is awesome

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#15

I spend 3 months in Mesa Az. every Winter. I play Dobson Ranch and other Muni type courses for $50/60 a round two to three rounds per week. There are some cheap flights using Allegiant into Mesa Airport from various cities. Find your own lodging and make your tee times 2 weeks prior and you’ve got a low cost get-away.
You can add a premium course in the area if you like.

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#16

I love the BBH courses - came down to the Bay Area for work or training for 4 or 5 years in a row around 2012 to 2015 and always made the time to go play 36 at least once each trip. I know I’m in the minority but I think I like Black Horse better than the more popular Bayonet course. I always thought they were great compliments to each other and then the last time I was there, the greens on Black Horse were firm and probably a foot faster than Bayonet. That course played so good in those conditions and a nice one to two club that day really made you bear down and find ways to get the ball onto greens. The last couple of trips down, I also squeezed in a couple rounds at Pasatiempo which is just special; the Mackenzie bunkering and green complexes make it a must-play and that back nine doesn’t have a bad hole.

I’m hoping to get back there this summer to hit the same courses.

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#17

I had a friend who lived in Santa Cruz for many years and played Pasatiempo several times. It’s a great course with only one downside in my opinion–the 18th is a par 3, and I’m not much of a fan of a finisher as a par 3. Nevertheless, it’s a tough hole that is probably a terror in match play competitions.

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#18

Just got back from Tampa. $49 each way from Hartford on Southwest. We do a relatively inexpensive trip. Played Carrollwood, Fox Hollow, Westchase and Southern Hills Plantation. All nice, but Southern Hills is nicest IMO. One of our group got stuck there after flight was cancelled and played the TPC which he says we need to do at some point.

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#19

That’s fantastic! Sounds like you guys got in a lot of good, not-terribly-expensive golf, and got to make some great memories to boot.

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#20

Yes it’s been a lot of fun. We’ve done Tampa area 2018, 2019, 2020 and now 2022. Flight is usually cheap and we’ve done Air BnB or condos at Carrollwood for a decent price. Rent 2 minivans and January greens fees are much less than Feb. Was told Southern Hills doubles in price!!!

I would like to stay at some resort where we just stay there and golf, eat and drink without driving around, but all the ones I’ve looked at are pricey. We did Disney in 2017 I think, but it was just 4 of us and we had points for rooms. That was nice not to need rental cars or a designated driver.

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