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Having lived in Florida for more than a decade, I have been fortunate to play more than 160 of the state's golf courses - the vast majority of them being municipal, daily-fee or resort layouts that anyone can access. My job has led me to some really solid golf courses that get extra credit for keeping their green fees low, either in absolute terms or relative to what I have felt they could charge.
Keep in mind that I haven't been everywhere (yet); the main list in this piece might look a little incomplete. So I will provide a wishlist, based on my research and what I've heard from others, of courses that I suspect have the potential to sneak into this list in the future. If you're a well-traveled Florida golfer, I hope you'll point out any oversights in the comments below.
Tim's top 10 value golf courses in Florida
This list is in alphabetical order.
Brooksville Country Club - Brooksville
Current maximum green fee: $55
Latter-day updates to this 1970s original by Bobby Weed and a run of otherworldly back-nine holes through a quarry make this a hidden gem, just around the corner from Cabot Citrus Farms. New ownership has plans to make some changes, though, which could mean the chances to play it for less than $60 are running out.
Deltona Club - Deltona
Green fee: $53
Another public course that has benefited from Bobby Weed's keen eye for strategic golf, Deltona has struggled with conditioning at times but still gets kudos from golfers willing to look past a bit of scruffiness. One recent review sums it up: "Fun course to play. Interesting elevation changes. Lots of sand. Course needs TLC. Greens were top dressed and fertilized in spots. Bunkers are not in great shape. But overall I like this course not because of the course conditions but because it is very enjoyable to play."
Fort Myers Country Club - Fort Myers
Green fee: $100 ($70 walking)
A three-digit green fee might seem out-of-place for a "value" golf course, but considering it's just $70 to walk an expertly restored Donald Ross original that sits in a charming location surrounded by the city, it's a bargain compared to Florida's many indifferent $150+ courses.
Mount Dora Golf Club - Mount Dora
Green fee: $54
Golfers who can stand a bit of quirk will adore Mount Dora, as will those who appreciate its unique origin story: it was built after World War II by and for returning veterans. It's a testament to golf's healing power. Small greens, hilly terrain and tree-lined fairways make it fun for anyone, with a distinct and unapologetic throwback vibe.
New Smyrna Golf Club - New Smyrna Beach
Green fee: $63
New Smyrna is one of Donald Ross' last courses; the first nine was built in 1948 (the year of Ross' death) and the second nine opened in 1953. Few changes - save for a modest refresh in 2016 - since then mean the course remains true to itself: fun but unfussy, with tricky greens that make it punch above its modest weight (less than 6,600 yards from the tips).
Pinecrest Golf Club - Avon Park
Green fee: $52
Despite the club's claims, historians have found that original Firestone architect Bert Way laid the course out, not Donald Ross. No matter - Pinecrest's sinewy layout, which includes an interlude through active citrus groves, is an enjoyable stop off Florida's beaten path for golf. And Kay, the course's Director of First Impressions, is one of the friendliest and most welcoming people a golfer could hope to encounter upon entering a pro shop.
PINECREST GOLF CLUB
— Tim Gavrich (@TimGavrich) May 11, 2024
Avon Park, Fla.
Bert Way, 1926
$38
Course #620
Hidden gem! Not Ross like they claim, but who cares? 31 flavors of 380y-400y par 4s, good mix of par 3s and gettable par 5s with pleasingly pushed-up greens. Quiet and unfussy. One of Florida’s best values. pic.twitter.com/K10iHsxyEH
Riviera Country Club - Ormond Beach
Green fee: $63
This public course near Daytona Beach, family-owned since its inception in 1953, is a throwback in the best way. They don't have any online booking mechanism, and historically have not taken specific tee time requests, instead opting to let certain numbers of groups come out at certain times of the day and tee off when ready. That unfussy approach extends to the golf course, whose small, pushed-up greens provide plenty of interest throughout the shortish but charming 6,300-yard layout.
Sandhill Crane Golf Club (The Nest) - Palm Beach Gardens
Green fee: $84 ($54 walking)
Florida is home to a number of good short courses, and The Nest, which opened in 2023, might be the toughest of all of them, often feeling as rigorous as a "big" golf course but stripping out the driving demands. Even still, you'll hit almost every club in your bag, and you'll knock more than an hour off of the normal pace of play. While the peak green fee is a little on the high side, considering the cost of most other South Florida public golf, it's a solid value, buoyed by the quality of the course.
Sandridge Golf Club (Dunes) - Vero Beach
Green fee: $62
Call me a homer, but the more courses I see around Florida, the greater appreciation I have for the 36-hole county facility about 15 minutes from my house. Sandridge's Dunes Course is a fun late-80s Ron Garl design that remains in really good shape year-round in spite of the amount of play it gets. The back nine is where the course earns its name, with several holes on sandy ridges. With friendly people and an above-average practice facility, it's a great community asset.
Winter Park 9 - Winter Park
Green fee: $29 (9 holes)
Florida's O.G. "Munaissance" project, rehabbed by Riley Johns and Keith Rhebb and reopened in 2016, is a masterclass in economical but deeply impactful golf course renovation, showing that first-rate course design does not need to be exorbitantly expensive to execute or enjoy. Located in the heart of town, WP9 is a true "country club for the people."
Florida value golf course wishlist
Even though I've played so many golf courses around the state, I feel at times as though I've barely scratched the surface. Our recently-released Golfers' Choice list of Florida's most popular golf courses gives me some ideas, as has my research over the years
Blackstone Golf Course - DeFuniak Springs
Green fee: $54
On top of "DeFuniak Springs" being fun to say, I've heard good things about this tree-lined course that is just 15 years old.
Clewiston Golf Course
Green fee: $51
Clewiston fancies itself "America's Sweetest Town" because it's home to U.S. Sugar. But it's the 1929 Stiles & Van Kleek-designed golf course that I've been hankering to see ever since I learned about it.
The Country Club at Silver Springs Shores - Ocala
Green fee: $50
Postwar architect Desmond Muirhead was one of 20th century golf's great characters, so any chance to play one of his courses is one I am inclined to seize.
Deer Island Country Club - Tavares
Green Fee: $77
This course came in at #4 on our Golfers' Choice list for Florida. I feel inclined to go see what all the fuss is about at this Joe Lee design northwest of Orlando.
Diamond Hill Golf Course - Dover
Green fee: $79
A friend of mine calls the 9th hole here the best bunkerless 600+-yard par five he's ever played. That alone is enough for me to want to visit.
Lake Venice Golf Club - Venice
Green fee: $79
This 27-holer enjoys a unique spot between preserve land, a municipal airport and the Gulf of Mexico.
Ocala Golf Club - Ocala
Green fee: $44
I've been through Ocala but haven't had the chance to play its muni of record, but I did stop by once while passing through and it was all I could do to avoid teeing it up. Peak green fees under $50 are very rare in Florida these days.
Redland Golf & Country Club - Homestead
Green fee: $75
Seemingly everything is expensive in and around Miami, so when I discovered that this course was laid out by Red Lawrence, who also designed the fun Miami Shores Country Club, it catapulted onto this list.
Wakulla Sands Golf Course - Crawfordville
Green fee: $72
Dan Schlegel's complete redesign of this course south of Tallahassee intrigues me - particularly its use of broad sandy areas to help filter water back into the aquifer above which the course sits.
Water Oak Golf Club - Lady Lake
Green fee: $58
In 2023, this course was revamped by John Sanford and David Ferris, who mixed in several C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor template holes and greens with some originals.
Comments (4)
Tim, I’d love to host you sometime at my home course, the Ocala Golf Club!
I'd love that, Alan. Ocala is high on my list of places to play in Florida!
I haven't played the Sandridge golf courses for years, but they are excellent picks for enjoyable, good quality, and affordable layouts--the kind most golfers can play regularly when they find them.
Articles like these can be very helpful to those paying attention. I just played four Florida courses, three of which were under $100, and found that its difficult to discern in advance which ones are worthy of the "better value" label. Next year when I come back, I'll certianly see if I can work in some of your other recommendations.
Glad to hear it, Tom. I look forward to your thoughtful reviews as always!