Best stay and play options for a budget golfer??

[-GoldenHawk-]

Fly to Phoenix. Stay in Scottsdale. Not necessarily as "Stay and Play," but many good options within a 15 minute drive. Scottsdale is nice and cheap in summer. You can stay at many of the nice resorts for less than $100 a night. Decent hotels under $75 a night. Places like Papago are solid and reasonable in the summer.

 

Found a condo basically all to myself for 4 nights in Scottsdale. Under $175 total.

 

Air BnB is a godsend. Any areas like Phoenix as far as affordable places? I'm making a nice list here. Thanks guys!

[BG5]

Gaylord Michigan - Treetops Resort - 5 golf courses......early season rates for 1 nights stay and 2 days of unlimited golf = $119

 

Primetime rates = 1 nights stay and 2 days of unlimited golf = $150

[DanMN]

Sounds like you've settled on Phoenix - really can't go wrong with that.

 

For a future trip, keep in mind that Northern MN is within 6-8 hours of basically all of Iowa. Giants Ridge has two great courses (The Quarry and the Legend) and the Wilderness at Fortune Bay is only about 45 minutes away. Make Giants Ridge your home base (they have hotels or rental houses/condos). Golf is in the $60-75 per round range for some great courses. Terrific spot for a summer or early fall getaway. Northland Country Club in Duluth would be on the way, and while private, would be worth trying to get on.

[eboettne]

Don’t sleep on Minnesota either. Wilderness at Fortune Bay, Deacons Lodge, Giants Ridge all fantastic stops and very afforable

 

I'll 2nd Northern MN, 6-7 hr drive from Iowa. My friend and I do stay and play every year up there. 37th hole special includes 18 on The Legend, 18 on The Quarry and lunch in between, think it was about $160 last year. After that drive 40 minutes up to stay at Fortune Bay Casino and play 36 holes at the course The Wilderness at Fortune Bay the next day. Stay and Play is $150-170ish I believe and you have a casino to boot. It doesn't get more Northern MN woods away from it all feel then that. Plus I believe all 3 courses are in top 100 public courses in the country. When compared to Sand Valley and a few other WI options prices don't compare. We can do a long wkd trip for under $500 guy and play 4 rounds at 3 world class courses.

[BirdieRoll]

I gotta chime in here! You don't go south in the summer with all the heat and/or heat and humidity. Northern Minnesota will have the best weather in the country that time of year and there is a ton of great golf that is very affordable compared to other parts of the country.

 

Add in that you can drive there, it's a no-brainer.

 

Twin Cities has great public golf all over town (join boxgroove.com for free to play privates) or you can go to the Brainerd Golf Trail (google it, it's 2.5 hours north of Mpls) for all sorts of options (Cragun's, Madden's, Deacon's Lodge among others) or further north you can hit the trifecta of The Wilderness (my favorite course in MN, The Legend and The Quarry). Stay n Play options galore.

 

Sand Valley is another great option but that trip's cost will be double what a trip to MN will be.

 

Winter months, yes, head south. Summer? Minnesota is the easy choice for an Iowa golfer.

[-GoldenHawk-]

Safe to say Minnesota sounds like an oasis. Will probably have to do it. Going to start planning and getting rates in the next month or so. I won't be able to make the trip until mid to late July probably.

[BirdieRoll]

Also worth noting about northern Minnesota, it is light out forever that time of year. Example: in Brainerd, MN on July 21: sunrise 5:45am, sunset: 9:01pm.

 

That's A LOT of time to play golf.

[keeponlivin]

Northern Michigan would be a good affordable option with decent flights into Traverse City great stay and play golf options at Boyne with Bay Harbor and like 8 or so other tracks go play Arcadia or splurge on Kingsley thats close. Forrest Dunes is great for a day trip from there with The Loop and FD for 36. Tons of great lakes to fish and wine country as well. You will not be dissappointed

[-GoldenHawk-]

Northern Michigan sounds fun too. More like 8-9 hr drive as opposed to 6.5-7 for Northern MN. I would love to camp too, but I just don't have any kind of tent or anything!

[zer0]

If you don't mind the heat, off season summer rates in St. George Utah are outstanding.

[USAF Retired E7]

Sand Valley in Wisconsin

Sand Valley Golf Resort

 

 

or

 

Sand Hills in Nebraska

 

 

Either would depend on what part of Iowa you are in but both are bucket list courses and driving to them could save you some $$ vs flying.

 

Great, thanks! I love Wisco, I'll check it out.

 

If you want great value golf in Wisconsin, I would hang out in the quad formed by Wisconsin Dells, Nekoosa, Stevens Point and Green Lake.

 

Right now, Nekoosa is big because of Sand Valley. But one mile away is an older 36-hole complex called Lake Arrowhead which is very nice.

Some fine courses around the Dells. I really enjoyed Northern Bay at Castle Rock, an 18-hole course with 6-8 replica holes which are well done (including #17 at TPC).

In Stevens Point, you have Sentry World, which will be pricy but just underwent renovation, For a bit less, Stevens Point Country Club is decent.

In Green Lake, you'll find Lawsonia. Gets rave reviews from the Chicago crowd here, but I'm not as much a fan. But, their 36-hole special on the Links and Woodlands is like stealing.

Fun pubs and restaurants nearby Green Lake and a few hotels and B&Bs. If you choose to stay closer to Point, consider staying in Plover, which is home to Mikey's Pub and O'So Brewing and several small chain hotels.

 

Another fun spot for value golf in Wisconsin is Minocqua area with Northwoods in Rhinelander, Timber Ridge in Minocqua, St. Germain and Eagle River.

 

Agree with much of this. Wild Rock in Wis Dells is a great track. Trappers Turn is in the Dells, nice, but tough. Northern Bay is about 45 minutes north of there and fun to play with the replica holes. University Ridge in Madison would make a great add to your trip!

 

Green Bay has Thornberry, the LPGA plays there. Nice course. Royal St Patricks is just down the road and is great. Lawsonia Links is one of my favorite courses.

[gotaholen1]

If you are on a tight budget, stay in state and go to Spirit Hollow in Iowa. Fun place, and a nice experience for a stay and play.

[mallrat]

Here in Bend, Sunriver has a stay and play for a tad over $100 a night I believe. You will get 1 round at Crosswater and the other courses are fun but nothing special. You also will be near a lot of good-outstanding courses depending on what you want to spend

[Goiter]

https://sweetgrassgolfclub.com/packages/perfect-4-some/

[moonshine]

The RTJ Trail in Alabama is a good choice and typically budget friendly...

+1 used to meet guys from Oregon to Canada...can't beat the golf and conditions for the money. Atlanta airport 89 miles from Grand National.

[dongn5]

FYI Florida golf is very expensive in the months October to April. A lot of public courses charge $100+ for a course that is worth $20.

[TK3]

Have you tried the RTJ Trail in Alabama? I bet the plane tickets would cost as much if not more than your weekend of lodging and golf....and the golf is fantastic.

[1b!ggolfnut]

Forest dunes in northern Michigan would be my pick. Hard to get without driving 3+ hours from Detroit