PGA Tour courses are some of the nicest courses in the world. Golfing is associated with exclusivity, and many country clubs won’t even allow you to play without a membership. However, some PGA Tour courses actually allow you to play when they aren’t hosting a tournament.
Golf is unique in the way that a non-athlete can say they played at a professional sports venue. No other sport can claim that. Here are some PGA Tour courses that you can actually play and channel your inner Tiger Woods.
Bethpage State Park, Black course
Located near New York City in the Long Island suburb of Farmingdale, Bethpage Black is known as one of the toughest courses to play in the world. The course has hosted numerous high-profile events, including the U.S. Open in 2002 and 2009, The Barclays in 2012 and 2016, and the 2019 PGA Championship. The Barclays also hosted the 2025 Ryder Cup for the first time in its history.
If you live in the state of New York, green fees are surprisingly cheap. It will run you $65 for 18 holes on weekdays and $85 on weekends with discounts during twilight times and for senior citizens and juniors. For a non-resident you will have to pony up more, as the weekday rate is $130 and weekend rate is $150. Tee times are booked on a first come, first serve basis and are available here.
Torrey Pines, South course
Host of the annual Farmers Insurance Open and the 2008 and 2021 U.S. Open Championship, PGA players find themselves playing one of the longest courses on tour. The course is located just outside of San Diego in La Jolla, Calif., on coastal cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The course is named after the rare torrey pine tree, which can only be found along the coastline of San Diego.
Playing the South Course as a non-resident has a weekday rate of $202 and weekend rate of $252. Residents of San Diego have more reasonable green fees with $63 during weekdays and $78 on the weekends. Expect to pay for advanced booking and service fees as well. There are discounts on twilight times and for juniors and seniors. You can book a tee time on their website.
TPC Sawgrass, Stadium course
Home of the PGA Headquarters, TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., has hosted the Players Championship since 1982 on its Stadium course. As of 2020, the Players Championship boasts the biggest purse in golf coming in around $15 million. Commissioner Deane Beman, with the help of legendary golf course architect Pete Dye, designed the course to be well balanced and not favor any style of play.
Green fees are wildly expensive for the famous course and vary by the time of year you play. From June to August the rate is $400 while the September-May rate is $600. If you are looking for more value, the resort offers packages that include lodging accommodations and a round of golf at the Stadium Course. Tee times are available to book here.
TPC Scottsdale, Stadium course
The Stadium course at TPC Scottsdale has hosted the Waste Management Phoenix Open since 1987. It is one of the most attended PGA Tour events, with more 700,000 fans attending in 2018. One of the course’s unique features is the grandstands on the famous par-3 16th hole that holds up to 20,000 people. The tournament’s crowd can be seen in full force during Tiger Woods’ hole in one on the hole in 1997.
During the week the green fees can be as low as $123 and $170 on weekends. Discounts during twilight times can knock the price down to $99 on weekdays and weekends. Tee times can be found on their website.
Picture Credit: Google Creative Commons Licenses, PGA Tour Twitter, J. Liebert
