How our staffers would spend $1,000 on GOLF’s Prime 100 Programs You Can Play

You would play Shadow Creek in Vegas — however have to get slightly fortunate on the slot machines first. 

Or you could possibly play George Wright 16 instances — and have change left over.

However you could possibly play them, and entry is possibly one of the best a part of GOLF’S newest record of the high 100 programs you may play within the U.S. You want no membership for these gems. Simply cash. And that received us considering:

How would our workers spend a grand on the record?

Would we pay Shadow’s four-figure payment? Or Wright’s two? Our solutions are beneath. For reference, we used the article headlined: “The Prime 100 Programs You Can Play, ranked from most costly to least,” which you’ll learn by clicking right here. (For extra studying, please click on right here for our record of the highest 100 programs within the U.S.) 

How our staffers would spend $1,000 on GOLF’s Prime 100 Programs You Can Play within the U.S. 

STAFFER: Josh Sens 

HOW YOU WOULD SPEND $1,000: A thousand bucks, eh? Is that alleged to cowl my journey bills, too? If that’s the case, I’m staying native in Northern California, buzzing down the coast from my dwelling in Oakland to Pasatiempo ($385) in Santa Cruz, one of many uncommon Alister Mackenzie designs within the nation that anybody can play. The course is about to reopen in mid-December following a inexperienced and bunker restoration undertaking that I’m having a tough time wrapping my head round as a result of it’s troublesome to think about how these greens and bunkers might get a lot better than they had been. I’ll in all probability wait til late spring or summer time for this outing, when the times are longer, which is able to give me time to play 36 on what’s my favourite public course in California. From there, I’ll drive dwelling (complimentary mattress and breakfast), then stand up the following morning and cross the bay into San Francisco for 18 at Harding Park ($125), a significant championship host that occurs to be a muni. The again 9, which loops alongside Lake Merced, is nearly as good a stretch of golf there’s within the metropolis. This two-day itinerary will give me 54 holes on a pair of top-notch programs, every with a vivid sense of place. And it’ll go away sufficient within the finances for me to seize a burrito within the Mission district on my drive dwelling, with additional guacamole, even. 

STAFFER: Dylan Dethier

HOW YOU WOULD SPEND $1,000: I began my very own entry, however then I learn Sens’ and I noticed one thing: I’ll simply double-up on his! One of the best golf journey is one which your buddy plans, in any case. If that journey contains free lodging, 36 at Pasatiempo, an ocean view and a burrito? All the higher. The one factor that considerations me is Sens’ wily sport. Earlier than lengthy, I really feel like he may very well be staring down a 4-for-3 par putt and I’d be down the additional thousand. …

STAFFER: Nick Dimengo

HOW YOU WOULD SPEND $1,000: Don’t get me incorrect — taking part in any spot on GOLF’s Prime 100 Programs is all the time unimaginable, but when I’ve received $1,000 to spend, I’m reserving my tee time at Pinehurst No. 2. Positive, there are many spots with oceanfront views and sprawling cliffs, however I’m selecting the house of the 2024 U.S. Open, the place I noticed firsthand how the format gave one of the best gamers on the earth all types of matches. How effectively would a mid-handicapper like myself handle Pinehurst No. 2, with its globed greens and tough “native areas?” My guess just isn’t nice — however one of the best half about golf is the component of shock, so possibly I’d shoot the spherical of my life and eventually break 80 on the course the place Bryson DeChambeau gained his second main title.

STAFFER: Jessica Marksbury

HOW YOU WOULD SPEND $1,000: Am I the one individual on workers who has but to make the sojourn to Bandon Dunes? That must be rectified, stat! With 4 programs on the Prime 100 You Can Play record (Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Bandon Dunes, Previous Macdonald — all ranked within the high 13!), I might attempt to maximize the worth and get all 4 in for that $1K. Meaning taking part in within the offseason, when the costs are decrease. Resort visitor charges are highest from June by September, at $370 per spherical. However it can save you fairly a bit by visiting in April, when inexperienced charges are $235 apiece — and $235 x 4 = $940! A comparatively smokin’ deal, to be truthful, with room for taxes, too.  

STAFFER: Connor Federico

HOW YOU WOULD SPEND $1,000: This can be a enjoyable sport! Let’s construct an itinerary with as a lot selection as potential, and never a care on the earth for lodging and journey prices. Selection in pure environment, architectural types and price will actually add to our solely hypothetical expertise. Let’s begin with one of the best bang for our buck. Black Mesa ($93) locations us within the New Mexico desert, Rustic Canyon ($104) winds by Southern California mountains, Wild Horse ($75) gives huge views of the Nebraska Sandhills, and George Wright ($62) is a Donald Ross-designed muni simply outdoors Boston. Spending lower than $350 on 4 Prime 100 Programs off the bat now permits for some actual bucket record locations. The Lido ($295), the epic C.B. Macdonald masterpiece revived at Sand Valley Resort, is a must-experience for any golf structure nerd. After that, I’ll take the remainder of my money to the Oregon coast for a crack at Pacific Dunes ($370) and true hyperlinks golf right here within the U.S., bringing this journey’s grand whole to $999.

STAFFER: Josh Berhow

HOW YOU WOULD SPEND $1,000: Since this can be a enjoyable train and it doesn’t should make sense logistically — if you need these journeys, I already created eight Prime 100 street journeys you may take — I need to get not less than just a few rounds in, which suggests Whistling, Pebble, and so on., are out. I’ll splurge and spend $420 at Sheep Ranch, because it’s the one Bandon course I’ve but to play, after which drop $265 at Chambers Bay (as you may see, I’m a sucker for a view). I’ll then head to South Carolina for a $120 tee time at Caledonia, after which end off my itinerary with rounds at Lawsonia Hyperlinks ($99) and Wild Horse ($75). That leaves me $21 to spend on a brat and beer.

STAFFER: Zephyr Melton

HOW WOULD YOU SPEND $1,000: I’d begin my thousand-dollar splurge with a spherical at certainly one of my favourite programs, Pasatiempo ($385) in Santa Cruz, Calif. With the remaining ~$600, I’d purchase as a lot merch as I probably might from the professional store — I child (sort of). The Loop at Forest Dunes ($195) has been on my bucket record for some time, so I’d should knock that one out on this boondoggle. Assuming I might play the reversible course ahead and backward on a single inexperienced payment, I’d have about $400 remaining. With that, I’d head to the sandhills of North Carolina for a spherical at Pine Needles ($305), certainly one of Donald Ross’ most underrated designs. I’d take my closing ~$100 down the street to Pinehurst and spend it on a fast spherical on the Cradle ($50), with the remaining funds going to cocktails on the porch overlooking No. 2’s famed 18th inexperienced. 

STAFFER: Jack Hirsh

HOW WOULD YOU SPEND $1,000: Figuring out that every certainly one of these programs is good, I might begin by splurging on two premium programs earlier than scattering the remaining among the many least expensive choices to make sure I stretch that $1,000 so far as I can. To start out, I’m going to make a trek out to Bandon as a result of I’ve been on property as soon as earlier than and received to play solely Bandon Trails as a part of a match. So I’ll add Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Previous Mac and Sheep Ranch to the touch all of them. Usually, this could be way over $1,000, however we’ll go in March, when the speed is simply $200 for resort visitors, with a replay fee of $100. Positive, we might get chilly, 40-degree days, however we have now virtually the identical probability of getting sunny-and-65 climate. I’ll accept something within the higher 40s and 50s, although. We’ll spend two days, play 36 every day and get to tee it up at 4 Prime 100 public programs for $600. Now let’s make that $400 final. We’ll begin with the most affordable possibility on the record, George Wright in Boston ($62), as I’m all the time a fan of Ross munis, having grown up close to Jeffersonville in PA. Subsequent, we’ll go to Wisconsin and play Lawsonia Hyperlinks ($99), the most affordable possibility on the Prime 100 record, public or non-public. Lastly, we’ll head over to the East Coast to play each Bethpage Black ($140) and Crimson ($90) through the week. That leaves us $9, which sadly will get you solely a sizzling canine at most of those locations, besides possibly George Wright.

STAFFER: Nick Piastowski 

HOW WOULD YOU SPEND $1,000: What’s the value of postage as of late? No matter it’s, simply divide it by our quantity so I’d know what number of letters I’d have to write down to Chairman Ridley asking for Augusta membership. Kidding, kidding. I’m from Wisconsin, however have sadly but to play Erin Hills ($455), so I’d begin there. Then let’s go quantity, as a result of if that is on the corporate dime, I would like max vacay, too. So we’ll play Wright ($62), Wild Horse ($75), Black Mesa ($93), Lawsonia (Hyperlinks) ($99), Bethpage (Crimson) ($100) and Rustic Canyon ($104) — and have $12 left over, which we’d spend on a beer and a brat on the meals shack on the flip at Lawsonia.