Top Golf, $55 or Less What are the 10 best deals in golf? We solicited input from editors, writers and readers (via Twitter and Facebook) and came up with this list, shown in alphabetical order. The green fee at each course, in peak season, is less than $55 __Aurora, Colo. (not yet rated), Tom Doak, commongroundgc.com, 303-340-1520, $50.__ Rebuilt by Doak, CommonGround will be the companion course to Cherry Hills for the 2012 U.S. Amateur (Aug. 13-19). Farmingdale, N.Y. ½__ | A.W. Tillinghast, nysparks.com, 516-249-0700, $48 (non-New York state residents pay $96).__ This Tilly original is known for its doglegs and long par 4s. Coronado, Calif. __ | Jack Daray Sr., golfcoronado.com, 619-435-3122, $35.__ Just minutes from downtown San Diego, Coronado hosts more than 100,000 rounds a year because of its consistent weather, amazing scenery and great value. Bremerton, Wash. ½__ | John Harbottle, goldmt.com, 360-415-5432, $49.__ It's hard to beat summer's all-you-can-play monthly rate of $250 at this site of the '06 U.S. Amateur Public Links. Pacific Grove, Calif. __ | Jack Neville/Chandler Egan, pggolflinks.com, 831-648-5775, $52.__ Portions of the back nine remind some of Pebble Beach. One difference: You can play it nine times for the price of the No. 1-ranked public course. Farmington, N.M. ½__ | Ken Dye, pinonhillsgolf.com, 505-326-6066, $47.__ Set at the merger of three rivers, this community recreation facility was named best municipal course in the country by Golf Digest in 1995 and 2002. Rome, Ga. ½__ | Arthur Davis, romestonebridge.com, 706-236-5046, $49.__ At the base of the Appalachians, the terrain is flat but unforgiving off the tee. The course features Georgia pines and a 27-acre lake. Saratoga Springs, N.Y. __ | William Mitchell, saratogaspagolf.com, 518-584-2006, $44.__ Toga Town becomes a hot spot every August for horse-racing season, but if you need a break from gambling, this course is a safe bet. Gothenburg, Neb. ½__ | Dan Proctor/Dave Axland, playwildhorse.com, 308-537-7700, $43.__ There are no trees or water on this 300-acre, links-style course on the fringe of Nebraska's Sand Hills. Wind can be a big factor, though. __Gaylord, Mich. (no star rating), Rick Smith, treetops .com, 866-348-5249, $49.__ One of the best par-3 courses in the country, Threetops was the host of ESPN's Par-3 Shootout, where Lee Trevino aced the seventh hole for $1 million in 2001.
