Auburn, Ala. – Myrtle Beach, S.C., has more golf holes per person than any other city in the nation, and Orlando, Fla., is the home of Tiger Woods. But two towns in east Alabama have them both beat.
With at least seven good public courses that charge modest fees, Auburn and neighboring Opelika are an oasis of pure putting bliss in a state that has become a nationally known destination for inexpensive, high-quality golf.
Sure, anybody can go to California and play the renowned Pebble Beach links, but a round with a cart starts at $425, if you are a resort guest.
But 18 holes with a cart is just $55 in the summer at the acclaimed 54-hole Grand National layout in Opelika, and the most expensive course around, the semipublic Auburn University Club, is advertised at $75 tops.
It’s that blend of low prices and carpet-like fairways that Golf Digest cited recently when it ranked Auburn and Opelika – with a combined population of 67,000 – as the nation’s No. 1 spot for public golf. They beat out 329 other golfing cities large and small, including Myrtle Beach (14); Orlando (73); and Augusta, Ga. (36).
Average greens fee in the Auburn-Opelika area is $38.33, according to the magazine, and warm weather means 269 playing days a year. None of the Alabama courses have the reputation of Pebble Beach or Pinehurst. And Auburn’s popular municipal course, Indian Pines, never will be mistaken for Bethpage Black in New York. Plus, the area is just more than 100 miles southwest of Atlanta.
For the money, Golf Digest decided nowhere in the country was better for a long golfing weekend than Auburn-Opelika, better known for college football than doglegs. The magazine ranked cities on the number of courses available to the public, weather, and the quality of courses.
John Karabasz, head golf pro at the $39-a-round Auburn Links at Mill Creek, said his course – about 50 miles east of Montgomery – draws players from all over the region.
“What sets it apart is the number of quality courses in the area.” Jackie Maness didn’t have any competition when he began running Auburn’s first public golf course, Pin Oaks Golf Club. “When I bought Pin Oaks 33 years ago it was the only (course) here aside from the country club,” he said.
Everything changed in 1992, when the state pension system built Grand National, part of Alabama’s popular Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Soon it seemed like as many people were coming to Auburn for golf as for football.
“All over the state, the (Jones) courses have helped promote golf because of the exposure they’ve gotten,” Maness said.
The details
Auburn-Opelika Visitors & Convention Bureau: auburn-opelika.com/ or 334-745-4861.
Auburn Links at Mill Creek: 826 Shell Toomer Parkway, Auburn, Ala.; auburnlinks.com or334-887-5151.
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National: 3000 Sunbelt Parkway Opelika, Ala.; rtjgolf.com or 334-749-9042.
Moore’s Mill Golf Club: 1957 Fairway Drive, Auburn, Ala.; mooresmillgolfclub.com or 334-826-8989.
Saugatchee Country Club: 3800 Bent Creek Road, Opelika, Ala.; 334-749-3441.
Pin Oaks: U.S. 19 South, Auburn; 334-821-0893.
Indian Pines: 900 Country Club Lane, Auburn, Ala., 334-821-0880.
