Miami Golf Is Now $80 Minimum — Affordable Public Courses are Disappearing Nationwide
FLORIDA — Golfers in Miami-Dade are sounding the alarm — and it’s not over a bad swing. What used to be a relaxing and reasonably affordable hobby has turned into a luxury experience that many locals say is no longer worth the hassle or cost.
According to a post circulating widely in golf forums and social media, tee times in Miami now start at $80 minimum — and that’s for the lowest-rated, least desirable courses in the area. “It looks and feels like a war zone,” one golfer wrote. “And that’s your bare minimum.”
Post-COVID Population Boom Driving Golf Demand
Like many cities across the country, Miami saw a massive population spike after COVID — a trend that brought more residents and out-of-towners alike to local public courses. But unlike some regions with plenty of land and municipal investment, Miami’s golf infrastructure hasn’t kept up.
“There are only a handful of decent courses,” the user explained. “The ‘good’ ones are either booked out or insanely overpriced. And the ones called ‘affordable’ are packed — we’re talking 5+ hour rounds, zero pace awareness, and groups stacked on top of each other.”
The result? A frustrating, expensive, and slow-moving slog.
Affordability and Experience Are Collapsing
What used to be a casual weekly round is now an expensive luxury. The frustration goes beyond the price tag — it’s about pace-of-play chaos, lack of availability, and an overall decline in the player experience.
“You get excited to play and then immediately regret it by hole 3 because the group in front of you has no clue how to move,” the golfer wrote. “It’s a slow, frustrating slog every time.”
They’re not alone. Players across cities like Los Angeles, Austin, and even Charlotte are reporting similar headaches — public courses jam-packed with players, poor upkeep, and high fees.
Some Golfers Dream of Smaller-Town “Hidden Gems”
The poster admits to daydreaming about relocating to a small town — Virginia, North Carolina, wherever there’s space and civility.
“I fantasize about a place with solid muni tracks, $30 tee times, and no crowds. Just me and a couple locals. Paradise.”
In cities like Columbia, South Carolina or Durham, North Carolina, public golf still offers some genuinely affordable options — but locals there fear the same surge could be headed their way.
A National Trend or a Coastal Crisis?
In Miami, unless you’re making six figures, golfing 2–3 times a week is financially out of reach. Even those who can afford it struggle to find a tee time before 5:30 p.m. — well past prime playing hours.
Golfers elsewhere are being asked: Is your local public course still affordable? Or is the Miami experience coming for you too?
Are golf prices and crowding becoming a problem in your area?
Tell us your experience with public courses in the comments at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com — especially if you know a hidden gem or small-town muni that’s still going strong.
