The most expensive golf courses in the world include Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, where a round was reported at about $1,250 in 2024, TPC Sawgrass, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst No. 2, Wynn Golf Club and Whistling Straits. At Pebble Beach, the published green fee is $695 from April 2026, before cart, caddie and the required resort stay.
Green fees at top courses change almost every year, and many also require a hotel stay, a caddie or a cart. The figures below are the latest published or reported numbers we could confirm, with the year noted. Treat them as a guide and check the course website before you plan a trip. For more travel ideas, see our travel section.
Quick facts: green fees at the world’s most expensive golf courses
| Course | Location | Reported green fee | Source year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Creek | Las Vegas, USA | About $1,250 | 2024 |
| TPC Sawgrass (Stadium) | Florida, USA | About $920 at peak, with caddie | 2024 |
| Pinehurst No. 2 | North Carolina, USA | About $788, with resort stay | 2024 |
| Pebble Beach Golf Links | California, USA | $695 plus resort stay | 2026 |
| Wynn Golf Club | Las Vegas, USA | About $650 | 2024 |
| Whistling Straits | Wisconsin, USA | About $550 | 2024 |
| Kingsbarns Golf Links | Fife, Scotland | About 418 pounds | 2024 |
Figures for 2024 are as reported by Golf Monthly in March 2024. The Pebble Beach figure is as reported by The Golf News Net in February 2026.
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10 most expensive golf courses in the world
1. Shadow Creek, Las Vegas, USA
Shadow Creek opened in 1989 and was built by casino developer Steve Wynn on flat desert land. Designer Tom Fazio reshaped the site with hills, streams and thousands of trees, so the course feels nothing like the desert outside its walls.
Access is limited to guests of MGM Resorts hotels, and the fee includes a caddie and a limousine transfer. Golf Digest reported a rise to $1,000 in peak season in 2021, and Golf Monthly put the fee at about $1,250 in 2024, the highest public price of any course on this list.
2. TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course), Florida, USA
The Stadium Course, designed by Pete Dye, hosts The Players Championship every year. Its 17th hole, with a green surrounded by water, is one of the best-known holes in golf.
Golf Monthly reported a peak-season rate of about $920 including a caddie in 2024. Rates are lower in the hot summer months.
3. Pebble Beach Golf Links, California, USA
Pebble Beach runs along the cliffs of Carmel Bay on the Pacific coast. It has hosted the US Open several times, most recently in 2019, and is scheduled to host it again in 2027.
According to The Golf News Net, the green fee was $675 until 31 March 2026 and is $695 until 31 March 2027. To book more than two days ahead, players must stay at least two nights at a Pebble Beach Resorts property. A cart fee is extra.
4. Pinehurst No. 2, North Carolina, USA
Pinehurst No. 2, designed by Donald Ross, is the most famous of the courses at the Pinehurst Resort. It hosted the US Open in 2024 and is set to host it regularly in the coming years.
Golf Monthly reported a fee of about $788 in 2024, with a minimum resort stay. Packages that bundle rooms and several rounds are common.
5. Wynn Golf Club, Las Vegas, USA
Wynn Golf Club sits behind the Wynn Las Vegas resort on the Strip. It reopened in 2019 after a redesign and is one of the few golf courses in the middle of the city.
Golf Monthly put its fee at about $650 in 2024. It is open to the public, though resort guests may get priority tee times.
6. Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, USA
Whistling Straits has two Pete Dye courses, and the Straits course runs along the shore of Lake Michigan. It hosted the 2021 Ryder Cup, which had been postponed from 2020, and several PGA Championships.
Golf Monthly reported a fee of about $550 in 2024. Walking with a caddie is the norm on the Straits course.
7. Kingsbarns Golf Links, Scotland
Kingsbarns opened in 2000 on the coast near St Andrews and quickly became one of Scotland’s most sought-after modern links. It is one of the courses used for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Golf Monthly reported a peak fee of about 418 pounds in 2024, making it one of the priciest rounds in Europe.
8. Old Head Golf Links, Ireland
Old Head opened in 1997 on a narrow headland near Kinsale in County Cork, with cliffs dropping to the Atlantic on several holes. The RMS Lusitania sank off this coast in 1915.
It is regularly listed among the most expensive rounds in Ireland. We could not confirm a current fee, so check the club’s official site for the 2026 rate.
9. The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, USA
The Ocean Course in South Carolina is another Pete Dye design, known for strong sea winds. It hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup and the PGA Championships of 2012 and 2021.
It sits among the higher-priced resort courses in the United States, and fees vary by season and by resort stay.
10. Spyglass Hill, California, USA
Spyglass Hill opened in 1966 at Pebble Beach, and its holes are named after characters and places in Treasure Island. It is often called one of the toughest courses in the US.
Unlike Pebble Beach Golf Links, tee times at Spyglass can be booked up to three months ahead without staying at the resort, according to The Golf News Net, which makes it a popular alternative.
What makes a golf course expensive
- Limited access: Courses such as Shadow Creek allow only resort guests, which keeps demand high.
- Championship history: Courses that host majors and the Ryder Cup attract golfers who want to play the same holes as the pros.
- Location: Ocean and lake views, and the cost of maintaining courses in such settings, push prices up.
- Extras: Caddies, carts, forecaddies and minimum hotel stays can double the real cost of a round.
Read more about luxury spending and trends in our lifestyle section.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the most expensive golf course in the world to play?
Shadow Creek in Las Vegas is usually named the most expensive, with a reported fee of about $1,250 in 2024, and access limited to MGM Resorts guests.
How much does it cost to play Pebble Beach in 2026?
The green fee is $695 from 1 April 2026, as reported by The Golf News Net, plus a cart fee and, for advance bookings, a minimum two-night resort stay.
Can anyone play at Shadow Creek?
No. Tee times are offered to guests staying at MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas.
Why are green fees so high at famous courses?
High demand, championship history, limited tee times and the cost of maintaining coastal courses all push fees up.
Sources: Golf Monthly, The Golf News Net, Golf Digest.
