Cheapest Public Golf Courses in St. Louis, Missouri

Over the past couple of years I have probably played more golf than I have during my life so far. When I was a teenager I used to go up to a little driving range near my house and whack a few balls when I got out from school. I was never really a fan of miniature golf and used to cringe when a date suggested that we go and play it. Putting a golf ball into a wooden mill just never had any appeal to me. I also never really followed the game that much except for the occasional Saturday afternoon when there was nothing else to do but semi-snooze in front of the television screen. Then my friend Patrick started talking about going down to Arkansas and playing with his uncle Scottie Pippen, the ex basketball player. Now I was a terrible gaffer and still am, but I really couldn't suck that bad if I was going down to play with a few celebrities now could I? So Patrick and I started playing a few times a month to get into shape just in case we ever get to go.

St. Louis has some premier golf courses and there are a lot of them but it's never really had a national reputation for golf. The last major tournament here was in 1992. But now, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, (www.stltoday.com) the Bellerive Country Club will host the 2008 BMW Championship in September. The course was shut down for a year to receive a $10 million makeover for the event, which will bring top players like Mickelson and Tiger Woods to the course, affectionately nicknamed "the Green Monster."

There are some very expensive private golf clubs in the St. Louis area, some of them designed by world-class golf course designer Robert Trent Jones. But some of them cost upwards of $30,000 to join and monthly fees in the several hundred dollars range. The public courses vary widely in difficulty and price. So where are the best places to go for the golf-challenged with very slim budgets like me? Here are a few that will keep you entertained for an afternoon without breaking the bank. Or at least they are good for a couple of practice rounds before you get to play at a better course:

Ballwin, 9 holes, par 36, 3,155 yards. Green fees here are $15, not the absolute cheapest, but not bad. Carts can be rented for $6 for 9 holes. The course is in West County on Holloway Road near Baxter. 636-227-1750.

Family Golf, 9 holes, par 27, 1,124 yards. Green fees are $10 for 9 holes. This fee goes up a buck on the weekends. Cart rental is $10. The course is located on Marshall Road, east of 141 and 1.5 miles south of Big Bend. 636-861-2500.

Cottonwood, 9 holes, par 36, 3,335 yards. Green fees are $10 on the weekdays and $12 on the weekends. Cart rental is only $5. The course is located in Briarwood Estates off of Highway Y near 21 in South County. 636-337-8803.

Creve Coeur, 9 holes, par 35, 3,008 yards. Green fees are $13 during the week, $15 on the weekends. Cart rental is $6. The course is near Highway 270 and Olive on Creve Coeur Executive Parkway. 314-432-1896.

Tower Tee, 18 holes, par 54, 2000 yards. Green fees are $9 for 9 holes on the weekends and 410 on the weekends. No cart rentals are available. 314-481-5818.

Triple A, 9 holes, par 35, 2,847 yards. Green fees are $14 on weekdays and $16 on the weekends. Cart rental is $6.50. The course is located at 5163 Clayton near Forest Park. 314-652-6698.