Golf in Pennsylvania
Overview
What golf looks like for retirement in Pennsylvania: where to do it, what the state costs, and the towns that fit.
Course sample
Olde Stonewall Golf Club
Golf ranking
#35
Pennsylvania scores 62/100 for retirement golf fit.
Current weather
Checking current weather
Find places
This page explains golf in Pennsylvania. The sorter handles the local question by city or ZIP.
Golf in Pennsylvania
Mt. Lebanon's historic 9-hole municipal course charges seniors $12 for nine holes on weekdays and $14 on weekends, making it one of many affordable public layouts across the commonwealth. Pennsylvania hosts hundreds of public courses, including several owned by county park authorities in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh metro areas.
Published local price
Pennsylvania public golf rates vary by season and tee time; no single statewide posted rate. Estimate based on typical municipal course fees in the region.
Published range: $20 to $65.
Pickleball Harbor / Pittsburgh area golf listing (representative estimate) · as of 2025Where to go
Golf score
15th of 51 states for retirement golf
Golf score blends year-round playability (34%), playable access (16%), affordability (16%), course pedigree (12%), and statewide course density (22%).
Courses
A sample of marquee courses across Pennsylvania, with where to play and how to book.
Stone bridges and a castle clubhouse over rolling glacial terrain · Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry
A dramatic daily-fee course north of Pittsburgh, with stone-walled holes and a castle-like clubhouse. Anyone can book a tee time, and the conditioning is consistently excellent.
Opened 1999 · $$$ · Slope 149
Climbs hills and valleys with waterfalls near the final green · Pete Dye
A Pete Dye design in the Laurel Highlands, open to resort guests, with big elevation changes and mountain views. It is a splurge round you will remember.
Opened 2017 · $$$$ · Slope 138
Mineral-spring valley layout with holes by Tillinghast and Ross · A.W. Tillinghast and Donald Ross, restored by Ron Forse
A historic resort course in a quiet mountain valley, carrying restored holes from Tillinghast and Ross. The scenery and the spa make it an easy getaway.
$$$$ · Slope 140
Tree-lined holes climbing past Milton Hershey's hilltop mansion · Maurice McCarthy
A classic 1930 layout that plays up to the lawn of the High Point mansion above town. It has hosted PGA and LPGA events over the decades.
Opened 1930 · $$$ · Slope 135
Classic mountain track with wide fairways and small greens · Robert White
A 1928 mountain course at a historic Poconos lodge, with rolling fairways and scenic views. Carts come with the round, so the hills are easy to take.
Opened 1928 · $$$ · Slope 133
Home of the Moat Hole, one of golf's oldest island greens · Alex Findlay, expanded by A.W. Tillinghast
A walkable, history-rich public course in Berks County famous for its old Moat Hole island green. Weekday walking rates stay friendly for retirees.
Opened 1910 · $$ · Slope 122
Links-style township course with five sets of tees · Rick Jacobson
A township-owned links-style course in Bucks County that welcomes walkers and keeps rates fair. It is an easy, well-kept choice near Philadelphia.
Opened 2004 · $$ · Slope 132
We've mapped 12 courses across Pennsylvania so far.
What Pennsylvania costs
Cost of living
98
BEA index, U.S. = 100
State income tax
~1.0% state income-tax planning rate
Social Security
Not taxed
How people start
Most metros list city-run courses with published fee schedules. Those set the affordable floor before any private club enters the picture.
Many courses post a reduced weekday senior rate and a season pass. The difference between pay-per-round and a pass is the number that usually drives the yearly cost.
In warm states the season runs most of the year; in cold ones it is a few months. The yearly cost is rounds-per-year times rate, plus cart and equipment.
Towns in Pennsylvania
Walnut Lane Golf Club in the Wissahickon section of Fairmount Park is a city-owned 18-hole executive course open to the public since 1940 and home to First Tee of Greater Philadelphia; Cobbs Creek Golf Course, another historic city municipal layout on the southwest side, has undergone a phased restoration in recent years.
Walnut Lane Golf ClubCommon questions
Mt. Lebanon's historic 9-hole municipal course charges seniors $12 for nine holes on weekdays and $14 on weekends, making it one of many affordable public layouts across the commonwealth. Pennsylvania hosts hundreds of public courses, including several owned by county park authorities in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh metro areas. Towns like Philadelphia have their own local options.
Pennsylvania has a cost-of-living index near 98 (U.S. = 100), about a 1.0% state income-tax planning rate, and does not tax Social Security. The full state guide breaks down property tax, sales tax, and long-term-care costs, each sourced.
Sources
The life your money is for