RELATED LINKS Back to Great Golf, Hot Deals

With a maximum weekend price tag of $65 including cart rental, even the most expensive tee times at Rustic Canyon are a real bargain, but for the best deals, avoid weekends and holidays, and consider walking this pedestrian-friendly course instead of renting a cart. The green fee for Monday through Thursday tee times is $35 if you walk, or $47 with a cart, and there's a $5 discount for seniors age 62 and over and for juniors age 17 and under. At twilight, the cost drops to $20 walking, or $27 riding.

The unfortunate dilemma for out-of-towners is that Rustic Canyon only takes reservations a week in advance, so by the time you have your tee time confirmed, you're likely to get gouged on the air fare. That's not a problem if you live within driving distance of Los Angeles, but if you must fly, look for airline deals with no advance-purchase requirement. Remember, it helps to be flexible about flight times, the number of connections, the destination airport and Saturday night stays. Finally, when booking your plane ticket, check for package rates on air/hotel/car combinations that in some cases can be cheaper than purchasing all components of your trip separately.