Spring golf destinations are crowded and expensive. Summer golf trips are hot, sweaty, crowded and expensive.

But fall golf trips are refreshing, not very crowded and more affordable than you might realize.

Sure, the PGA has closed down for the season, but it’s time for you and your golf buddies to shine on the 18th green. We’ve carefully examined the U.S. map, consulted the Farmer’s Almanac and called all the local pro shops. And we’ve worked hard to whittle all the fall golf options down to the top three golf destinations.

Alabama Golf Trips

The Heart of Dixie wins tee box honors primarily for its famed 26-course Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Boasting 26 courses across 11 sites, the Trail is the largest golf course construction project. Ever. The namesake and designer of the Trail, Robert Trent Jones, Sr., is among the most prolific course architects of all time, designing and enhancing more than 500 golf courses spanning the globe. The hallmark of Jones’ courses is their challenge, as the designer rampantly and very purposefully incorporated hazards to stoke high-risk play and course gamesmanship. ⁽¹⁾ That said, the Robert Trent Jones Golf trail is known for accommodating players of all skill and experience levels. Weather wise, the often brutal Alabama summers give way to moderate and enjoyable fall afternoons. All you need to worry about when planning fall golf trips are the rain, which peaks in October, and hurricane season, which runs from May to October. ⁽²⁾

South Carolina Golf Trips

Perhaps no other state features as many golf destinations within its borders. The Palmetto State claims Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head and Kiawah Island, all primo golf trips in their own right. It’s good enough to net South Carolina Golf Digest’s No. 2 ranking among all 50 states. Check out The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island on the right side of Halloween, and the water may still be warm enough to swim in after a long day on the links. (The average ocean temperature is 80F in September and 70F in October). ⁽³⁾ Ranked the best public course in the country and 25th among all U.S. golf courses, The Ocean Course played host to the 2012 PGA Championship and features dramatic, game-changing winds. If you can’t make it out to The Ocean Course live in person – or simply want to scout it before future golf trips – see it in "The Legend of Bagger Vance" via Netflix or Redbox.⁽⁴⁾ Oh, and few things complement the perfect round of golf like some jazz. Kiawah Resort is the home of Earl Klugh’s Weekend of Jazz in early November. Book early; rooms sell out quickly.

West Virginia Golf Trips

One of the best parts of the fall golf experience is witnessing the changing seasons against dramatic backdrops. Humming “Take me home, country roads” while staring at a postcard-esque image of the Appalachian Mountains and free-falling leaves can make even the most frustrating triple bogey tolerable. Sure, you might want to pack on an extra layer – the mercury in West Virginia will sit a bit lower than in Alabama and South Carolina – but the payoff is playing against the awe-inspiring backdrop. So where will you play? It has to be The Greenbrier, right? The venerable 100-year-old resort and its courses are West Virginia’s biggest celebrity draw and the home to a regular PGA Tour stop and Tom Watson’s pro-am. Of course, amateur hackers of all abilities are invited, too.

The list of stellar fall golf trips goes on. Hawaii and Nevada, among the top two golf destination states, are great spots to play all year long. But that’s almost cheating when it comes to picking the best fall spots for golf. After all, this is your one chance to play the country’s best golf courses without breaking a sweat or fighting back that shiver. And Alabama, South Carolina and West Virginia each have a value-priced golf adventure awaiting you.