There are two types of public courses – ultra expensive courses such as Pebble Beach, Pacific Dunes, St. Andrews, etc. The top public courses are ultra-expensive courses and are almost all over $300 a round.
Currently, Pebble Beach is $575 plus cart fee; Pacific Dunes is $295 for resort guest and $345 for day guest; and St. Andrews varies depending on the season from 98 pounds to 270 pounds (this is up 40% in the last year). However, if you are a resident of St. Andrews, the yearly fee is only 340 pounds which allows you to play all of the courses.
However, these are world class courses where majors have been played. None of the Championship courses have had, or are likely to have a PGA tournament.
Then there are the true public courses. These are usually municipal courses where the prices are almost always reasonable.
The link is from 2009. It lists the top municipal course in each state for peak, non-resident walking rates. 36 of them were under $50. And these are the top courses in the state. I don’t think anyone would rank the Championship courses as the top courses in Florida. The top course in Florida was The Links at Boynton Beach. In 2009, the price was $59 for 18 holes. The current price is $65 for 18 holes. Please note that these are for non-residents.
Public Golf: Best Muny in All 50 States | Courses | Golf Digest