Expansion of Golf Courses in the United States*

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Twenty‐five million Americans play golf on the nation's 16,000 courses each year. These golf courses constitute a significant national landscape feature. Since 1878, when the game arrived in the United States, golf has filtered down the urban, economic, and social hierarchies to become accepted by and accessible to most Americans. During the ensuing thirteen decades the number, location, and layout of the nation's golf courses have responded to many of the same driving forces that impacted the nation, including decentralization, growth of the middle class, war, economic depression, suburbanization, and the increasing role of the federal government. Four epochs of golf‐course growth and diffusion show the growing acceptance of the sport and depict where courses were most likely to be constructed as a result of the prevailing forces of each epoch.

• diffusion
• driving forces
• golf
• land use
• recreation

* We would like to thank Donald J. Berg, Lisa M. B. Harrington, and Luanne Napton, as well as the two anonymous reviewers and the editor who, through their substantive critiques, helped to improve this article. The U.S. Geological Survey provided a grant that was used to acquire the Golf Magazine database.

1 Dr. Naptonis a professor of geography at South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota 57007.

2 Mr. Laingenis a doctoral candidate in geography at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506.

* We would like to thank Donald J. Berg, Lisa M. B. Harrington, and Luanne Napton, as well as the two anonymous reviewers and the editor who, through their substantive critiques, helped to improve this article. The U.S. Geological Survey provided a grant that was used to acquire the Golf Magazine database.

1 Dr. Naptonis a professor of geography at South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota 57007.

2 Mr. Laingenis a doctoral candidate in geography at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506.

Notes

* We would like to thank Donald J. Berg, Lisa M. B. Harrington, and Luanne Napton, as well as the two anonymous reviewers and the editor who, through their substantive critiques, helped to improve this article. The U.S. Geological Survey provided a grant that was used to acquire the Golf Magazine database.

1 Dr. Naptonis a professor of geography at South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota 57007.

2 Mr. Laingenis a doctoral candidate in geography at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506.