As of 2019, there were 38,864 golf courses in the world.[1] TheUnited States is the home to approximately 16,000 of those courses as of 2024.[2] The state with the most golf courses in the United States isFlorida with over 1,200 courses as of 2024, followed byCalifornia with close to 1,000 courses. Alaska has the fewest with 20 and theDistrict of Columbia has five.[3] A study in 2022 found that approximately 75 percent of course are public with the remaining requiring a membership or invitation.[4]
Some of the most notablegolf course architects who are credited with designing or contributing significantly to more than 300 courses includeTom Bendelow andHarry Colt and former professional golfersJack Nicklaus andArnold Palmer.[5]Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is named after architectRobert Trent Jones, Sr. and is a collection of courses he designed in the state of Alabama.[6]Men's major golf championships such as thePGA Championship andU.S. Open have been played at various locations, includingNewport Country Club,Siwanoy Country Club, andTPC at Sawgrass.[7]
The oldest golf course in the United States isOakhurst Links inWest Virginia. Built in 1884, it was designed with traditional Scottish design elements and eventually closed in 2016 due to flood damage.[8] One of the most iconic golf courses isAugusta National Golf Club which has hosted theMasters Tournament since 1933.[9] It is also home of theAugusta National Women's Amateur.[10]
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