4 ms·

In the USA they are overwhelmingly public and are desperate for customers. The handful of private ones near me are also desperate for new members, and several

In the USA they are overwhelmingly public and are desperate for customers. The handful of private ones near me are also desperate for new members, and several country clubs have ended up closing. Considering some of the golf courses that have closed around me ended up being converted into Amazon distribution facilities, I am not terribly excited about the idea of more golf courses closing.

crossroadsguy 3mo ago
Were those private lands/properties? Because in my country a lot (if I can't say 'most') are actually on public land with weird and disgustingly cheap leases which can be closed at a finger snap but somehow very few Govts have tried it because every Govt have ministers (and of course bureaucrats) who are members there or made members there, and then there are their kids and families etc. So no they can't be turned into building constructions really, I mean assuming the limits of corruption in my country. Because technically anything can be sold if we go down that way. Also, my city is reclaiming lakes, demolishing illegal constructions and parks are also being reclaimed and cleaned up etc. Not perfect, far from it, but it's a start and no, that Amazon Warehouse thing I am not expecting to see here. People are divided strongly on religious and ideological lines here but everyone's tempers run high whenever Govt tries touching a public land, green patch, and now we just take matters into our hands whenever that happens.
- trollbridge 3mo ago
  It’s private land. There are a handful of government owned golf courses (sort of like parks that have tennis courts), but they are not common.
- matkoniecz 3mo ago
  > Were those private lands/properties? In my city (Kraków, Poland) there was attempted to waste enormous amount of public land and turn it into private golf course, funded from public money. It seems it was stopped after protests from citizens.
contubernio 3mo ago
In the USA as elsewhere golf courses are incredible wastes of water and false green spaces that would function better as green spaces were they actually parks open to the public they serve the wealthy. What is different is that in the US there is very little real (operational) worry about waste of water (or other resources) - at least compared to other places - and there is lots of space compared to other places.
- trollbridge 3mo ago
  That is an overly broad generalisation. Where I live, golf courses aren’t irrigated at all - they just rely on rainwater, like every other farm does. One of the golf courses near me has tee times for $10. I do not consider that something that only “serves the wealthy”. They also periodically close the course and open it up for RC plane enthusiasts. Another one you can easily go for a walk in - I often do. It is effectively a public space.
  - gnz11 3mo ago
    Irrigation isn’t the only concern but also the loads of herbicides and pesticides that get dumped on them.
    - trollbridge 3mo ago
      … which also happens if the land were people’s lawns, were farmland, or commercial space with lawns.
      - deleted 3mo ago
        [deleted]
      - gnz11 3mo ago
        Yes, that’s also a problem too.
  - scotty79 3mo ago
    The spot you live in might be an outlier. Golf courses in US use half a trillion gallons of fresh water annually.

crossroadsguy 3mo ago

Were those private lands/properties? Because in my country a lot (if I can't say 'most') are actually on public land with weird and disgustingly cheap leases which can be closed at a finger snap but somehow very few Govts have tried it because every Govt have ministers (and of course bureaucrats) who are members there or made members there, and then there are their kids and families etc. So no they can't be turned into building constructions really, I mean assuming the limits of corruption in my country. Because technically anything can be sold if we go down that way. Also, my city is reclaiming lakes, demolishing illegal constructions and parks are also being reclaimed and cleaned up etc. Not perfect, far from it, but it's a start and no, that Amazon Warehouse thing I am not expecting to see here. People are divided strongly on religious and ideological lines here but everyone's tempers run high whenever Govt tries touching a public land, green patch, and now we just take matters into our hands whenever that happens.

trollbridge 3mo ago
It’s private land. There are a handful of government owned golf courses (sort of like parks that have tennis courts), but they are not common.
matkoniecz 3mo ago
> Were those private lands/properties? In my city (Kraków, Poland) there was attempted to waste enormous amount of public land and turn it into private golf course, funded from public money. It seems it was stopped after protests from citizens.

contubernio 3mo ago

In the USA as elsewhere golf courses are incredible wastes of water and false green spaces that would function better as green spaces were they actually parks open to the public they serve the wealthy. What is different is that in the US there is very little real (operational) worry about waste of water (or other resources) - at least compared to other places - and there is lots of space compared to other places.

trollbridge 3mo ago
That is an overly broad generalisation. Where I live, golf courses aren’t irrigated at all - they just rely on rainwater, like every other farm does. One of the golf courses near me has tee times for $10. I do not consider that something that only “serves the wealthy”. They also periodically close the course and open it up for RC plane enthusiasts. Another one you can easily go for a walk in - I often do. It is effectively a public space.
- gnz11 3mo ago
  Irrigation isn’t the only concern but also the loads of herbicides and pesticides that get dumped on them.
  - trollbridge 3mo ago
    … which also happens if the land were people’s lawns, were farmland, or commercial space with lawns.
    - deleted 3mo ago
      [deleted]
    - gnz11 3mo ago
      Yes, that’s also a problem too.
- scotty79 3mo ago
  The spot you live in might be an outlier. Golf courses in US use half a trillion gallons of fresh water annually.