America’s first 18-hole golf course constructed on a sheep farm in Downer’s Grove. Pinterest
Wednesday, July 18th. The first 18-hole golf course in the United States opened on this date in 1893 in Downer’s Grove, Illinois. The course was an expansion of an existing 9-hole facility.
The Chicago Golf Club soon moved to a new course in nearby Wheaton, and the Downer’s Grove course has since reverted to 9 holes. The sport arrived on these shores from Scotland.
Today, nearly 26 million Americans play the game at least once a year at the 11,280 golf courses and country clubs across the nation. These establishments employ over 295,000 people in the nearly $21 billion per year pursuit of what a frustrated player called “a good walk spoiled.”
You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online here.
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