Abstract: In the 1950s, there were almost 5,000 golf courses across the United States.  The majority of them were private and came about with the real estate boom following World War II. By the 1970s, the number of citizens playing golf went from 3.4 million to 11.2 million as families had time and income to put toward recreational activities.  Since 2003, that number has fallen once again and golf courses are needing to find ways to go forward.