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Show HN: I mapped every US golf course

golfcoursebrowser.com

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Re: Show HN: I mapped every US golf course

#111

Post by vel0city »

cantalopes wrote: post #45

This map just shows how terrible more priviledged people are and destroy our environment for their rich boi "fun"

The courses around me cost like $25-50 for a group tee time reservation. It's pretty cheap to get a set of second hand clubs, my small collection was had for like $75 over the years. You don't have to be rich to play golf.

Plus the golf courses around me are often municipal, they've got some nice bike paths to cut through the urban landscape around and through the links. It's a much nicer ride than along busy streets.

That said I do tend to enjoy disc golf more than traditional golf. I have never had too good of a shot.

Re: Show HN: I mapped every US golf course

#112

Post by trollbridge »

tclancy wrote: post #97
contubernio wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Don’t forget the tax breaks! Some places (many?) use farm rates for the tax rate.

That’s odd, since golf courses aren’t farms. The ones local to me are not taxed at ag rates but are taxed at the commercial rate which is the highest rate.

Amazon’s new data centre, of course, is paying a tiny fraction of that since they negotiated paying less.

Re: Show HN: I mapped every US golf course

#113

Post by tysilva »

I noticed the site is actually quite slow to load on first visit (at least for me). Is it actually loading in all the courses up front?

If so, a better experience would be a landing page where users can search or specify a geographic location - only loading in what is relevant for the query.

Re: Show HN: I mapped every US golf course

#114

Post by trollbridge »

gnz11 wrote: post #79
trollbridge wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 effec…

Irrigation isn’t the only concern but also the loads of herbicides and pesticides that get dumped on them.

… which also happens if the land were people’s lawns, were farmland, or commercial space with lawns.

Re: Show HN: I mapped every US golf course

#115

Post by mark-r »

cmiles8 wrote: post #96
crossroadsguy wrote: post #15

I am not sure how it is in USA but in my country golf courses are abuse of public resources for (almost) private use. For a very few who can lobby enough for renewal of these leases and these are kept out of reach of the normal public, either by rule or by cost, sometimes both. Golf courses are lungs of many of the growing cities, across the world, but I do believe they should not be kept exclusive. Also, this comes…

In the US many golf courses are owned by local governments as part of public parks. Many new courses in the US are also built on non-developable land like former landfills. Not trying to defend all courses, but at least in the US it’s not just uniformly bad.

Within 5 miles of my house are 5 golf courses. I believe only 1 is government owned, by the city.

Re: Show HN: I mapped every US golf course

#116

Post by paradox460 »

contubernio wrote: post #53
trollbridge wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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.

Bothers the snot out of me that I'm told by my irrigation water company that I have to cut back and have a brown yard, meanwhile I drive past perfectly lush green golf courses, with sprinklers dumping more water in 1 hour than I use all season

Re: Show HN: I mapped every US golf course

#117

Post by paradox460 »

parpfish wrote: post #106
lmpdev wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In wealthy parts of the US, maybe The vast majority of the world is nothing like this From Scotland to Tasmania, most courses congregate around already wet and mostly sand/loamy soil (largely unusable for other purposes without major construction) I agree with you for artificial American places like TPC Scottsdale or Wolf Creek GC etc

I find it absolutely insane that there’s a golf course in Death Valley

There are like 3 in St. George Utah, meanwhile nearby lake Powell is nearly empty

Re: Show HN: I mapped every US golf course

#118

Post by aaron695 »

crossroadsguy wrote: post #15

I am not sure how it is in USA but in my country golf courses are abuse of public resources for (almost) private use. For a very few who can lobby enough for renewal of these leases and these are kept out of reach of the normal public, either by rule or by cost, sometimes both. Golf courses are lungs of many of the growing cities, across the world, but I do believe they should not be kept exclusive. Also, this comes…

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