Saving Public Golf: Funding, Philanthropy & the Future of Accessible Courses

To borrow from Bobby Jones, there are two types of golf: golf for the very rich and golf for the rest of us. And they are not at all the same.

Lately, they seem to be diverging even further. A pandemic-era participation boom has fueled an explosion of development at high-end private clubs and destination resorts. While that growth is positive for the game it casts a spotlight on a more complicated reality for municipal golf.

In many places, municipal courses are experiencing a renaissance, with packed tee sheets and long-neglected courses benefiting from smart restorations. The demand is clearly there. However, other public courses are facing significant headwinds, particularly those privately operated in urban markets where land values and labor costs are high. These courses lack the financial cushion of exclusive clubs and often don’t receive municipal subsidies, leaving them vulnerable.

What, then, does the future hold for accessible, high-quality public golf? The question was recently explored on the Destination Golf podcast, featuring architect Jay Blasi.

Blasi, who honed his skills working under Robert Trent Jones Jr., has been instrumental in several public-access projects, most notably in the San Francisco Bay Area. These include the reimagined Golden Gate Park Golf Course (now Golden Gate Par 3) and Poppy Ridge Golf Course, a redesign for the Northern California Golf Association.

Poppy Ridge presented a unique situation. Owned by the NCGA, the course benefited from an owner willing to fund a comprehensive redesign, resulting in a refreshed facility with relatively low prices. Blasi acknowledges this isn’t a common scenario.

The Golden Gate Par 3 project, however, may offer a more replicable model. The renovation was a partnership with the San Francisco chapter of The First Tee, which raised private funds to finance the redo without relying on city coffers. This combination of public land and philanthropic capital, driven by a community mission, is proving successful.

“It gives a clue of what might work,” Blasi said.

Blasi often references an analogy from Bo Links, co-founder of the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance: public golf should be viewed similarly to universities. Colleges don’t solely rely on tuition revenue. they depend heavily on donations from alumni and benefactors.

Examples of this model are emerging across the country. In Augusta, The Patch at Augusta Municipal is undergoing a remake with support from Augusta National Golf Club. In Philadelphia, Cobbs Creek Golf Course is experiencing a sweeping revival backed by private philanthropy, and Normandie Golf Club in St. Louis is also benefiting from similar support.

This isn’t to suggest that all public courses can or should depend on benefactors, nor does it ignore the economic challenges facing operators balancing rising costs and price-sensitive players. However, Blasi’s central point is that the game’s future may depend on finding ways for the “elite” and “everyday” sides of golf to mutually reinforce each other.

“The game of golf has been very good to a lot of people,” Blasi said. “Equipment companies. Fortune 500 companies. There’s probably some affiliation with golf in some shape or form.”

The Texas Golf Association (TGA) is actively working to support municipal golf through its Project Muni initiative, launched in 2025. The program aims to improve course conditions, enhance the player experience, and grow connections with public golfers across Texas. By the end of 2025, the TGA had invested $300,000 into Project Muni, and has committed to a total investment of $1 million by 2029. Project Muni offers two key forms of support: USGA Agronomy Consultation Funding, providing expert on-site evaluations at no cost to the course, and Matching Grants for Strategic Projects, offering TGA-matched funds for course improvements.

The Make Golf Your Thing Grassroots Grants Program, administered by the American Golf Industry Coalition, is also contributing to inclusivity and accessibility nationwide. Launched in 2020, the program has distributed $3 million over six years to 70 organizations reaching underrepresented groups in golf, including Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous communities, as well as women, LGBTQI+ individuals, Veterans, and individuals with disabilities. According to the National Golf Foundation, golf participation reached 47.2 million Americans in 2024 – a 50% increase over the past decade, with ethnically diverse participation growing 44% since 2020 and female participation increasing 41% since 2019.

The future of municipal golf isn’t solely about financial investment, however. As noted in LINKS Magazine, many municipal courses face the challenge of balancing affordable recreation with the need to turn a profit. Approximately 67 percent of all public-agency golf facilities generate enough revenue to cover on-site expenses, but the lack of profitability isn’t necessarily indicative of the overall health of the golf industry.

ensuring the vitality of public golf requires a multifaceted approach – a combination of strategic investment, community engagement, and a recognition that these courses are vital community hubs, providing affordable access to the game for all.