ABSTRACT
The golf industry in the United States has experienced extraordinary growth since 1950. The number of golfers during the period of 1950 to 1998 increased from approximately 3 million to 27 million (National Golf Foundation and McKinsey & Company, 1999). From 1950 to 2000, the number of golf courses increased by 12,000 (Beard, 2002). By the year 2000, there were over 15,000 golf course facilities throughout the country (National Golf Foundation, 2001). Most of these facilities have nine or eighteen holes, but there are a substantial proportion of facilities that have 27, 36, 45, or more holes. In regard to golf course maintenance costs, the estimate for the amount spent in 1996 alone was over $4.5 billion (Beard, 2002).
