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Not even a strong golf economy could save dozens of golf courses from closing this year.
Golf rounds in the United States through October are up 3.3 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, according to Golf Datatech, which surveys thousands of courses to track the health of the game.
Even so, golf courses of all sizes and pedigrees - resort courses, short courses, nine-hole courses, country clubs - closed for various reasons this year. Proposed new housing projects continue to be the no. 1 enemy of golf courses around the country. The 27-hole Gilbertsville Golf Club in Pennsylvania, the nine-hole Spotswood course at Golden Horseshoe Golf Club in Virginia and Maplecrest Country Club in Wisconsin are just a few that have all been sold off for redevelopment.
Annual golf course closures have soared past 100 every year since the Great Recession started in 2006. The National Golf Foundation reported in March that the equivalent of 105 18-holes courses closed in 2022, a 62% decrease from the peak of the supply correction in 2019. Then in April, the NGF noted that this trend of heavy closures in the golf industry is likely "coming to and end".
"Since 2006, there’s been a net decline of about 2,200 18-hole equivalent courses, or roughly 13% of the world’s richest national supply," the NGF wrote in its April e-newsletter. "But consider that over the same period 550+ new 18-HEQ courses opened, 1,500+ reconstructions and/or major renovations were completed (and) 250+ golf courses were ‘resurrected’".
Most of the golf course closings these days are in communities where land is ripe for redevelopment or they are lower-end public courses that struggle financially because they're located in remote areas or in an oversaturated market. These golf courses are affordable and convenient for locals, but most die-hard players won't put up with their mismanagement, lack of amenities or aging facilities. The renovated, redesigned or resurrected courses and new clubs replacing them are a significant upgrade in most cases.
Here are the 10 best golf courses to close in 2023:
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Melreese Golf Course at International Links, Miami, Fla.
![Melreese GC at International Links]()
A sunny day view from Melreese Golf Course at International Links Melreese GC at International Links The Melreese Golf Course at International Links was a municipal course treasured by the community and home to a First Tee chapter, but the high-powered influence of soccer legend David Beckham won out.
The course closed in March to be developed into Miami Freedom Park, which will include a 25,000-seat soccer stadium, at least 750 hotel rooms, a 31.4-acre retail area, an office park with hundreds of thousands of square feet of space and a 58-acre public park according to this NBCSports.com article. Professional golfer Erik Compton and 20-time LPGA Tour winner Cristie Kerr learned the game at Melreese, but that pipeline of growing the game is now gone forever.
Which golf course that closed recently will you miss the most? Let us know in the comments below.
![Mauna Kea Golf Course]()
December 16, 2020 -
Links Course at Shenandoah Valley, Front Royal, Va.
There's still plenty of golf at Shenandoah Valley, which once had 63 holes. The Links Course was slated to be developed into a housing project until the course owner pulled the rezoning request, according to a local report. The future of the land remains uncertain.
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George Fazio Course at Turtle Bay Resort, Oahu, Hawaii
![Turtle Bay Resort - George Fazio]()
The George Fazio Course at Turtle Bay Resort - a past host of Senior Skins games and the LPGA Tour - has been closed since the pandemic. Courtesy photo The George Fazio Course at Turtle Bay Resort - always somewhat of a secondary experience compared to the more celebrated Palmer Course - hasn't reopened since a 2020 pandemic closure. A resort spokesperson said there is "no set time" for it to reopen, so it's probably long overdue to be included in this story.
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Sanctuary Golf Club, Canton, Ohio
![The Sanctuary GC]()
A view over the water at The Sanctuary Golf Club. The Sanctuary GC The communities of Canton, Akron and the rural rolling land between Cleveland and Columbus has seen a rash of course closures in the last decade. The death of the Sanctuary Golf Club (4.1) caught many by surprise. It ranked among the top 22 courses in Ohio in Golfers' Choice five times since 2017.
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The Natural at Beaver Creek, Gaylord, Mich.
![The Natural at Beaver Creek Resort: #15]()
Looking back from the 15th green at The Natural at Beaver Creek Resort The Natural at Beaver Creek Resort I had a love-hate relationship with the Natural at Beaver Creek. The 6,330-yard course designed by prolific Michigan architect Jerry Matthews (and Ray Hearn) had a beautiful setting roaming some wonderfully hilly northern Michigan terrain.
Unfortunately, there was so much target golf that it was hard to have fun playing it. It didn't make my list of my 10 favorite Matthews courses when he passed away in 2022. The Gaylord Golf Mecca - home to resort options at Treetops, Otsego Club, Michaywe Pines, etc. - still features plenty of quality choices without it.
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Maplecrest Country Club, Kenosha, Wis.
![Maplecrest CC: Practice area]()
A view of the practice putting green at Maplecrest Country Club. Maplecrest CC Dating to 1929, the Maplecrest Country Club (3.8) sadly closed just a few years short of its 100th anniversary. Many golfers can relate to the words from GolfPass golfer 'Pippers' in his October review - "The staff ... informed us that a housing developer HAS bought the property and will destroy the beautiful landscape for the good of corporate greed. It’s the American way… the rich get richer and leave the rest of us in their wake. Goodbye Maple Crest. We have surely enjoyed years of fun. Thank you!!"
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Nueva Vista Golf Club, Midland, Texas
![Nueva Vista GC]()
A view of green protected by sand at the Nueva Vista Golf Club. Nueva Vista GC The Nueva Vista Golf Club (4.1) was a local favorite, but when the owner retired, no one stepped up to buy the 6,900-yard course. One of the final GolfPass reviews from June noted the course was in decent condition: "Greens are in good shape, tee boxes hit or miss, fairways hit or miss. What grass is there is good grass but at least they take care of the greens. One of those “it is what it is” courses. Great driving range, friendly staff, friendly cashier in the snack bar. Overall not bad for public west Texas golf if you get a good deal on price."
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The Club at Blackthorne, Jeannette, Pa.
![The Club At Blackthorne: #6]()
A view of fairway #6 from The Club At Blackthorne The Club At Blackthorne The Club at Blackthorne was originally set to be an 18-hole Arnold Palmer design when the money dried up. Nine holes opened in 2005, playing as a 2,904-yard par-33 routing that got strong reviews (4.1).
"I recently moved to Pittsburgh, less than a month ago," reads the final GolfPass review from fall 2022. "After playing a handful of local courses Blackthorne easily is my favorite. The course was in excellent condition and the pace of play was phenomenal." Although the golf course is gone, the clubhouse is still being used as a banquet/wedding venue.
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Green Meadow Golf Club, Hudson, N.H.
The 36-hole Green Meadow Golf Club in New Hampshire is slated to become a Target distribution center, according to a local report. The newer Jungle course (3.7) was better than the Prairie (4.5) according to this 2014 GolfPass review from 'FloridaCoastGolf' - "The Jungle has a fun layout and is personally better than the Prairie. It definitely provides a challenge for most golfers, and the fairways and greens are in good condition. This used to be my home course until moving to Florida. Overall, an exceptional course."
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The Claw at the University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla.
The sun has set on The Claw golf course at the University of South Florida. Courtesy of The Claw at USF The final GolfPass reviews show The Claw (2.4 stars) has been in serious decline for a while. What's sad, though, is college courses tend to be incubators for young golfers who are dabbling in the game thanks to more affordable student rates. Taking a job at my college course - Eagle Crest in Ypsilanti, Mich. - is the only reason I became a golfer. Now thousands of college kids at the University of South Florida won't get the same opportunity.
Comments (3)
We have many courses in my area that have been gobbled up by land developers. Golf courses are a magnet to these unscrupulous people.
It seems striking that all 36 holes at Green Meadow GC (#9) will end up as one apparently massive distribution center, but the Nashua retail district has expanded for decades. The two courses were somewhat above average. I agree with the reviewer that the Jungle was the better and more interesting one.
As for George Fazio's Hawaiian layout, it was probably a good one. I've played three of his layouts--all very solid and challenging--and consider his work underrated. His "Legacy" course in Port St. Lucie, FL is outstanding.
The Fazio had the best short par 4 on property and some solid ocean views. It would be nice to at least keep nine holes open or redesign it into something cool.