How many acres are required for a golf course?

Since each golf course is different, there is a broad range of area needed to design and build a regulation length golf course. There are some very nice eighteen hole courses in Westchester County, New York on about 100 acres. Nearly all were built before World War II, but still on land that was valuable at the time and availability was shrinking. Many of these courses stretch the limits of what is considered a safe design today, but the membership is accustomed to them, and this is an important factor. Likewise, all of these courses would not have been built today as they are because of the regulatory process. Permitting for wetland impacts alone would have caused larger tracts or lesser golf courses. For these reasons, do not assume that because there is a course near you on 100 or 125 or even 140 acres that you can build one on that size of parcel as well.  more