Show HN: I mapped every US golf course
A new project has mapped every U.S. golf course using OpenStreetMap and other data sources, sparking interest in expanding the dataset globally and enriching it with polygons, practice facilities, and status details like public vs. private. Commenters explore how such a map could support analyses of water use, pesticide exposure, and land policy, contrasting municipal and public-access courses with exclusive, resource‑intensive venues. The conversation also highlights opportunities to contribute corrections, feed improved data back into OSM, and consider broader tradeoffs between recreational amenities, environmental impact, and alternative uses of urban land.
Project & Dataset
- Interactive map of (mostly) all U.S. golf courses; some users check local areas and point out missing or misclassified courses (e.g., closed vs open, “fake” clubs, driving ranges mislabeled as courses).
- Site distinguishes public vs private courses via pin colors/filters; some want membership status more explicit, which is said to already exist but may have inaccuracies.
- Users note interesting patterns (e.g., retirement-community micro‑courses in Florida, remote Alaskan courses).
Planned Features & Expansion
- Requested additions: mini-golf, practice facilities, indoor/simulator golf, polygon outlines, automatic derived stats (e.g., area, hole details).
- Author is interested in satellite/OSM polygons and possibly image analysis.
- Expansion planned to Canada, Mexico, then Europe/Asia after the U.S. pipeline stabilizes.
Data Sources, Quality & OSM
- Sources include OpenStreetMap, golfcourseapi.com, booking sites, and some AI-based deduping.
- Community can submit corrections on-site; these go into an automated + human review queue.
- Multiple users ask about contributing data back to OSM; author intends to eventually, after improving accuracy.
- Some argue OSM already has very rich golf data (courses, holes, bunkers), others say it’s often just coarse polygons and sometimes mislabeled.
Bugs & UX Feedback
- Reports of wrong coordinates, outdated or spammy website links, missing search-by-city, slow initial load, and world-wrapping issues; some fixes deployed quickly (e.g., duplicate-world pins).
Environmental & Land-Use Debate
- Extensive debate about water usage: one side highlights huge fresh-water use by U.S. courses and compares unfavorably to data centers; others stress water source (recycled vs potable) and argue courses can use effluent and aid aquifer recharge.
- Views diverge on whether courses are ecological “lungs” or chemically intensive monocultures; some note use of floodplains/landfills and wildlife habitats, others emphasize pesticides, herbicides, and irrigation.
- Global perspectives: in some countries courses on public land are seen as elitist, colonial-era privileges displacing broader public uses; others fear closures leading to warehouses or luxury housing instead of parks.
- Debate over turning urban courses into parks or housing, with concerns that “public interest” redevelopments eventually end up as high-end real estate.
Economics, Access & Equity
- Disagreement over whether golf is “for the rich”: some cite very low green fees and second-hand clubs; others argue the time cost makes it a privilege.
- Discussion of public vs private ownership, tax breaks (e.g., farm-like rates), and whether booking intermediaries like GolfNow/Booking-style sites extract excessive rents from small courses.
Health Concerns
- Some suggest correlating courses with Parkinson’s and cancer incidence.
- Links shared to research on pesticide exposure and Parkinson’s, including studies specific to golf-course environments; causality is discussed but not settled in-thread.