The first golf course in the United States was the Oakhurst Golf Club, established in 1884 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. However, it was a small, informal course that did not host official competitions.
The first official 18-hole golf course in the U.S. was the Chicago Golf Club, founded in 1892 in Wheaton, Illinois. Designed by Charles Blair Macdonald, it set the standard for modern golf courses in the country.
Key Facts About Early U.S. Golf Courses
- Oakhurst Golf Club (1884): Considered the first U.S. course, though not a full 18-hole layout.
- St. Andrew’s Golf Club (1888): Established in Yonkers, New York, it is the oldest continuously existing golf club in the U.S.
- Chicago Golf Club (1892): The first 18-hole course, marking a milestone in American golf history.