I live in upstate New York, just about every town has a golf course. I personally love the game, but I honestly don't think their that bad for the environment up here. For many people it's their third place.

Like we get plenty of rain, and most I've been to are nestled near the edge of the forests. The APA regulates the shit out of what you can do. And it's really not much of a waste of land. If I want to go for a hike or trail run, I have dozens within biking distance and maybe even 100 within 30 minutes of driving.

It's farms and their cow shit fertilizer releasing gass and it's runoff polluting the watershed that's doing the most damage around here. But like I say, the APA does a pretty good job most of the time.

Lets replace golf courses with mini-golfs and parks!

Two golf courses nearby have closed down and are being rehabilitated by the National Park that claimed the land or however they got it. IIRC one of them was family-owned for four generations, but the last owner was in his mid-twenties and got in way over his head, and committed suicide on one of the greens.

Sucks about the circumstances, but otherwise I love to see it

The only benefit to society I can see for golf is that it provides a reliable source of consistent standardized ammunition for my golf ball cannon.

Golfers play baseball?

Americans: What the fuck is "kilometers"?

Great places to pitch tents.

Hectares or acres

A good walk spoiled and they won't even let you walk on a number of courses. Have to use the little electric cars.