Modern golf was invented in 15th-century Scotland. The earliest written record of the game is a 1457 Act of the Scottish Parliament in which King James II banned golf because it distracted citizens from mandatory military archery practice. But not in the US.
For over one hundred years, Americans have played golf. It’s a life-long activity and played at almost any age.
On which course did Americans first develop a passion for the sport? There is some debate. In some circumstances, general sports clubs or golf clubs existed before golf courses were built.
Other times, courses were private before becoming public or they changed location from the original site. Golf Courses vs. Golf Clubs
Our oldest Public Golf Course: Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course in New York City (opened in 1895).
https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/VanCortlandtPark/highlights/11046
Others take different Kudos for different reasons. The oldest and most historically significant golf properties in the United States include Oakhurst Links (1884, West Virginia), The St. Andrews Golf Club (1888, New York), Foxburg Country Club (1887, Pennsylvania), and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (1891, New York). Pinpointing the single "oldest" depends on whether you measure by founding date, continuous play, or original layout.
