Celebrate America with Golf in National Parks

July 4 2010, 3:11pm

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY, fellow Americans. I hope you’re having a safe and enjoyable Independence Day weekend. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns called the national parks America’s best idea in his PBS miniseries by the same name. Brought to my attention by Janeen Driscoll, formerly of the Pinehurst Resort, here’s another good idea: golf in national parks.If you’re visiting a national park this summer, you might want to pack the golf clubs. Following are a handful of national parks that have one or more golf courses within their boundaries, some constructed nearly a century ago.Anacostia National Park, District of ColumbiaThe Langston Golf Course is an 18-hole course that includes a driving range. More infoYosemite National Park, CaliforniaThe Yosemite Golf Course is a 9-holer that was built way back in 1918, five years before Bobby Jones won his first major. More infoGlacier National Park, MontanaGlacier Park Lodge Golf Course is also a 9-hole track that has the oldest grass greens in Montana. It was built in 1927 by the Great Northern Railway. More infoRocky Mountain National Park, ColoradoThis is the place to play if you want to maximize yardage on your drives. The altitude at Rocky Mountain National Park ranges from 7,500 to 14,259 feet, and there are three public golf courses to choose from. One is a 9-hole executive course. More infoThere are also a large number of golf courses within driving distance of America’s 392 national parks. And if there’s no room for golf clubs in the car because of too much luggage or camping equipment, you can often rent or borrow a set. I’ve been known to do that on occasion.−The Armchair Golfer(Image: bingpoint-uk/Flickr)