Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023
Does the U.S. military own and operate golf courses?
The U.S. military owns 146 golf facilities in 40 states, the District of Columbia and in 11 overseas countries, according to the nonprofit Operation Support Military Golf.
U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., a former Marine, criticized the ownership of non-military assets such as golf courses in a Sept. 29, 2023, interview.
“We can recycle those assets and take the savings and invest it” in training and improved living conditions for troops, he said.
The courses include Monterey Pines in Monterey, California; Carney Park in Naples, Italy; and six courses in Hawaii. None are in Wisconsin.
Sports Illustrated reported in January that the military is one of the top golf course operators in the U.S.
Federal law generally prohibits Defense Department appropriations from being used to run golf courses. Exceptions are made for courses outside the U.S. or in remote locations in the U.S.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Operation Support Military Golf Where Is Military Golf
- WLUK-TV FOX 11 Rep. Mike Gallagher on UAW strike, government shutdown
- Sports Illustrated Golf in the Military Continues to Thrive at a Number of Under-the-Radar Courses
- Cornell 10 U.S. Code § 2491a - Department of Defense golf courses: limitation on use of appropriated funds
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
See all fact briefs
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
Learn MoreLatest Fact Briefs
Did Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel try to repeal the Affordable Care Act?
Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025