Bay Curious
Bay Curious
KQED
Why So Many Golf Courses in Public Parks?
16 minutes Posted Aug 27, 2026 at 10:00 am.
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Show notes
Bay Curious listener Mary Newsom went on a lot of walks during the coronavirus pandemic. While hiking in the Oakland and Berkeley hills, she noticed that wildlife had come back to the golf courses located in East Bay parks. But once shelter-in-place lifted and golfers were back at it, all she saw were golf balls -- everywhere. It made her wonder, why are there so many golf courses in public parks in the Bay Area? Do they help the parks financially?
Additional Resources:
Why Are There so Many Public Golf Courses in the Bay Area?
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Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Sarah Wright. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.
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