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Yes.
The U.S. military owns 146 golf facilities in 40 states, the District of Columbia and 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 nonmilitary 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, Calif.; 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
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