Chapter 1 -- Reshaping Southern California

Few regions of the country were as impacted by the country's economic upheavals as was Southern California. The breakup of the Soviet Union led to a significant shrinking of the military-industrial complex and hundreds of thousands of local jobs vanished or were transferred to other parts of the country, an impact that was also felt at the SCGA as total membership declined six percent from 1991 to 1993.

At the same time, however, Los Angeles was becoming the new Ellis Island of America as millions of immigrants passed through the Southland en route to life in the United States. Many of these people stayed in Southern California and became golfers. SCGA membership has grown 13 percent in the past six years.

As has been the case throughout the century, golf course construction in Southern California has followed the economic fortunes of the region. In the early 1990s, during the depths of the downturn, only a few courses opened in the region each year. However, by the end of the century, dozens of new courses have been built, nearly all of which are high-end daily-fee facilities.

Chapter 2 -- Reshaping the SCGA

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