Goat Hill Park in Oceanside, Calif., is a scruffy patch of hilly land where apparel designer John Ashworth played high-school matches. In 2014, he mobilized to save the 64-year-old course from being turned into soccer fields by taking over the lease from the city and pledged $3.6 million in private funds—raised from sources including Bill Murray, Mark Wahlberg and Kelly Slater—to completely renovate the course. Goat Hill is now an admirable model of sustainable golf, with a new irrigation system using recycled water to serve a 4,800-yard par 65, and a California casual vibe that features audible music and no dress code. “Our place is about fun golf, and especially for a beginner to really feel the game for the first time,” Ashworth says. “All of us who are fighting for munys support each other, and know that whenever a project like this succeeds, it helps public golf everywhere.”