One of the first golf and real estate communities in the US.
Click and it will go big:
Bendelow did River Crest in Ft Worth earlier than that. Of interest is the fact that both places, his intent was to put the golf course in the front yard, across the street. At some point later (and maybe earlier, depending on developer) the trend shifted to putting the golf course behind the houses.
Jeff,
I'd guess that the popularity and eventual preponderance of the automobile was the main reason for that change.
Jim, it may have deeper sociological roots than that, but certainly a lot of parked cars on the street with broken windows had something to do with it. Many older houses had carriage houses, or garages at the back (maybe originally meant for horses) Somewhere along the way, America went from sitting on the front porch and waving at the neighbors to wanting a more private space in the back yard. Maybe the money savings of putting the garage at the front of the house, to avoid a long driveway and cars not necessitating they "hide" the garage/service area as it were contributed to the change. Or maybe they wanted to show off their new cars, or wanted more area for the kids to play in safety away from the cars.
Not sure exactly why, but in landscape architecture school, I recall discussing that big change a few times.