**Exhibit 31.1**

 

**CERTIFICATION**

 

I, Michael C. Pearce, certify that:

 

1.             I have reviewedthis Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Golf Trust of America, Inc;

 

2.             Based on myknowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of amaterial fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statementsmade, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, notmisleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3.             Based on myknowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information includedin this quarterly report, fairly present in all material respects the financialcondition, results of operations and cash flows of the Registrant as of, andfor, the periods presented in this quarterly report;

 

4.             The Registrant’sother certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintainingdisclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and15d-14) for the Registrant and have:

 

(a)           Designed suchdisclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls andprocedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that materialinformation relating to the Registrant, including its consolidatedsubsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularlyduring the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

 

(b)           Designed suchinternal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control overfinancial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonableassurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparationof financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generallyaccepted accounting principles;

 

(c)           Evaluated theeffectiveness of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures andpresented in this quarterly report our conclusions about the effectiveness ofthe disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered bythis report based on such evaluation; and

 

(d)           Disclosed in this reportany change in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting thatoccurred during the Registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the Registrant’sfourth fiscal quarter in the case of an Annual Report) that has materiallyaffected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’sinternal control over financial reporting, including any corrective actionswith regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses; and

 

5.             The Registrant’sother certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recentevaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the Registrant’sauditors and the audit committee of the Registrant’s board of directors (orpersons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a)           All significant deficienciesand material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control overfinancial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect theRegistrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financialinformation; and

 

(b)           Any fraud, whetheror not material, that involves management or other employees who have asignificant role in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 
| August 8, 2008 | /s/ Michael C. Pearce                    |
|---------------------|------------------------------------------|
|                | Michael C. Pearce                        |
| * *            | *Chief Executive Officer and  President* |

 

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