Golf Ratings · States · Best states for golf
Best states for golf in 2026
Every state ranked for golf overall: the courses, what it costs to play, how much golf there is and how long the season runs. Built from 9 sources. Last checked October 22, 2026.
Golf Digest · GOLF · Golfweek · Supreme Golf · GreenFeeTracker · National Golf Foundation · GolfNow · US Census Bureau · USGA
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1
45 ranked courses, year-round
California
45 nationally ranked courses, 931 courses in all and a year-round season, and the 44th cheapest state to play.
- Ranked courses45
- Cheapest golf44th cheapest
- Courses931
- SeasonYear-round
100/100 -
2
40 ranked courses, 200 to 228 days
New York
40 nationally ranked courses, 843 courses in all and a 200 to 228 days season, and the 9th cheapest state to play.
- Ranked courses40
- Cheapest golf9th cheapest
- Courses843
- Season200 to 228 days
97/100 -
3
28 ranked courses, year-round
Florida
28 nationally ranked courses, 1,095 courses in all and a year-round season, and the 43rd cheapest state to play.
- Ranked courses28
- Cheapest golf43rd cheapest
- Courses1,095
- SeasonYear-round
95/100 -
4
26 ranked courses, year-round
North Carolina
26 nationally ranked courses, 512 courses in all and a year-round season, and the 42nd cheapest state to play.
- Ranked courses26
- Cheapest golf42nd cheapest
- Courses512
- SeasonYear-round
91/100 -
5
15 ranked courses, 228 to 261 days
Ohio
15 nationally ranked courses, 753 courses in all and a 228 to 261 days season, and the 3rd cheapest state to play.
- Ranked courses15
- Cheapest golf3rd cheapest
- Courses753
- Season228 to 261 days
88/100 -
6
14 ranked courses, 214 days
Wisconsin
14 nationally ranked courses, 487 courses in all and a 214 days season, and the 26th cheapest state to play.
- Ranked courses14
- Cheapest golf26th cheapest
- Courses487
- Season214 days
88/100 -
7
23 ranked courses, 214 days
Michigan
23 nationally ranked courses, 809 courses in all and a 214 days season, and the 28th cheapest state to play.
- Ranked courses23
- Cheapest golf28th cheapest
- Courses809
- Season214 days
85/100 -
8
20 ranked courses, year-round
Texas
20 nationally ranked courses, 879 courses in all and a year-round season, and the 21st cheapest state to play.
- Ranked courses20
- Cheapest golf21st cheapest
- Courses879
- SeasonYear-round
84/100 -
9
10 ranked courses, 246 days
Nebraska
10 nationally ranked courses, 224 courses in all and a 246 days season, and the 10th cheapest state to play.
- Ranked courses10
- Cheapest golf10th cheapest
- Courses224
- Season246 days
83/100 -
10
17 ranked courses, 245 days
Illinois
17 nationally ranked courses, 633 courses in all and a 245 days season, and the 4th cheapest state to play.
- Ranked courses17
- Cheapest golf4th cheapest
- Courses633
- Season245 days
82/100
All 50 states
| # | State | Ranked courses | Price | Courses | Season | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 45 | 44th cheapest | 931 | Year-round | 100 |
| 2 | New York | 40 | 9th cheapest | 843 | 200 to 228 days | 97 |
| 3 | Florida | 28 | 43rd cheapest | 1,095 | Year-round | 95 |
| 4 | North Carolina | 26 | 42nd cheapest | 512 | Year-round | 91 |
| 5 | Ohio | 15 | 3rd cheapest | 753 | 228 to 261 days | 88 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 14 | 26th cheapest | 487 | 214 days | 88 |
| 7 | Michigan | 23 | 28th cheapest | 809 | 214 days | 85 |
| 8 | Texas | 20 | 21st cheapest | 879 | Year-round | 84 |
| 9 | Nebraska | 10 | 10th cheapest | 224 | 246 days | 83 |
| 10 | Illinois | 17 | 4th cheapest | 633 | 245 days | 82 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 5 | cheapest | 217 | Year-round | 82 |
| 12 | Georgia | 17 | 24th cheapest | 374 | Year-round | 80 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 24 | 11th cheapest | 670 | 228 days | 80 |
| 14 | Oregon | 15 | 39th cheapest | 200 | 275 days | 79 |
| 15 | South Carolina | 21 | 48th cheapest | 320 | Year-round | 79 |
| 16 | Minnesota | 11 | 15th cheapest | 462 | 214 days | 73 |
| 17 | Arkansas | 3 | 6th cheapest | 201 | Year-round | 73 |
| 18 | Indiana | 8 | 14th cheapest | 428 | 259 days | 73 |
| 19 | Missouri | 6 | 12th cheapest | 329 | 259 days | 71 |
| 20 | Kansas | 3 | 5th cheapest | 253 | 306 days | 71 |
| 21 | Virginia | 7 | 40th cheapest | 312 | Year-round | 71 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | 19 | 36th cheapest | 352 | 228 days | 69 |
| 23 | Iowa | 3 | 8th cheapest | 411 | 229 days | 67 |
| 24 | Tennessee | 5 | 22nd cheapest | 282 | Year-round | 67 |
| 25 | Kentucky | 2 | 2nd cheapest | 264 | 275 days | 66 |
| 26 | Hawaii | 8 | 47th cheapest | 79 | Year-round | 64 |
| 27 | Utah | 5 | 16th cheapest | 128 | 245 to 365 days | 64 |
| 28 | Connecticut | 7 | 13th cheapest | 175 | 229 days | 63 |
| 29 | North Dakota | 3 | 17th cheapest | 112 | 246 days | 63 |
| 30 | Washington | 6 | 41st cheapest | 286 | 259 days | 62 |
| 31 | Mississippi | 2 | 33rd cheapest | 154 | Year-round | 62 |
| 32 | New Mexico | 2 | 25th cheapest | 79 | Year-round | 61 |
| 33 | New Jersey | 20 | 35th cheapest | 294 | 228 days | 61 |
| 34 | Arizona | 13 | 45th cheapest | 281 | Year-round | 60 |
| 35 | West Virginia | 3 | 31st cheapest | 115 | 275 days | 59 |
| 36 | Alabama | 4 | 38th cheapest | 248 | Year-round | 58 |
| 37 | Wyoming | 1 | 7th cheapest | 54 | 214 days | 56 |
| 38 | Montana | 4 | 37th cheapest | 102 | 214 days | 56 |
| 39 | Maryland | 8 | 29th cheapest | 192 | 261 days | 55 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | 4 | 20th cheapest | 64 | 229 days | 54 |
| 41 | Colorado | 10 | 46th cheapest | 261 | 246 days | 54 |
| 42 | Louisiana | 0 | 18th cheapest | 165 | Year-round | 53 |
| 43 | Nevada | 7 | 49th cheapest | 77 | 261 to 365 days | 53 |
| 44 | Idaho | 4 | 27th cheapest | 108 | 259 days | 53 |
| 45 | South Dakota | 1 | 30th cheapest | 121 | 214 days | 50 |
| 46 | Maine | 1 | 23rd cheapest | 139 | 200 days | 50 |
| 47 | Vermont | 1 | 34th cheapest | 58 | 200 days | 45 |
| 48 | Delaware | 2 | price not ranked | 36 | 228 days | 45 |
| 49 | New Hampshire | 0 | 32nd cheapest | 112 | 229 days | 42 |
| 50 | Alaska | 0 | 19th cheapest | 23 | 214 days | 40 |
How we score
The overall list combines the other four: course quality (40 percent, a quarter of it public courses only), price (20 percent), how much golf there is (20 percent, half total courses and half courses per person) and the season (20 percent). Scores run from 40 to 100.
Each part comes from its own list, where the sources and method are set out in full.
Nobody pays to be on this list, and we don't use affiliate links.
Sources
- Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses (2025-26) · America's Second 100 Greatest Golf Courses (2025-26) · America's 100 Greatest Public Courses (2025-26)
- GOLF Top 100 Courses in the U.S. (2024-25) · Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S. (2024-25)
- Golfweek Golfweek's Best 2026: Top 200 Classic Courses in the U.S. (2026) · Golfweek's Best 2026: Top 200 Modern Courses in the U.S. (2026) · Golfweek's Best 2026: Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play (2026)
- Supreme Golf Average 2024 tee time price by state (reported by Today's Golfer) (2024)
- GreenFeeTracker Average public green fees by state (2026)
- National Golf Foundation Average public fees, nine states (reported by Golf Digest) (2025) · US golf course supply by state, year-end 2023 (2023)
- GolfNow Course directory by state (2026)
- US Census Bureau County Business Patterns: golf courses and country clubs (2023) · State population estimates, July 1 2025 (2025)
- USGA Handicap active and inactive season schedule (current)
State outlines: US Census Bureau boundaries, via us-atlas.