Every golfer has their favorite local venue. Whether they go there to play 18 holes, practice their short game, or watch the world’s best, these places can be like a second home to the avid golfer.
But some cities score better for golfers than others. Factors like weather, number of golf courses, and access to equipment make some places more golfer-friendly.
Is your city up to par?
LawnStarter compared the 200 largest cities in the U.S. to find out which are the best for golfers. We evaluated 13 key metrics, including number of courses, number of golf specialty stores, monthly precipitation, and average temperature.
Table of Contents
City Rankings
See how your city and others fared in our ranking:
OVERALL RANK | City | Overall Score | Climate Rank | Golf Courses Rank | Specialty Stores Rank | Practice Facilities Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Scottsdale, AZ | 65.98 | 46 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
2 | Los Angeles, CA | 55.37 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 5 |
3 | New York, NY | 50.74 | 178 | 2 | 17 | 7 |
4 | Anaheim, CA | 49.87 | 7 | 38 | 5 | 1 |
5 | Las Vegas, NV | 48.66 | 39 | 3 | 55 | 85 |
6 | Phoenix, AZ | 46.87 | 46 | 18 | 4 | 8 |
7 | Mesa, AZ | 44.25 | 46 | 28 | 7 | 13 |
8 | Gilbert, AZ | 43.61 | 46 | 22 | 11 | 18 |
9 | San Diego, CA | 42.81 | 1 | 43 | 20 | 19 |
10 | Glendale, AZ | 42.65 | 46 | 36 | 8 | 16 |
11 | Newark, NJ | 41.85 | 172 | 9 | 20 | 9 |
12 | Garden Grove, CA | 40.81 | 7 | 49 | 25 | 26 |
13 | Atlanta, GA | 40.62 | 125 | 8 | 35 | 30 |
14 | Yonkers, NY | 40.29 | 187 | 4 | 84 | 56 |
15 | Dallas, TX | 40.2 | 89 | 13 | 29 | 11 |
16 | Boston, MA | 39.56 | 164 | 5 | 114 | 72 |
17 | San Bernardino, CA | 39.5 | 7 | 161 | 2 | 2 |
18 | San Francisco, CA | 39.23 | 31 | 15 | 102 | 89 |
19 | Glendale, CA | 38.92 | 7 | 42 | 13 | 129 |
20 | North Las Vegas, NV | 38.88 | 39 | 12 | 102 | 140 |
21 | Tempe, AZ | 38.63 | 46 | 26 | 27 | 55 |
22 | Columbus, OH | 38.31 | 139 | 6 | 71 | 112 |
23 | Peoria, AZ | 38.12 | 46 | 76 | 10 | 20 |
24 | Irvine, CA | 38.02 | 7 | 79 | 25 | 27 |
25 | Salinas, CA | 37.89 | 31 | 21 | 114 | 95 |
26 | Long Beach, CA | 37.84 | 30 | 50 | 44 | 59 |
27 | Escondido, CA | 37.41 | 1 | 55 | 50 | 76 |
28 | Fullerton, CA | 37.37 | 7 | 64 | 41 | 41 |
29 | Santa Ana, CA | 37.26 | 7 | 48 | 65 | 70 |
30 | Huntington Beach, CA | 37.15 | 7 | 77 | 36 | 31 |
31 | Paterson, NJ | 36.73 | 176 | 19 | 20 | 12 |
32 | Orange, CA | 36.26 | 7 | 40 | 128 | 119 |
33 | Aurora, CO | 36.23 | 81 | 20 | 38 | 33 |
34 | Chandler, AZ | 35.98 | 46 | 44 | 33 | 62 |
35 | Irving, TX | 35.74 | 89 | 24 | 50 | 25 |
36 | Denver, CO | 35.72 | 81 | 27 | 33 | 29 |
37 | Henderson, NV | 35.38 | 39 | 25 | 144 | 136 |
38 | Orlando, FL | 35.08 | 111 | 14 | 55 | 40 |
39 | Palmdale, CA | 34.93 | 7 | 194 | 9 | 4 |
40 | Chicago, IL | 34.71 | 159 | 29 | 30 | 17 |
41 | Naperville, IL | 34.67 | 159 | 10 | 94 | 64 |
42 | Oxnard, CA | 34.56 | 7 | 112 | 23 | 28 |
43 | Torrance, CA | 34.56 | 7 | 65 | 94 | 106 |
44 | Philadelphia, PA | 34.24 | 127 | 17 | 65 | 34 |
45 | Bridgeport, CT | 33.78 | 132 | 11 | 128 | 115 |
46 | Pasadena, CA | 33.68 | 7 | 92 | 71 | 49 |
47 | Grand Prairie, TX | 33.47 | 89 | 62 | 27 | 14 |
48 | Minneapolis, MN | 33.4 | 157 | 16 | 50 | 46 |
49 | Oceanside, CA | 32.86 | 1 | 102 | 55 | 66 |
50 | Honolulu, HI | 32.77 | 5 | 83 | 65 | 147 |
51 | Houston, TX | 32.74 | 153 | 37 | 44 | 23 |
52 | Lakewood, CO | 32.38 | 81 | 32 | 84 | 70 |
53 | Ontario, CA | 32.28 | 7 | 127 | 36 | 39 |
54 | Austin, TX | 32.2 | 77 | 35 | 71 | 78 |
55 | Arlington, TX | 31.86 | 89 | 54 | 18 | 58 |
56 | Lancaster, CA | 31.67 | 7 | 196 | 14 | 10 |
57 | Moreno Valley, CA | 31.56 | 7 | 142 | 3 | 142 |
58 | Fremont, CA | 31.53 | 31 | 108 | 14 | 83 |
59 | Jersey City, NJ | 31.37 | 187 | 23 | 114 | 35 |
60 | Tucson, AZ | 31.03 | 60 | 56 | 94 | 133 |
61 | Pomona, CA | 30.75 | 7 | 118 | 84 | 68 |
62 | Tampa, FL | 30.46 | 86 | 74 | 23 | 45 |
63 | Plano, TX | 30.4 | 89 | 61 | 48 | 36 |
64 | Jacksonville, FL | 30.26 | 128 | 33 | 50 | 89 |
65 | Fort Worth, TX | 30.25 | 89 | 59 | 65 | 44 |
66 | Detroit, MI | 29.83 | 110 | 51 | 55 | 52 |
67 | San Jose, CA | 29.82 | 31 | 117 | 84 | 53 |
68 | Joliet, IL | 29.65 | 159 | 89 | 16 | 15 |
69 | San Antonio, TX | 29.63 | 67 | 60 | 71 | 86 |
70 | Pittsburgh, PA | 29.35 | 131 | 39 | 128 | 54 |
71 | Washington, DC | 29.31 | 100 | 46 | 128 | 75 |
72 | Riverside, CA | 29.3 | 7 | 155 | 38 | 47 |
73 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 29.25 | 129 | 30 | 65 | 147 |
74 | Indianapolis, IN | 29.24 | 155 | 34 | 94 | 82 |
75 | Santa Clarita, CA | 29.16 | 7 | 164 | 6 | 163 |
76 | Arlington, VA | 28.84 | 100 | 53 | 50 | 102 |
77 | Hayward, CA | 28.71 | 31 | 108 | 114 | 107 |
78 | Frisco, TX | 28.64 | 89 | 73 | 79 | 48 |
79 | Pembroke Pines, FL | 28.62 | 112 | 71 | 42 | 38 |
80 | St. Paul, MN | 28.41 | 157 | 31 | 128 | 126 |
81 | Santa Rosa, CA | 28.29 | 7 | 152 | 48 | 67 |
82 | Alexandria, VA | 28.23 | 100 | 57 | 128 | 80 |
83 | Cincinnati, OH | 28.21 | 150 | 47 | 55 | 80 |
84 | Oakland, CA | 28.2 | 31 | 120 | 71 | 103 |
85 | Chula Vista, CA | 27.72 | 1 | 156 | 128 | 78 |
86 | Garland, TX | 27.55 | 89 | 80 | 71 | 57 |
87 | Corona, CA | 27.19 | 7 | 144 | 144 | 128 |
88 | Seattle, WA | 27.12 | 71 | 106 | 38 | 51 |
89 | Portland, OR | 27.1 | 74 | 86 | 79 | 73 |
90 | Providence, RI | 27.06 | 196 | 41 | 157 | 69 |
91 | Cape Coral, FL | 26.79 | 174 | 45 | 79 | 130 |
92 | Miramar, FL | 26.67 | 112 | 88 | 42 | 42 |
93 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 26.63 | 7 | 148 | 128 | 135 |
94 | Charlotte, NC | 26.43 | 103 | 75 | 102 | 77 |
95 | Aurora, IL | 26.23 | 159 | 52 | 157 | 116 |
96 | Akron, OH | 26.13 | 167 | 66 | 102 | 61 |
97 | Laredo, TX | 26 | 67 | 195 | 190 | 3 |
98 | Miami, FL | 25.98 | 112 | 82 | 65 | 62 |
99 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 25.83 | 112 | 70 | 114 | 103 |
100 | Fontana, CA | 25.83 | 7 | 156 | 144 | 134 |
101 | Bellevue, WA | 25.73 | 71 | 100 | 84 | 94 |
102 | St. Petersburg, FL | 25.63 | 86 | 81 | 102 | 140 |
103 | St. Louis, MO | 25.53 | 146 | 78 | 55 | 91 |
104 | Hollywood, FL | 25.52 | 112 | 71 | 144 | 107 |
105 | Overland Park, KS | 25.47 | 135 | 63 | 114 | 123 |
106 | Augusta, GA | 25.43 | 149 | 58 | 144 | 150 |
107 | Elk Grove, CA | 25.41 | 57 | 163 | 30 | 50 |
108 | Sunnyvale, CA | 25.3 | 31 | 143 | 157 | 139 |
109 | McKinney, TX | 25.28 | 89 | 122 | 47 | 37 |
110 | Rochester, NY | 25.05 | 142 | 68 | 102 | 113 |
111 | Milwaukee, WI | 25.04 | 151 | 90 | 84 | 43 |
112 | Baltimore, MD | 25.03 | 144 | 67 | 157 | 117 |
113 | Kansas City, MO | 24.85 | 135 | 69 | 114 | 121 |
114 | Pasadena, TX | 24.83 | 153 | 132 | 30 | 22 |
115 | Stockton, CA | 24.73 | 55 | 170 | 157 | 32 |
116 | Mesquite, TX | 24.72 | 89 | 95 | 144 | 97 |
117 | Vancouver, WA | 24.61 | 74 | 116 | 84 | 84 |
118 | Worcester, MA | 24.29 | 200 | 119 | 19 | 24 |
119 | Hialeah, FL | 24.07 | 112 | 98 | 71 | 88 |
120 | Cleveland, OH | 23.86 | 148 | 85 | 114 | 74 |
121 | Thornton, CO | 23.61 | 81 | 115 | 144 | 87 |
122 | Nashville, TN | 23.2 | 169 | 87 | 84 | 92 |
123 | Albuquerque, NM | 23.17 | 62 | 121 | 182 | 181 |
124 | Sacramento, CA | 23.14 | 57 | 154 | 94 | 114 |
125 | Springfield, MA | 22.78 | 164 | 111 | 44 | 65 |
126 | Newport News, VA | 22.41 | 104 | 96 | 128 | 183 |
127 | Kansas City, KS | 22.4 | 135 | 97 | 114 | 125 |
128 | Durham, NC | 22.39 | 120 | 103 | 94 | 120 |
129 | Omaha, NE | 22.27 | 133 | 91 | 102 | 157 |
130 | Louisville, KY | 22.23 | 163 | 84 | 128 | 160 |
131 | Reno, NV | 22.09 | 66 | 125 | 157 | 173 |
132 | Sunrise Manor, NV | 22.01 | 39 | 196 | 55 | 98 |
133 | Savannah, GA | 21.96 | 109 | 110 | 55 | 155 |
134 | Salt Lake City, UT | 21.95 | 79 | 135 | 102 | 118 |
135 | Tacoma, WA | 21.84 | 71 | 134 | 102 | 160 |
136 | Greensboro, NC | 21.59 | 118 | 105 | 128 | 152 |
137 | Enterprise, NV | 21.45 | 39 | 196 | 55 | 124 |
138 | Richmond, VA | 21.45 | 134 | 114 | 94 | 109 |
139 | Cary, NC | 21.42 | 120 | 113 | 114 | 132 |
140 | Spring Valley, NV | 21.41 | 39 | 196 | 71 | 122 |
141 | Paradise, NV | 21.39 | 39 | 196 | 144 | 98 |
142 | Lexington, KY | 21.21 | 156 | 94 | 182 | 160 |
143 | Tulsa, OK | 21.16 | 173 | 93 | 114 | 178 |
144 | Toledo, OH | 21.09 | 140 | 104 | 144 | 142 |
145 | Modesto, CA | 21.09 | 55 | 180 | 128 | 149 |
146 | Winston-Salem, NC | 21.01 | 118 | 128 | 102 | 105 |
147 | Bakersfield, CA | 20.96 | 38 | 190 | 190 | 178 |
148 | El Paso, TX | 20.86 | 59 | 165 | 190 | 175 |
149 | Birmingham, AL | 20.8 | 182 | 99 | 144 | 145 |
150 | Fresno, CA | 20.57 | 54 | 176 | 157 | 192 |
151 | Des Moines, IA | 20.56 | 179 | 101 | 128 | 156 |
152 | Raleigh, NC | 19.9 | 120 | 141 | 94 | 111 |
153 | Oklahoma City, OK | 19.89 | 108 | 123 | 170 | 175 |
154 | Colorado Springs, CO | 19.86 | 88 | 140 | 175 | 169 |
155 | Spokane, WA | 19.64 | 76 | 184 | 170 | 60 |
156 | Olathe, KS | 19.63 | 135 | 124 | 114 | 150 |
157 | Buffalo, NY | 19.49 | 183 | 131 | 114 | 100 |
158 | Norfolk, VA | 19.45 | 104 | 136 | 114 | 165 |
159 | Tallahassee, FL | 19.36 | 198 | 166 | 175 | 21 |
160 | Boise City, ID | 19.26 | 65 | 172 | 128 | 163 |
161 | Memphis, TN | 19.15 | 193 | 107 | 157 | 175 |
162 | Lincoln, NE | 19.06 | 145 | 133 | 84 | 157 |
163 | Dayton, OH | 18.84 | 166 | 147 | 55 | 96 |
164 | Grand Rapids, MI | 18.78 | 181 | 129 | 157 | 131 |
165 | Brownsville, TX | 18.59 | 61 | 180 | 190 | 193 |
166 | Lubbock, TX | 18.3 | 70 | 168 | 190 | 184 |
167 | Fort Collins, CO | 18.19 | 81 | 173 | 102 | 152 |
168 | Syracuse, NY | 18.16 | 184 | 130 | 190 | 137 |
169 | Chattanooga, TN | 18.11 | 192 | 126 | 170 | 154 |
170 | Midland, TX | 18.04 | 63 | 188 | 182 | 196 |
171 | Little Rock, AR | 17.99 | 180 | 137 | 128 | 142 |
172 | Killeen, TX | 17.96 | 77 | 189 | 102 | 126 |
173 | McAllen, TX | 17.51 | 67 | 178 | 190 | 193 |
174 | Knoxville, TN | 17.5 | 143 | 146 | 157 | 146 |
175 | Virginia Beach, VA | 17.4 | 104 | 159 | 144 | 165 |
176 | Madison, WI | 17.38 | 190 | 139 | 144 | 157 |
177 | New Orleans, LA | 17.36 | 185 | 138 | 157 | 170 |
178 | Fayetteville, NC | 17.35 | 120 | 153 | 157 | 165 |
179 | Corpus Christi, TX | 17.3 | 64 | 192 | 182 | 185 |
180 | Salem, OR | 16.89 | 99 | 185 | 128 | 138 |
181 | Wichita, KS | 16.83 | 141 | 149 | 170 | 186 |
182 | Rockford, IL | 16.45 | 177 | 175 | 79 | 101 |
183 | Sioux Falls, SD | 16.45 | 152 | 150 | 175 | 186 |
184 | Amarillo, TX | 16.24 | 80 | 185 | 182 | 196 |
185 | Chesapeake, VA | 15.94 | 104 | 182 | 144 | 165 |
186 | Baton Rouge, LA | 15.81 | 197 | 145 | 182 | 172 |
187 | Murfreesboro, TN | 15.76 | 169 | 191 | 79 | 93 |
188 | Fort Wayne, IN | 15.71 | 168 | 159 | 175 | 170 |
189 | Eugene, OR | 15.64 | 126 | 171 | 190 | 173 |
190 | Anchorage, AK | 15.47 | 147 | 162 | 190 | 188 |
191 | Clarksville, TN | 15.15 | 169 | 192 | 84 | 110 |
192 | Columbus, GA | 15.03 | 124 | 174 | 190 | 196 |
193 | Montgomery, AL | 14.94 | 189 | 158 | 190 | 188 |
194 | Jackson, MS | 14.9 | 195 | 151 | 182 | 193 |
195 | Macon, GA | 14.64 | 130 | 185 | 170 | 181 |
196 | Metairie, LA | 14.19 | 185 | 179 | 157 | 178 |
197 | Huntsville, AL | 14.14 | 194 | 169 | 175 | 188 |
198 | Shreveport, LA | 13.75 | 175 | 182 | 182 | 191 |
199 | Springfield, MO | 13.58 | 191 | 176 | 175 | 196 |
200 | Mobile, AL | 13.27 | 199 | 167 | 175 | 196 |
Highlights and Lowlights
Sunny with a Chance of Birdies
Climate is one of the most important factors in determining a city’s golfability. If the place is too hot, too cold, or too wet too often, playing the game becomes untenable.
Five of the top 10 best cities for golf are in Arizona, where rain is a rarity. California boasts three of the top 10 cities for golf, two of which are in the top five.
Climate isn’t everything, though. New York City is ranked third overall, but scored a bogey on climate, ranking 178th. That’s the second-worst in the top 50, behind only Yonkers, NY.
Drive for show, putt for dough
Even on the most beautiful days, you can’t swing the sticks without a course, driving range, or practice facility.
From private clubs to resort courses to your local muni, more courses means more options and a greater capacity for golf. Of the top 20 cities on our list, only one ranked outside the top 50 for the number of golf courses. The three cities with the most golf courses (Scottsdale, New York, and Las Vegas) all ranked in the top five overall.
For context, Scottsdale has 100 golf courses within a 20-mile radius and “more than 200 golf courses in the Scottsdale area,” according to Experience Scottsdale.
Practice makes perfect. And the number of practice facilities makes a difference on our list, too. Indoor and outdoor driving ranges are a haven for golf-hungry loopers. They’ve even become a fun place for non-golfers, especially with the rise of venues like TopGolf.
Sporting the tools of the trade
Unless you’re Roy McAvoy, you’ll need clubs to play golf. And balls. And shoes. And an extra pair of socks in case you get a hole-in-one. An abundance of golf stores means a strong community of golfers to support them. Even with the prevalence of online shopping, there’s still no substitute for a place where you can test drive your gear before you buy it.
The best of the best come to town
Having a PGA Tour event brings a big boost to a city’s golfiness. For example, six of our top 10 cities for golfers host a PGA Tour event. TPC Scottsdale is the home of the Tour’s rowdiest and most attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego hosts both the annual Farmers Insurance Open and the 2021 U.S. Open.
Methodology
We ranked the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on their individual score totals in the metrics listed below. The city that scored the highest ranked No. 1, or “best city for golfers.”
Metric | Weighting | Min. Value | Max. Value |
---|---|---|---|
Annual Mean Number of Days with Minimum Temperature 32 Degrees F or Less | 1 | 0 | 192 |
Annual Mean Number of Days with Maximum Temperature 90 Degrees F or Higher | 1 | 2 | 169 |
Average Daily Mean Temperature | 1 | 37 | 77.7 |
Average Monthly Precipitation in Inches | 2 | 5.37 | 65.28 |
Climate Category Total | 5 | ||
Number of Golf Courses | 2 | 2 | 100 |
Number of Prized Golf Courses | 2 | 0 | 25 |
Number of Awards | 2 | 0 | 71 |
Number of Preferred Golf Courses | 1 | 0 | 13 |
Presence in the Top 100 Golf List | 2 | 0 | 517 |
Number of Courses Included in the PGA Tour; 2020-2021 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Golf Courses Category Total | 10 | ||
Number of Golf Equipment Stores | 1 | 1 | 73 |
Specialty Stores Category Total | 1 | ||
Number of Driving Ranges | 2 | 1 | 128 |
Number of Venues Offering Golf Lessons | 2 | 1 | 109 |
Practice Facilities Category Total | 4 | ||
Overall Total | 20 |
Sources: GolfLink, Golf Tournament Association of America, GOLF.com, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, PGA TOUR, and Yelp.
Main Photo Credit: Shutterstock