The colder the state, the more popular golf is.

tahoebum

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It was obvious to me when I moved to California from Minnesota in 1998 that golf was much less popular here than where I grew up. Here's proof that my hunch was correct - according to the National Golf Foundation, cold weather states have more golfers per capita. Golf is also not an "uncool" sport in my high school in Western Wisconsin. We had the captain and QB of our football team and our best hockey player on our varsity golf team. At my sons high school in California, the football players would never even consider playing golf.

I believe it's because golf is like a forbidden fruit in cold weather states. I was always super fired up for golf after a 5 month forced layoff every year. What do you guys think?


QUESTION: What state has the most golfers per capita? Florida? South Carolina? Maybe California?
Nope. It's Minnesota.
Well, to be fair, it was Minnesota. After four years at the top of the heap, Minnesota has dropped to No. 3, according to the annual survey of the National Golf Foundation. But don't jump to any conclusions. The two states that edged it out were North Dakota and Wisconsin.
It seems that when it comes to golf, the colder the climate, the more popular the game. Rounding out the top nine are such golfing hotbeds as Utah, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Michigan, and Illinois. You have to drop to No. 10 Arizona before a warm-weather state pops up. California is 30th, just ahead of Florida and South Carolina. Only 11.3 percent of South Carolinians play the game. In Minnesota, it's 19 percent; in No. 1 North Dakota, it's 20.2 percent.
Why is golf so popular here?
"We only have six months to play golf," says Don Kortus, who's just finished whacking away on the driving range of a suburban St. Paul, Minn., course. Minnesotans - especially senior citizens - take every opportunity to play, he adds. "You will see those guys playing out there when it's really cold."
 
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There are probably several causes. Forbidden fruit is certainly on the list of them. Here in Florida, golf is going up against beaches, deep sea fishing, boating, and many other activities that can be performed year round. Heck, several of my good friends can't play golf because their kids have 2 and 3 baseball games every single weekend, and there are multiple baseball seasons during the year. In the fall, football rules the state of Florida.
 
There are probably several causes. Forbidden fruit is certainly on the list of them. Here in Florida, golf is going up against beaches, deep sea fishing, boating, and many other activities that can be performed year round. Heck, several of my good friends can't play golf because their kids have 2 and 3 baseball games every single weekend, and there are multiple baseball seasons during the year. In the fall, football rules the state of Florida.

More activities, and the list is a bit misleading...based on where people live and how long they live there.
And the key word being per capita.
 
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Having lived in Utah for 2 of the past 3 years, I can attest to the truth of this. Golf was way more popular in Utah than it ever seemed to be in NJ (where I grew up) or VA (went to college), and definitely seems more popular than it is here in WA. I think it boils down to the "forbidden fruit", as well as to simply how culturally accepted the sport is. In Utah, golf is very much a common man's sport, with more courses per capita in SLC than anywhere else in the country, at reasonable prices, and comparatively few private clubs. In NJ and WA, there are more private courses and even the public ones are more expensive, so the sport seems a touch more elitist and less accessible. Just my theory though.
 
Maybe it as simple as wanting something you can't have, or in this case, can't have as much of. I know I've begun taking for granted certain things here in Colorado that I would have fantasized about when I lived in PA like snowboarding and flyfishing.
 
I moved from the UK to CA last year, and was surprised just how quiet the courses are here. Granted, I live in the Monterey Bay area where we are spoilt for choice. However, a weekend round back in the UK meant playing on a course that was packed with people to bursting. I played last Sunday and there was hardly anyone else out on the course. I'm not complaining as it's great playing on quiet courses, it is however very strange.
 
I moved from the UK to CA last year, and was surprised just how quiet the courses are here. Granted, I live in the Monterey Bay area where we are spoilt for choice. However, a weekend round back in the UK meant playing on a course that was packed with people to bursting. I played last Sunday and there was hardly anyone else out on the course. I'm not complaining as it's great playing on quiet courses, it is however very strange.

We have a ton of courses in that state lots of choices i live in the central valley and just in my local area there are 20-30 course with an hour drive

Plus we in CA are so spoiled by perfect weather if it is not perfect say to hot/cold or Windy lots of people stay home
 
I can see that, living in MA, it's tough to find a tee time some weekends.
 
It makes sense to me. When you're snowed in nearly half the year, you want to take advantage of every second of warm weather that you can.
 
It makes sense to me. When you're snowed in nearly half the year, you want to take advantage of every second of warm weather that you can.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
 
During the Summer months when you guys up north can play, you're joined by the snowbirds who have been playing down here all Winter. More people who play golf are in the North country during the months courses are open.

Heck, I'm hitting the time of year when courses in the area will start emptying out something fierce. Love it.
 
During the Summer months when you guys up north can play, you're joined by the snowbirds who have been playing down here all Winter. More people who play golf are in the North country during the months courses are open.

Heck, I'm hitting the time of year when courses in the area will start emptying out something fierce. Love it.

Everyone wins!
 
Access to uncrowded courses might have something to do with it as well. The Northern states dominate in courses per capita as well.



State
CoursesPopulationPer capita (Golf Wealth)
North Dakota123672,5915,468
South Dakota132814,1806,168
Iowa4413,046,3556,908
Wyoming70493,7827,054
Nebraska2491,826,3417,335
Vermont76608,8278,011
Montana119989,4158,314
Maine1501,328,3618,856
Minnesota5755,303,9259,224
Wisconsin6045,686,9869,416
Michigan1,0479,883,6409,440
South Carolinia4624,625,36410,012
Kansas2732,853,11810,451
New Hampshire1231,316,470

 
Access to uncrowded courses might have something to do with it as well. The Northern states dominate in courses per capita as well.


StateCoursesPopulationPer capita (Golf Wealth)
North Dakota123672,5915,468
South Dakota132814,1806,168
Iowa4413,046,3556,908
Wyoming70493,7827,054
Nebraska2491,826,3417,335
Vermont76608,8278,011
Montana119989,4158,314
Maine1501,328,3618,856
Minnesota5755,303,9259,224
Wisconsin6045,686,9869,416
Michigan1,0479,883,6409,440
South Carolinia4624,625,36410,012
Kansas2732,853,11810,451
New Hampshire1231,316,470

Interesting list. I wouldn't have guessed that.
 
I do think that its very possible that not being able to play year round does cause more interest when in season and thats just human nature. We always want more of what we cant have but when you have it all the time you take it for granted and its now no big deal.

Cold weather person - "hey its going to be in the 50's this sunday and partly sunny with a chance of rain" "I cant wait :) i'm going to try to get out"
Warm weather person - "Its only 64 dgrees out" "and its supose to rain a week from next tuesday" "are you crazy? I'm not going near the course"
 
I do think that its very possible that not being able to play year round does cause more interest when in season and thats just human nature. We always want more of what we cant have but when you have it all the time you take it for granted and its now no big deal.

Cold weather person - "hey its going to be in the 50's this sunday and partly sunny with a chance of rain" "I cant wait :) i'm going to try to get out"
Warm weather person - "Its only 64 dgrees out" "and its supose to rain a week from next tuesday" "are you crazy? I'm not going near the course"

Well...the oppsite of that is "Hey, it's 96* with a heat index of 104*...at 9:45am. Grab your sun screen let's go."
 
I can say from living in NY and Vermont that we do indeed start to crave the other seasons. Most people here love the changes but after awhile we start to want the next one. My example being that I absolutely love skiing and cant wait to get back out but after a long very harsh winter I cant think of anything else but golf. I start to crave it! Its like skiing is boring already and now we want greens haha.
 
Again key word being per capita, because FL has more golf courses than that.

I would think that both FL & CA have more total golfers and course but with both having very high population put them at a disadvantage per capita
 
I do think that its very possible that not being able to play year round does cause more interest when in season and thats just human nature. We always want more of what we cant have but when you have it all the time you take it for granted and its now no big deal.

Cold weather person - "hey its going to be in the 50's this sunday and partly sunny with a chance of rain" "I cant wait :) i'm going to try to get out"
Warm weather person - "Its only 64 dgrees out" "and its supose to rain a week from next tuesday" "are you crazy? I'm not going near the course"

Exactly. My neighbors expect sunny, warm, and calm weather even when they go skiing.

Last weekend it was in the 70's and sunny and my home course was dead only because we had 15-20 mph winds!
 
I'll add something else, those states are also big agricultural states. After the seeds in the ground and before you harvest there's a whole lot of time to do nothing.
 
Just more proof that Iowa rules. Our golfing prowess and popularity draws them in. If you build it, they will come. Freakin' Iowa.

~Rock
 
I'll add something else, those states are also big agricultural states. After the seeds in the ground and before you harvest there's a whole lot of time to do nothing.

Hey, watching grass grow can be quite the time consuming experience.
 
The key words in all those studies is per capita
 
Access to uncrowded courses might have something to do with it as well. The Northern states dominate in courses per capita as well.


State
Courses
Population
Per capita (Golf Wealth)
North Dakota
123
672,591
5,468
South Dakota
132
814,180
6,168
Iowa
441
3,046,355
6,908
Wyoming
70
493,782
7,054
Nebraska
249
1,826,341
7,335
Vermont
76
608,827
8,011
Montana
119
989,415
8,314
Maine
150
1,328,361
8,856
Minnesota
575
5,303,925
9,224
Wisconsin
604
5,686,986
9,416
Michigan
1,047
9,883,640
9,440
South Carolinia
462
4,625,364
10,012
Kansas
273
2,853,118
10,451
New Hampshire
123
1,316,470


Something else about that list.
You make agreat point. In general the lower populations simply have more golf at thier disposal. That is why the whole "per capita" thing can make any stat of any nature a bit misguided.

Another thing or two to add. It may not be 100% perfectly proportional with that list with "some exception" but in general lower populations would have a higher percentage of players "per capita" imo. Firstly most people do not golf so where there is a ton more people there will be so many more who dont golf "per capita" especially city living vs country living. But also when a place is less populated there is also much lesss diversity with opinion and social patterns and in general the ideas and ways of life over all are more often simlarly shared throughout the community vs a place with a very large population. Less people means far much less mix in ideas, ways of living, forms of entertainment, financial status and social behavior in general.. If that less populated place happens to be one where golf is part of a norm than a higher percentage of that population will golf vs a more highly populated area. What this has to do with weather? i have no idea :)
 
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