Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on LawnStarter.
What are the best cities in which to perfect your swing and nail that birdie?
For those thankful for 18 holes (if not a hole-in-one), LawnStarter has ranked 2025’s best cities for golfers.
We compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on six categories. We considered the number of public and private golf courses, PGA courses with public access, driving ranges, amateur competitions, and average course consumer rating, among 27 total metrics.
Tee off with our following ranking. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology at the end.
15. Tempe, AZ
- Overall Score: 42.45
- Public Course Access Rank: 2
- Premium Course Access Rank: 259
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 76
- Course Quality Rank: 116
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 317
- Climate Factors Rank: 89
14. Glendale, AZ
- Overall Score: 42.71
- Public Course Access Rank: 1
- Premium Course Access Rank: 281
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 92
- Course Quality Rank: 81
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 335
- Climate Factors Rank: 89
13. Tampa, FL
- Overall Score: 42.75
- Public Course Access Rank: 108
- Premium Course Access Rank: 48
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 21
- Course Quality Rank: 7
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 36
- Climate Factors Rank: 116
12. Peoria, AZ
- Overall Score: 43.41
- Public Course Access Rank: 3
- Premium Course Access Rank: 191
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 84
- Course Quality Rank: 74
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 183
- Climate Factors Rank: 89
11. Denver, CO
- Overall Score: 45.62
- Public Course Access Rank: 19
- Premium Course Access Rank: 118
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 19
- Course Quality Rank: 324
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 4
- Climate Factors Rank: 345
10. Dallas, TX
- Overall Score: 45.96
- Public Course Access Rank: 106
- Premium Course Access Rank: 5
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 16
- Course Quality Rank: 63
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 5
- Climate Factors Rank: 326
9. Houston, TX
- Overall Score: 46.00
- Public Course Access Rank: 244
- Premium Course Access Rank: 3
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 1
- Course Quality Rank: 187
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 11
- Climate Factors Rank: 222
8. Mesa, AZ
- Overall Score: 46.69
- Public Course Access Rank: 9
- Premium Course Access Rank: 70
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 18
- Course Quality Rank: 148
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 90
- Climate Factors Rank: 89
7. Chicago, IL
- Overall Score: 47.30
- Public Course Access Rank: 19
- Premium Course Access Rank: 23
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 17
- Course Quality Rank: 211
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 7
- Climate Factors Rank: 435
6. Las Vegas, NV
- Overall Score: 49.21
- Public Course Access Rank: 163
- Premium Course Access Rank: 59
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 3
- Course Quality Rank: 43
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 1
- Climate Factors Rank: 205
5. New York, NY
- Overall Score: 50.20
- Public Course Access Rank: 98
- Premium Course Access Rank: 8
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 4
- Course Quality Rank: 61
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 8
- Climate Factors Rank: 155
4. Orlando, FL
- Overall Score: 51.27
- Public Course Access Rank: 140
- Premium Course Access Rank: 1
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 8
- Course Quality Rank: 1
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 28
- Climate Factors Rank: 211
3. Los Angeles, CA
- Overall Score: 54.12
- Public Course Access Rank: 45
- Premium Course Access Rank: 6
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 5
- Course Quality Rank: 330
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 3
- Climate Factors Rank: 1
2. Phoenix, AZ
- Overall Score: 54.76
- Public Course Access Rank: 4
- Premium Course Access Rank: 14
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 10
- Course Quality Rank: 72
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 6
- Climate Factors Rank: 89
1. Scottsdale, AZ
- Overall Score: 55.29
- Public Course Access Rank: 70
- Premium Course Access Rank: 2
- Training and Equipment Access Rank: 2
- Course Quality Rank: 25
- Golf Community and Engagement Rank: 9
- Climate Factors Rank: 89
Methodology
First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the best cities for golfers. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into six categories:
- Public Course Access
- Premium Course Access
- Training and Equipment Access
- Course Quality
- Golf Community and Engangement
- Climate Factors
For each of the 500 biggest U.S. cities, we then gathered data on each factor, which are listed below:
- Public Courses per 100,000 Residents
- Municipal Courses per 100,000 Residents
- Number of Private Golf Courses Within 20 Miles
- Number of Preferred Courses (Golf Tournament Association of America)
- Number of Top 100 Golf Courses in the World (Golf Magazine)
- Number of Top 100 Golf Courses in the U.S. (Golf Digest)
- Number of Best Golf Courses for Public Access (Golfweek Magazine)
- Number of PGA Courses Available for Public Play
- Number of Golf Resorts
- Number of Driving Ranges
- Number of Indoor and Virtual Golf Facilities
- Number of PGA Golf Coaches
- Number of Facilities Offering Golf Lessons
- Number of Golf Equipment Stores
- Average Consumer Rating for All Courses
- Total Reviews for All Courses
- Average Number of Holes for All Courses
- Average Number of Yards for All Courses
- Average Par for All Courses
- Number of Amateur Golf Competitions and Tournaments
- Number of Golf Meetup Groups
- Google Search Interest in Golf-Related Terms
- Historical Average Annual Number of Extremely Cold Days
- Historical Average Annual Number of Extremely Hot Days
- Historical Average Monthly Rain (in Inches)
- Average Annual Wind Speed (in MPH)
Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s overall score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest overall score ranked “Best” (No. 1).
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