Where do golfers with the lowest average handicap indexes live? Thanks to data from the USGA, we now know.
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What’s the “golfiest” state in the country? Well, it’s tough to say.
California and Florida are bound to be high on the list with their beautiful weather and assortment of playing options, and New York and Pennsylvania probably deserve spots on the list as well with their rosters of classic courses and deep histories. However, while those states have plenty to offer golf-wise, none of them appear near the top of the list of states with the lowest average handicap indexes.
The USGA keeps careful track of Handicap Index figures from the entire country, and recently, they shared some of that data with us. One stat that jumped off the page? The states with the lowest average Handicap Indexes.
Lowest average Handicap Index (men and women)
Among the entire United States, the state with the lowest average Handicap Index is Mississippi at 11.8. According to the USGA, 8,527 golfers in the Magnolia State keep a Handicap Index — and it appears that a healthy dose of them can golf their ball.
Check out the entirety of the list below.
State
Handicap Index
Mississippi
11.8
North Dakota
12.5
Oklahoma
12.7
Georgia
13.2
Texas
13.2
Kentucky
13.3
Kansas
13.4
Utah
13.5
Iowa
14.0
Tennessee
14.1
Alabama
14.2
Missouri
14.4
Michigan
14.4
Nebraska
14.6
Washinton D.C.
14.8
Ohio
14.8
Louisiana
15.0
Indiana
15.0
Arkansas
15.1
West Virginia
15.1
Colorado
15.3
North Carolina
15.5
Virginia
15.6
Pennsylvania
15.8
Puerto Rico
15.8
Illinois
16.0
Minnesota
16.2
Arizona
16.3
Massachusetts
16.5
New Jersey
16.5
Hawaii
16.5
Nevada
16.6
South Carolina
16.6
Maryland
16.6
Wisconsin
16.6
Oregon
16.8
South Dakota
16.8
Rhode Island
16.8
California
16.9
New Mexico
17.0
New York
17.1
Connecticut
17.6
Alaska
17.6
Maine
17.8
New Hampshire
17.9
Washington
17.9
Montana
18.7
Florida
19.1
Wyoming
19.1
Vermont
19.4
Deleware
21.6
Idaho
21.6
Lowest average Handicap Index (men only)
Mississippi might take the title for the lowest average Handicap Index, but if we narrow our query to only include men, Oklahoma rises to the top of the list. According USGA data, the average Handicap Index among men in Oklahoma is 10.9, the lowest figure in the U.S.
Check out the entirety of the list below.
State
Handicap Index
Oklahoma
10.9
Mississippi
11.0
North Dakota
11.8
Kansas
12.1
Texas
12.1
Arkansas
12.4
Georgia
12.5
Iowa
12.6
Alabama
12.6
Utah
12.6
Tennessee
12.7
Kentucky
12.7
Missouri
12.8
Michigan
12.9
Indiana
12.9
Nebraska
12.9
Ohio
13.3
West Virginia
13.5
North Carolina
13.7
Illinois
13.8
Nevada
13.9
Wisconsin
13.9
Virginia
13.9
Minnesota
14.0
Colorado
14.1
South Dakota
14.1
Louisiana
14.3
South Carolina
14.3
Washington D.C.
14.4
Pennsylvania
14.5
Arizona
14.5
Rhode Island
14.6
New Mexico
14.6
Massachusetts
14.7
Hawaii
14.9
Connecticut
15.0
Oregon
15.3
New York
15.3
New Jersey
15.4
Califonia
15.6
Puerto Rico
15.7
Maryland
15.7
Washington
15.7
Arkansas
15.8
Montana
15.9
Florida
15.9
New Hampshire
16.0
Maine
16.0
Idaho
16.5
Wyoming
16.7
Vermont
17.1
Deleware
17.3
Lowest average Handicap Index (women only)
Now that we’ve sorted by men, let’s take a look at the ladies. According to the USGA, the state with the lowest average Handicap Index among women is Utah at 21.3. However, Utah doesn’t quite top the list as Puerto Rico (a territory) has a lower average Handicap Index among women at 18.7.
Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Prior to joining the team at GOLF, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and women’s golf. He can be reached at zephyr_melton@golf.com.