A new study ranks all 50 states for a golf getaway. Alaska finishes last but not because the golf is bad.
If you’re planning a golf trip, Alaska probably isn’t at the top of your list.
A new study from the baggage transport company My luggage he ranks dead last. In its Golf Getaway ranking, Alaska scored 37.7 out of 100 behind New Mexico (39.8) and West Virginia (44.0). Florida took first place with a perfect 100 followed by North Carolina (90.1) and California (85.7).
My Baggage compared all 50 states in six factors: course availability, course quality, value for money, playable months, airport accessibility and local prices. Most of the data comes from GolfPass, along with weather, airport and prices from NOAA, the FAA and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Because Alaska finished last
Alaska’s problem is not the quality of its golf. Its average GolfPass course rating is 4.0 out of 5, matching Florida and California. Its value for money of 4.2 beats them both. What hurts the scores is how much golf there is and how long you can play.
- Fewer courses than elsewhere. Alaska has 26 GolfPass courses, the fewest of any state and about 53 times fewer than Florida’s 1,377. The National Golf Foundation lists Alaska as last in the country for the number of courses. The availability of the course constitutes 25 percent of the study point.
- The shortest season. The study counts three playable months, based on normal highs across the state between 55°F and 90°F (about 13°C to 32°C). It is the least in the country (Hawaii leads with 12).
- Get here. Alaska recorded 5.1 million airport boardings in 2024, more than 20 other states but a fraction of Florida (108.6 million) or California (113 million).
Alaska scored zero in both course availability and playable months. Those two categories account for 45 percent of the total which is why the strong ratings and good value could not save.
The 10 worst states for a golf getaway
A few of these results are worth a closer look:
- Hawaii has the longest season in the country, but it is 46th. Its 12 playable months are offset by a value rating of 3.8, tied for the lowest in the study, and a local price index of 110.0 (the US average is 100), second highest after California. It also only has 91 courses listed.
- New Mexico’s problem isn’t the weather. He has nine playable months, but his average course rating of 3.7 is the lowest in the study, tied with Texas, and he has only 101 courses listed.
- New England places three states in the bottom 10: New Hampshire (47), Connecticut (45) and Massachusetts (41). Short seasons and higher prices will do it.
The best states are a surprise
At the other end, the South and the Midwest each place four states in the top 10. The surprise is Vermont which is eighth with only 74 courses, but has the highest course rating (4.3) and value rating (4.4) of any state. Florida wins on volume; Vermont wins on quality.
My takeaways
Rankings like this are a fun way to start a discussion so here is where I land on a few of them.
Florida deserves number 1. I’ve lived here for over a decade and there’s really no way around it. It is a great place for golf and there is no shortage of places to play.
Colorado deserves better than 26th. I play a lot of golf in Colorado and it absolutely has to be a top golf destination in my book. The study’s seven-month season is what holds it back, but it’s a state average temperature that includes the mountains. In the higher altitude areas, the thinner air adds extra distance off the tee which makes for a really good trip for the ego.
Georgia’s ranking comes with a catch. The study has Georgia fourth, thanks to an 11-month season and the busy Atlanta airport. But I live here and I don’t think the availability of courses is great. Georgia’s 459 courses are ranked 13th by count and, measured per resident, the state is among the 10 lowest in the country. It also varies a lot depending on where you are in the state which a state ranking may not show.
New Mexico surprised me. I’ve never played golf here and it doesn’t look like I’ll be planning a trip anytime soon, but I’ve always thought of it as a sneaky center for great golf. The study says otherwise. Time is not the issue, so the ranking comes down to course ratings and a smaller number of courses.
Iowa and Kansas beating Arizona also surprised me. I play a lot of golf in Arizona, but the heat makes the season tough, so I understand that part. Arizona came in 23rd behind Iowa (7th) and Kansas (9th).
What the rating does and doesn’t tell you
This is a ranking of states, not destinations, and favors places with many courses, long seasons and large airports. State averages also do not reflect conditions in any locality or region.
My Baggage CEO Paul Stewart says a low rating doesn’t exclude a state. “A lower state can also make for a great golf break,” even if it helps to plan for a shorter season or fewer courses.
This is one way to rank the best states for golf travel. What do you think? Does Alaska basically make sense? Did any of the state rankings surprise you? And what are your top five states for a golf getaway? Let us know in the comments.
Source: study of my Baggage Golf Getaway. Data from GolfPass, US Census Bureau, NOAA, FAA and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, accessed September 2026. National Golf Foundation figure via GCSAA.
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