The holiday season is all about traditions, and this year the USGA is starting a new one. For the first time ever, the governing body of golf in America has released the data of more than 77 million scores posted under the World Handicap System in 2024.
The report contains insight into who played golf, how they played golf and where they played golf in the year 2024. Though the professional game may be suffering, the report makes clear that golf as a pastime is thriving. 3.35 million U.S. golfers maintained a handicap index this year, a 6.3% increase over 2023 and a nearly 29% increase since 2020. 77.25 million scores were posted in 2024, including a record 13.8 million 9-hole scores. That may not indicate an improvement in overall pace of play, but it is certainly a positive sign for those still hoping to “grow the game.”
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But the facts only get more interesting as the scope narrows. Want to know how you stack up to the average golfer? Well, the average male golfer carried a 14.2 index in 2024, posting an average of 24 scores. The average female a 28.7, posting 20 scores. Unsurprisingly Florida, California and Texas—based on their populations, climates and golf course inventories—posted the most scores, but here’s where things get a bit more interesting. Want to know which state was home to the best average golfers in America this year?
Via the USGA
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Yes, you’re reading that right. The average male golfer in Mississippi had a handicap of 10.7 in 2024, 3.5 strokes lower than the national average. The average female golfer had an average handicap of 22.7, a full six points lower than the national average. That’s pretty remarkable, especially for the state with the lowest median household income in America as well as the second highest obesity rate. Mississippi did not crack the top ten in terms of total scores posted in 2024 and has no golf courses in Golf Digest’s latest ranking of the top 100 golf courses in America.
So what’s the story here? Is this a function of only die-hard golfers posting scores in what is decidedly a non-golf state? Is the foot wedge still legal down in the Delta? Is there something in the water (or perhaps moonshine) that’s making Mississippi golfers some of the nation’s best? We may never know the answer, but if you’re looking to shave a few strokes off your index in 2025, perhaps a visit to the Magnolia State is just what the doctor ordered.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
