Florida ranks first, with 960 golf courses listed in the GreenFeeTracker directory as of November 2026, followed by California with 653 and Texas with 562. These are directory counts, not a census of all U.S. golf courses1111.
Golfers and trip planners often want a simple answer to one question: which state has the most golf courses? GreenFeeTracker can answer part of that with counts of the courses its directory lists in each state. The directory covers 9,084 golf courses across 49 states and districts1. Those are listed courses, so the counts are not a total of every golf course in the country.
Which state ranks first for listed golf courses?
Florida ranks first, with 960 golf courses listed in the GreenFeeTracker directory in November 20261. California is second with 6531, and Texas is third with 5621. States are ordered by the number of listed courses, using counts computed from GreenFeeTracker directory records in November 202611.
New York is fourth with 430 listed courses1, and North Carolina is fifth with 3831. Illinois is sixth with 2781, followed by Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in that order1111.
The top ten states by listed courses
The table ranks the ten states with the most listed courses in the directory. Each count is as of November 20261111111111.
| Rank | State | Listed courses | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | 960 | 1 |
| 2 | California | 653 | 1 |
| 3 | Texas | 562 | 1 |
| 4 | New York | 430 | 1 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 383 | 1 |
| 6 | Illinois | 278 | 1 |
| 7 | Ohio | 270 | 1 |
| 8 | Missouri | 265 | 1 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 264 | 1 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 259 | 1 |
No two states in the top ten share a count, so the table has no ties in those positions1111111111. This page covers only these ten states, so it does not rank states below tenth place.
How was the count made?
The counts come from GreenFeeTracker directory records as of November 202611. Each state figure is the number of golf courses the directory lists in that state1. The directory is a list, not a census, so each state count reflects what the directory lists on that date.
The figures do not show how many holes each course has, whether walking is allowed, how many courses are open to the public or what any course charges. Those details need to be checked on each course's own site.
How do these counts compare with National Golf Foundation figures?
The National Golf Foundation (NGF) estimated that there were approximately 16,000 golf courses at 14,000 golf facilities in the U.S. at the end of 20252. That is an estimate of the national total, and it measures something different from the directory count of 9,08412. The two figures come from different sources and dates, so this article does not divide one by the other or present one as a share of the other.
The NGF also reported that about three-quarters of U.S. golf courses and facilities are open to the public, including roughly 2,600 municipal and 7,600 daily fee facilities2. The directory counts in this article are not broken down by public or private status, so they cannot show which state has the most public courses.
The NGF says it has tracked every golf course in the U.S. since it started in 19362. That describes the NGF's own coverage. It does not change what the GreenFeeTracker count shows.
How to use a state count when you plan a trip
A state count shows how many courses are listed, not where they sit inside the state. For a trip, use the count to build a shortlist, then check each course:
- Check who can play at the course.
- Check how many holes the course has.
- Check whether walking is allowed.
- Confirm the current rate on the course's own website or by calling the pro shop.
Any rate you read on a directory page is context, not a quote. For rate context by state, see green fee rates by state. You can also browse golf markets or search golf courses near me.
If cheap rounds in different parts of the country are your thing, Morning Mully, the GreenFeeTracker golf email, lands Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.
Sources and method
- GreenFeeTracker directory counts, November 2026. Figures were computed from GreenFeeTracker directory records as of November 2026, covering 9,084 golf courses across 49 states and districts11.
- National Golf Foundation, estimates for the end of 2025, published at https://www.ngf.org/golf-industry-research/222.
Directory figures were computed from GreenFeeTracker records on the November 2026 date stated above. NGF figures are estimates as reported by the National Golf Foundation.
Sources
- GreenFeeTracker directory: 9,084 golf courses listed in the GreenFeeTracker directory, November 2026. Counts of listed courses, computed from our records on November 8, 2026. Not a census of all U.S. golf.
- National Golf Foundation, accessed November 8, 2026.
Researched and drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below, then checked against those sources before publishing.
Get cheap golf deals, 3 mornings a week
Tee time deals any U.S. golfer can use, plus the golf news and a laugh.