Florida is arguably the first state many people think of when asked about golf. Sunshine year-round, great temperatures and countless high-level courses.
That’s why its position on this list is a bit shocking.
The United States Golf Association has released its handicap index rankings list, including all states and territories (Puerto Rico, Washington D.C.).
On top of Florida, there are a few surprises on this list including Arizona at No. 44. On the flip side, it’s easy to see why cold-weather states like Alaska and Maine are in the bottom 10.
Here’s a full look at the USGA’s handicap index rankings for all states and territories.
Nos. 52-40
52. Florida (20.0)
51. Delaware (19.6)
50. Wyoming (19.2)
49. Maine (18.7)
48. Idaho (18.7)
47. Alaska (18.6)
46. Montana (18.3)
45. New Hampshire (18.3)
44. Arizona (18.1)
43. Vermont (17.7)
42. Washington (17.7)
41. Colorado (17.7)
40. Connecticut (17.6)
Nos. 39-30
39. Nevada (17.4)
38. Rhoda Island (17.4)
37. Oregon (17.2)
36. South Dakota (17.1)
35. California (17.1)
34. New Jersey (17.1)
33. Puerto Rico (16.9)
32. New York (16.9)
31. Massachusetts (16.8)
30. Maryland (16.7)
Nos. 29-20
29. New Mexico (16.7)
28. South Carolina (16.7)
27. Michigan (16.5)
26. Minnesota (16.5)
25. Hawaii (16.5)
24. Wisconsin (16.4)
23. Nebraska (16.2)
22. Pennsylvania (16.1)
21. Virginia (15.8)
20. North Carolina (15.8)
Nos. 19-10
19. Illinois (15.7)
18. Ohio (15.5)
17. Utah (15.1)
16. Missouri (15.1)
15. Indiana (15.1)
14. Iowa (14.9)
13. West Virginia (14.7)
12. Kansas (14.5)
11. Kentucky (14.4)
10. Georgia (14.3)
Nos. 9-1
9. Texas (13.8)
8. North Dakota (13.5)
7. Tennessee (13.5)
6. Washington D.C. (13.2)
5. Alabama (13.1)
4. Oklahoma (13.0)
3. Louisiana (12.9)
2. Arkansas (12.8)
1. Mississippi (11.16)