A new analysis from The Action Network ranked more than 400 U.S. cities across golf course availability, lodging costs, and climate to uncover the best (and worst) golf getaway destinations in America for 2025.

The findings show that Arizona dominates the rankings, with five cities landing in the top 20 nationwide. Scottsdale claims the No. 1 spot overall with a near-perfect Golf Getaway Score of 93/100, followed by Yuma at No. 3. Goodyear (No. 7), Mesa (No. 11), and Phoenix (No. 19) also made the list, giving Arizona more top-20 cities than any other state.

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Key Arizona Profile Highlights from the Study:

  • Arizona’s Golf Depth: With Scottsdale (#1), Yuma (#3), Goodyear (#7), Mesa (#11), and Phoenix (#19), Arizona has more top golf destinations than any other state.
  • Scottsdale Leads the Nation: Scottsdale tops the rankings with 25 public golf courses per 100,000 residents, affordable lodging averaging $1,079 for a five-day stay, and nearly year-round sunshine.
  • Yuma’s Budget Advantage: Yuma ranks #3 thanks to its low lodging costs ($801 for five days) and just 3 inches of annual rainfall, making it one of the driest and most reliable places to play.
  • Mesa’s Course Variety: Mesa combines value with access, offering average stays of $918 and one of the highest concentrations of private courses (16 within 20 miles).
  • Ideal Desert Climate: Across Arizona’s golf cities, average highs stay in the 80s, lows in the 60s, with under 10 inches of annual rainfall — giving golfers consistent, playable weather year-round.

Top 20 Golf Getaway Destinations

Methodology

The study analyzed 411 U.S. cities with at least one public golf course, scoring each on:

  • Public golf courses per 100,000 residents (50%)
  • Lodging costs for a five-day stay (30%)
  • Climate — average annual temperature and precipitation (20%)

All scores were standardized to a 0–100 scale to identify the most (and least) golf-friendly destinations in the U.S.

You can explore the full dataset and methodology here: The Action Network Golf Getaway Study.