South Dakota is a beautiful state with thousands of acres of green pastures perfect for golfing. Still, that’s far from being the only reason why the state is good for golfing.
In this article, we will outline the top reasons as to why you should choose South Dakota as the destination for your future golf trip. Read the article and let us know if you agree with us.
Many Excellent Golf Courses
Of course, it’s a no brainer to start this list by bringing up the fantastic golf courses you can find in South Dakota. For a state with a population of a little bit less than a million, South Dakota has quite a lot of golf courses.
There are currently 130 golf courses in the Mount Rushmore State with 85 public courses, 37 municipal courses, and 8 private courses. As native South Dakotans, we knew there were more than enough golf courses in our state, but even we were surprised to find out exactly how many.
We will dedicate an article to the best South Dakota courses, but in the meantime, take a look at some of the top public courses you can visit:
- The Golf Club at Red Rock, Rapid City, SD (often named the best golf course in the state)
- Prairie Green Golf Course, Sioux Falls, SD (another respected South Dakotan course which often makes headlines in golf publications)
- Lee Park Golf Course, Aberdeen, SD (once owned by the father of the famous Bauer sisters, Dave Bauer)
- The Bluffs Golf Course, Vermillion, SD (golf course known for its tricky holes which attract many locals and tourists alike)
Geography
South Dakota is famously a prairie state known for its fertile lands. It goes without saying that the prairie allows for the creation of great golf courses. What’s more, prairie land apparently allows for maximum ball roll, which is best achieved during the South Dakotan summers.
On the other hand, there is something you should consider – the wind. South Dakota tends to make the list of the windiest US states, along with other Midwestern neighbors like Kansas, Montana and Oklahoma.
Although it’s trickier to play when windy, remember that the home of modern golf, St Andrews, Scotland, is also home to some of the worst winds, and they are cold too because they are coming from the North Sea.
If people flock to the Scottish city to play golf, then you too can go to South Dakota and play under arguably better conditions.
Avidness Score
We already noted how many golf courses you can find in South Dakota, so it should come as no surprise that golf is a favorite pastime of South Dakotans. What might, however, surprise you is that the Mount Rushmore State leads the nation in terms of avid golfers.
The prestigious golf publication, Golf.com, conducted extensive research in their attempt to rank the 50 best states for golfing. Although South Dakota was placed 37th (we might have a word with the study’s author later), the study ranked the state first in terms of avidness of golfers.
This score was calculated based on data provided by the National Golf Foundation (NGF) on the grounds of Household Participation Rate, or the percentage of the population playing golf, and Rounds Per Golfer, the rounds frequency of regular players.
When those two metrics were combined, South Dakota proved to be the most golf-loving state, at least per capita. You can always find good company on the course when you visit the state.
It’s Cheap
Golf is a notoriously expensive sport to play, especially if you only play casually, so golfers expect to spend a small fortune on their beloved sport but that doesn’t have to be the case. If you’re dreaming of the perfect golf holiday that wouldn’t break the bank, South Dakota might just be the answer.
The Mount Rushmore state is among the cheapest US to visit with many of its top-visited attractions and hotels providing affordable options for travelers.
The same is true for the many golf courses you can find in the state. The green fees, for example, tend to be some of the lowest in the nation; you can easily find public courses in the state offering rates below $20 for 9/18 holes.
It’s Gorgeous
Yes, we realize this might be a sentimental reason born out of our love for our home state, but it is nonetheless a legitimate reason. You have to experience the beauty of the Plains at least once and what better excuse than to do it while golfing.