Disc Golf has now joined pickleball as one of the two fastest-growing sports in the United States, and the Tar Heel State has been pivotal in pushing the sport to unprecedented heights.
North Carolina has experienced rapid growth in the sport, due in part to its diverse and scenic disc golf settings within the state, offering participants of all ages and skill levels the opportunity to get involved in this phenomenon.
The Tar Heel State currently hosts 72 DGPA (Disc Golf Pro Tour) events, ranging from Tier A through Tier C level competitions, according to the organization’s events map. The state’s most important major is the Tim Selinske United States Masters Disc Golf Championships, which will be running from Sept. 19 - Sept. 22 in Raleigh. Perhaps next year there could be some North Carolina sports betting action on the major.
In all, the DGPA has established 233 events globally, highlighted by 11 PDGA Majors (one European), 16 DGPT Elite Series (one European), 11 Euro Tour A-Tier, and 172 North American A-Tier competitions.
Aside from the wide selection of disc golf courses throughout the region, there are three common-ground factors that have helped promote the sport’s fever throughout the country: accessibility, affordability, and a strong emphasis on active recreation.
Methodology
With National Disc Golf Day arriving on Aug. 5 and the excitement around disc golf over the past few years, BetCarolina.com decided to look at which states across the United States are the most interested in disc golf.
BetCarolina.com, your home for future NC sports betting apps, used two combined data points to develop the ranking of the 50 US States from most to least into disc golf. We utilized Professional Disc Golf Association’s Course Directory to find the most disc golf course per capita in each state.
Then we measured Google Trend’s search interest of the “Disc Golf Near Me” over a 12-month span (from Aug. 1, 2022 to Aug. 1, 2023).
Points were rewarded from 50 to 1 based on the states’ ranking in each category.
States Most Interested in Disc Golf
Where Does The Tar Heel State Rank?
With an index score of 69 total points, North Carolina is currently ranked 13th among America’s most disc-golf loving states, just ahead of Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Tar Heel State is home to 28 disc golf courses per capita, the lowest figure among this Top 15 list.
However, its 41 search interest index score is what maintains the state’s high ranking.
North Carolina joins Vermont and Maine as the only east coast states on this list. Vermont, tied with Kansas for first (92), is followed by Maine (90), Wisconsin(89), and Iowa (89), which complete the top five rankings as the most disc-golf loving states.
These rankings are dominated by the Midwest as Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, and Missouri appear in the top 15 as well.
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