Even a modicum of searching the interwebs for “Geek vs. Nerd” will reveal more than a few hotly contested chats regarding the differences between the two. “Are they interchangeable?” “Which one is smarter?” I thought about clicking on “Geek vs. Nerd vs. Dork vs. Dweeb” but that seemed like a slide into a rabbit hole from which recovery is questionable, like shopping on Amazon.
Whether you’re a Geek or a Nerd or neither, I think you already get the point of this article, and you haven’t even read it yet. Here at the OGA, we often dwell squarely, even proudly, in Nerdom and have a fondness for stats. Since data can be the gift that keeps on giving like fruitcake from Aunt Polly, we thought we’d share fascinating findings from 2025.
As always, thank you for your membership! We wish you a happy, healthy holiday season and hope the ratio of cookies you’re leaving for Santa is in direct proportion to your lofty request for new clubs.
$2.4B
Total economic impact of golf in Oregon in 2025, per the recently published Oregon Golf Economic Impact Report. Our industry is crushing it! Golf is a key driver in the state’s outdoor recreation economy, generating significant employment (18,000 jobs supported), tax revenue ($252M) and tourism spending ($838M).
90%
Remarkable current OGA member retention rate. We are grateful for our loyal members who keep coming back year after year to enjoy various benefits, not the least of which is a Handicap Index. Many would point out that annual access to the Nike, Columbia Sportswear, and adidas Employee Stores is nearly as valuable. Does Santa need a little help? Shop now at the Columbia Employee Store through December 28 and adidas Employee Store through December 31.
1.6M
Total number of scores posted by OGA members. WOW! Keep it up! The National Golf Foundation (NGF) considers an “avid golfer” as one who plays 8-plus times per year. The enthusiasm of our nearly 58k members blows that right out of the penalty area. In addition, nearly 68% of scores were posted via the popular GHIN mobile app, which proves – surprising no one – that we are addicted to golf as well as our phones.
11,755
Impressive number of rounds played across all OGA tournaments, which includes championships, Junior events, USGA Qualifiers, OGA Tour and Women’s Interclub Play. Cranking out more than 100 days of competition, our Championships & Events team teed up something for everyone from elite events to more casual outings for all ages and handicap levels. At our flagship event, the 116th Oregon Amateur held at Tualatin Country Club, Zach Foushee made history by winning his third consecutive title, a feat not achieved in 93 years. Zach resides in national rarified air with fewer than 2% of golfers carrying Handicap Indexes less than zero (his current Index is an astonishing +5.1).
179,862
Number of scores posted on Mondays by OGA members, representing the fewest during the week by 46,136 (surprisingly, Friday comes in second). Should we start a Play Hooky & Golf movement in 2026 to make Mondays less Monday-ish?
37%
National percentage of scores posted via the hole-by-hole method. We would love to see this number surge to over 50% in the not-so-distant future, so there’s more work to be done. The benefits of hole-by-hole posting abound with zero downside. Net Double Bogey adjustments for that blow-up hole when you were hanging out in a bunker too long become a no-brainer, scoring accuracy reigns, and the USGA Research Team gets more data to dabble with.
14.8 & 29.1
Average Handicap Index of OGA members, for men and women respectively. These are slightly higher than national averages. I recently stumbled upon a study indicating that 40 years ago the national numbers were 17.1 for men and 31.5 for women. Of course, the Handicap System formulas were a bit different then. What’s more, we now have more forgiving clubs, the golf ball spins less and flies farther. Course maintenance practices have improved. Do we conclude that even though we’ve made incremental progress over time, we should have expected even more? Not necessarily. Golf. Is. Hard.
Note: Despite the above, the NGF maintains that golfers keep coming back to experience, at least once per round (please and thank you), that addictive feeling called “shot euphoria” when a ball is perfectly struck. Can we bottle that stuff?
459
Total number of golf holes rated by our crack Course Rating Team this season. This stat represents 34 courses in the 7-year rotation, and if you contemplate that a course can have up to seven tees…. well, that multiplies the number exponentially.
Shout-out to veteran volunteer Course Rater Roger Mink, who logged his 312th career rating this season. This is a huge achievement involving years of dedication, travel and brainpower. It’s safe to say Roger has (golf) holes in his head and that he is not allowed to retire.
2,041
Total number of Playing Condition Calculation (PCC) incidents on courses within the OGA territory. Automated adjustments of -1 (course played easier than expected), and +1 – +3 (course played harder) were applied to 75,559 scores. Which course experienced the highest single PCC day? It was Tualatin CC on June 12th when scores from a field of 202 players triggered a sizable +2 adjustment. (Could have been US Open Day or maybe the Super was putting work in to land on the Naughty List). On top of all that, a whopping 10% of the total PCC incidents occurred from play on the 2,525 acres of windswept bliss called Bandon Dunes.
12,500 to 1
Odds of an average amateur golfer making a hole-in-one. What about the oft-quoted comparison about being struck by lightning? About 1 in 1.2 million, annually. If both happened at the same time, well, at least you made a hole-in-one. Another quirky odds stat: What about being ambidextrous, as some golfers claim? 1 in 100, but you still can’t carry a Handicap Index with scores made using both hands. Yep, it’s in the Rules of Handicapping – pick just one.
38,400
Estimated number of golf courses worldwide. If you were on a Bucket List Quest to play all of them back-to-back, it would take 18 years, not accounting for travel, sleep, and slow play. The good ole U.S. of A. enjoys the lion’s share at 43% of the total (nearly 17,000 courses). Country with most golf courses per capita? The Falkland Islands, with a single course called Stanley Golf Club (one of the southernmost in the world). Pretty sure the 3500 inhabitants have no issue getting a tee time.
44%
Percentage representative of “golf’s reach”, according to the NGF. This a huge number and includes American aficionados who run the gamut: we play golf, follow golf, watch golf and / or even just read about golf. The findings don’t mention eating, drinking, and breathing golf but we do that too. Here’s to more in 2026!