Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. are separated by 140 miles. Thanks to local weather in each location, they were worlds apart for golfers in June.
Midway through the year, rounds were up slightly nationwide, less than 1 percent, in June, compared with the same month in 2020, according to the Golf Datatech Monthly Rounds Played Report. But that statistic, quite literally, tells only half the story.
A total of 20 states showed an increase in rounds played of 2 percent or more, while rounds played were down by the same amount in 20 others. Nine states showed a push in the monthly report that routinely ignores Alaska.
The dartboard results for June are attributed to a weather-induced reduction in golf playable hours. GPH is a function that measures the pool of hours conducive to playing the game, based on factors such as daylight, wind, temperature and precipitation.
In Washington, where rainfall for the month of June was 1.5 inches above the historic average, rounds played were down by 7 percent, according to the National Weather Service. In Philadelphia, rainfall in June was an inch below average, and rounds played were up by 2 percent.
For the year, rounds are up 22 percent over the first six months of 2020's record-setting rounds. The greatest monthly gains were in Hawaii (up 31 percent), which was essentially off limits to travelers throughout much of last year. Other significant gains were in New York (28 percent); Alabama, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont (all 13 percent); and Iowa and Missouri (11 percent).
The biggest loser in June was Oklahoma. Rounds played there were off by 31 percent. Rainfall in Oklahoma City was significant, registering 7.37 inches at the airport, according to the NWS. That number is almost 3 inches and 64 percent above the historic average. Other big losers for the month were Arizona and Indiana (down 12 percent) and New Mexico (10 percent).