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When asked to name the best locations for golf in the U.S., golf obsessives might point to resort towns like Palm Desert, Hilton Head, or Naples, or perhaps to bigger cities packed with courses like Scottsdale or Las Vegas. Many serious golfers dream of playing their way through the dozens of courses that each of these locales offer. But while few communities can stack up against the bounty of top courses in these golf-loving cities, golfers can still find excellent places to play throughout the country.

Having golf-friendly locations throughout the U.S. is important for generating and maintaining widespread interest in the sport—and lately, this interest has been growing quickly. Golf experienced a nationwide increase in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and hasn’t slowed down since. According to the National Golf Foundation, rounds played in 2021 were up 5% over 2020 and 19% over the three-year average from 2017 to 2019. A record 3.2 million people played for the first time in 2021.

This increase in popularity has come despite the costs associated with golf, which can be a major barrier to entry, from equipment to greens fees to club dues. Golf can already be an expensive hobby, but recent data suggests that costs are also rising. Membership fees and dues are up by more than 40% in the last 15 years, while greens and guest fees are up by nearly 25% over the same span. Even the cost of a beer or lunch at the snack bar after a round is getting more expensive, as costs from food and beverage sales are up by more than a third since 2006.

Beyond cost, however, a number of other local conditions can affect how easy it is for people to keep up with their golf hobby. A person who lives in an area that is not accommodating for golfers will be far less likely to try out or stick with the sport.

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Above anything, golfers need a place to play, and not every part of the U.S. offers equal access to golf courses and country clubs. The number of courses in a state is often correlated with its population, but some states punch above their weight on this measure. For example, Michigan ranks 4th in the number of courses but just 10th in population, while neighboring Wisconsin has the 10th-highest number of courses despite being 20th in population. Of all states, Florida boasts the most courses, a figure that outpaces more populous states like California and Texas.

Having a high number of courses is just one factor that indicates how welcoming a location is for golf enthusiasts. Arguably, weather is the single most important factor in making golf more enjoyable for longer portions of the year, with temperate, dry climates being preferable to places that are too hot, cold, wet, or windy. When it comes to weather, it’s the Southwest and West Coast that are most conducive to golfing year round. California and Arizona take the top spots, followed by New Mexico, Texas, and Nevada.

Golf Workout Program combined these and other factors to evaluate the best states and cities for golfers. At the state level, well-known golf destinations like Arizona, California, and Florida ranked highly, boosted by good weather, plenty of courses, and frequent professional events. But perhaps surprisingly, some of the top states in this composite score are small Midwestern locations like Michigan and South Dakota, both of which regularly host professional events and have high concentrations of courses relative to their small populations. Similar trends hold at the local level, where cities in Arizona, California, and Florida stand out. But there are plenty of other locations outside of these golf-centric states that should be on any golfer’s radar.

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The time spent on a beautiful golf course helps make golf one of the best hobbies for getting outside and staying active—and it’s never too late to learn how to play. Check out our ultimate step-by-step guide on how to play golf for beginners.

The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau, NOAA, and the PGA Tour. To determine the best locations for golfers, researchers at Golf Workout Program calculated a composite score based on local weather (mild temperatures and low precipitation), total PGA Tour events in the past five years, golf courses and country clubs per capita, and sporting goods stores per capita. Only areas in the contiguous United States were considered for the analysis.

Here are the best U.S. metropolitan areas for golfers.

The Best Large U.S. Metros for Golfers

15. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA

• Composite score: 57.1
• Weather score: 49.0
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 9
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 1.9
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 4.1

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14. Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI

• Composite score: 59.8
• Weather score: 40.4
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 5
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 4.1
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 7.3

13. Richmond, VA

• Composite score: 61.4
• Weather score: 44.9
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 5
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 3.3
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 5.1

12. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

• Composite score: 62.1
• Weather score: 63.6
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 11
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 1.4
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 4.2

11. Raleigh-Cary, NC

• Composite score: 62.5
• Weather score: 48.1
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 5
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.7
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 5.2

10. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

• Composite score: 62.7
• Weather score: 50.8
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 8
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.1
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 6.6

9. St. Louis, MO-IL

• Composite score: 64.6
• Weather score: 47.2
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 3
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 3.4
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 5.3

8. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

• Composite score: 68.1
• Weather score: 56.2
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 12
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.2
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 6.1

7. Jacksonville, FL

• Composite score: 69.1
• Weather score: 59.7
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 7
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.3
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 6.4

6. Rochester, NY

• Composite score: 70.0
• Weather score: 46.0
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 1
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 5.7
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 5.9

5. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

• Composite score: 70.4
• Weather score: 97.5
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 9
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 1.1
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 4.7

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4. Tulsa, OK

• Composite score: 72.3
• Weather score: 52.9
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 2
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 3.6
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 6.2

3. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

• Composite score: 72.4
• Weather score: 83.6
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 10
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.1
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 3.8

2. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ

• Composite score: 79.0
• Weather score: 79.5
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 12
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.9
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 5.1

1. Tucson, AZ

• Composite score: 79.4
• Weather score: 84.3
• Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 5
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.9
• Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 5.8

Detailed Findings & Methodology

The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns, NOAA’s National Centers for Environment Information, and the PGA Tour’s Tournament Schedule. To determine the best locations for golfers, researchers at Golf Workout Program calculated a composite score based on the following factors and weights:

• Local weather (40%)
• Total PGA Tour events in the past five years (30%)
• Golf courses and country clubs per 100,000 residents (25%)
• Sporting goods stores per 100,000 residents (5%)

The weather score is also a composite measure that optimizes for both mild temperatures and low precipitation. In the event of a tie, the location with more golf courses and country clubs per capita was ranked higher. To improve relevance, only metropolitan areas with at least 100,000 residents were included. Additionally, metros were grouped into cohorts based on population size: small (100,000–349,999), midsize (350,000–999,999), and large (1,000,000 or more). Only areas in the contiguous United States were considered for the analysis.

August Noble

August Noble was first introduced to golf at 7 years old. In 2013 he started seriously working on his game and was able to reduce his handicap from 19 to 3.4 in less than two years. He’s been helping other golfers do the same ever since. Current Handicap: 4

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Explosive Launch and Distance-Driven Design Inspire Confidence and Fun

Link to High-Res Imagery

COVINGTON, Ga. – Bridgestone Golf, the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, today introduced the new BOOM IT JUNIOR golf ball, which is aimed at young players who need a lower compression, easier-launching option for their developing swings and bodies.

Designed in conjunction with U.S. Kids Golf, the new BOOM IT JUNIOR golf ball features an extremely low compression core to better match junior swing speeds and a dimple design that promotes a high launch, maximizing carry distance and sustained flight performance. The BOOM IT JUNIOR works for a variety of clubhead speeds but is specifically aimed at maximizing performance for developing players by optimizing their developing swing speed and skill level.

“We take Ball Fitting very seriously and with junior golf seeing more than 50 percent growth since 2019, it makes perfect sense for us to create a ball to meet their needs,” said Bridgestone president Dan Murphy. “Our R&D team focused on the needs of junior players that require more speed and easier launch, and they knocked it out of the park. I am confident junior players will have more fun playing the BOOM IT JUNIOR because it is specifically designed to fit their game.”

BOOM IT JUNIOR was created in partnership with U.S. Kids Golf, which was founded in 1996 to bring more fun into the game of golf for children. The program trains coaches, develops kid-friendly programs and organizes more than 2,000 tournaments each year for junior golfers. A portion of the proceeds of each BOOM IT JUNIOR purchase benefits the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation.

“We’re proud of this ball and the fact that it addresses the needs of junior players to build a foundation of confidence in their game,” said Adam Rehberg, senior marketing manager of golf balls at Bridgestone Golf. “As the #1 Ball Fitter in Golf, we strive to not only design and manufacture the best golf balls on the market but also fit as many players as possible to the right golf ball for them. With BOOM IT JUNIOR, we can now serve an even wider segment of players, staying true to our commitment to fit every golfer properly.”

BOOM IT JUNIOR also features Bridgestone’s MindSet graphic, which was developed by Jason Day and performance coach Jason Goldsmith to work with a process that separates analytical thoughts from athletic performance. MindSet is a simple three-step sequence; Identify, Visualize and Focus, which aligns with the visual cue on the golf ball to help players make decisions, connect to the target and commit fully to execution. Learning the MindSet sequence early in one’s career will establish great habits for a lifetime of consistent golf. In 2026, Bridgestone staffers Jason Day, Chris Gotterup, Kurt Kitayama and Boo Weekly will all compete using TOUR B models with MindSet.

“We were proud to work alongside the Bridgestone team to help create BOOM IT JUNIOR from the ground up, specifically engineered to provide young golfers with the distance, feel, and performance they need to enjoy every round,” said Dan Van Horn, president and founder of U.S. Kids Golf. “BOOM IT JUNIOR is a golf ball that meets the mission of U.S. Kids Golf by supporting the growth of and a true love of the game.”

Look for the BOOM IT JUNIOR golf ball ($22.99/dozen) to be available online and at retail on March 27. To learn more about the BOOM IT golf ball or place an order, please visit bridgestonegolf.com.

About Bridgestone Golf

Based in Covington, GA, Bridgestone Golf USA manufactures premium golf balls, clubs and accessories under the Bridgestone and Precept brands. The company started making golf balls in 1935 and today has more golf ball design patents than any other company. Beginning in 2006, Bridgestone revolutionized golf ball selection with its custom ball-fitting program, identifying a golfer’s ideal golf ball based on personal swing characteristics. Today, as the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, Bridgestone has conducted over four million fittings via a combination of live-fitting, online selection, OTTO Autonomous Ball Fitting, and its V-FIT Video Ball Fitting.  The consumer data gathered from ball-fitting continues to inspire Bridgestone’s innovative new golf ball designs, yielding industry-leading performance products for the entire range of players, from recreational golfers to the best in the world. Bridgestone Golf is proudly represented on international professional tours by icons such as Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar, Kurt Kitayama, Harry Hall, Jason Day, and Chris Gotterup.  Bridgestone Golf USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo. More information:  bridgestonegolf.com.

Media Contact:

Emily Scott, JDPR, emilys@jdpr.com

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The U.S.-based architecture firm of Curley-Wagner Golf Design has completed construction of the course at Dhoho Golf Club in Kediri in Indonesia’s East Java province, and the layout is slated to open fully in the second quarter of 2026. The front nine had opened in the fall of 2025. 

When were the best golf courses in the U.S. built? Golfweek’s Best breaks its golf course rankings into two categories: classic (before 1960) and modern (1960 and after). We thought it would be fun to take that a few steps further, so we broke our prestigious 2025 rankings of the top 200 classic and top 200 modern courses into decades. 

Homestead in Midway, Utah, has hired architect and 1977 U.S. Amateur champion John Fought to renovate its golf course as part of a larger renovation to the entire resort. Fought has broken ground on the course, which is expected to reopen in summer of 2027. 

We are here  U.S. Solheim Cup captain Angela Stanford. This is the last week of the season, the last week before we head into the Solheim Cup year.

Q. I know you’ve got an announcement, but first I just want to say, how are you feeling? It’s been more than six months now since you were announced as captain. Is it finally real?

It’s been awesome. I feel like I’m living a dream every single day. Everything I do, it seems like I do something for Solheim Cup every single day, and I love it.

I feel like I’ve been talking to more players lately, getting ready to roll into next year. But yeah, I still feel like I’m living a dream, and I’ve loved every second of it.

Q. You talk about having news or doing something every day. Today you’ve got some fun news to announce about how your team will literally look next year. What do you have to tell us?

We’re fired up to announce that B. Draddy and Zero Restriction will be the outfitters for the 2026 United States Solheim Cup team. I’m thrilled. I can’t wait. B. Draddy is extremely high end. I’m looking forward to seeing the launch of their ladies’ fall line this year.

Zero Restriction kind of speaks for itself. They’ve been keeping people dry and warm for a long time. They’ve done Presidents Cups. They’re very familiar with our team aspect. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun to work with them.

Q. I know the last couple years you kind of let Stacy and the team handle the uniforms. What’s this been like this so far having to deal with that side of things?

It’s been a little difficult for me because usually I know what I want, but sometimes what I want and what it looks like aren’t the same thing.

Fortunately I’ve had Paula’s help quite a bit. Paula has been a life saver in this, not only because Paula has fashion sense and I do not. She’s been helpful there. But she’s also a player.

The things that we’ve talked about, of course we want to look good. I want more of a classy, very simple look. But Paula and I are on the same page when it comes to the functional aspect of it. You have to be comfortable out there, but you also — you can look good and be comfortable at the same time.

Q. You were up at the ANNIKA last week. We’ve had so many different winners on the Tour this year, 28, a good number of Americans, a number of strong players coming up for you. How are you feeling about the makeup of the U.S. Team as we now look to wrap this ’25 season?

I love it. I think there are a number of different ways this could go next year. I think we could have a very similar team. We could also have some new parts, new people, new players, and I love it either way.

I think our mentality, our mindset is going to be the same. We understand we have a huge challenge going over and playing in Europe, and I think that’s been the fun part for me right now is to start talking to the players about things that I think are important and just preparing them for what I want and what I expect of them in the off-season.

I feel like I might be a little bit different in that respect. I don’t really remember captains asking things from me in the off-season. But I just think there are things that we can work on all the time, and I think our mentality is going to matter when we get there, and I think you can train those things. I think you can work on things, so that way when you get there it’s not one big surprise.

I’ve loved it. I’ve loved seeing them the last couple days. Saw a couple players today. Everybody seems to — early on when I saw them, we saw each other in Boston, but there was a different vibe yesterday, at Pelican and then today.

I think thinking about going into next year, it’s back on their radar. So yeah, this is been nice to see everybody.

Q. Obviously you had so many experiences playing on Solheim Cup teams, now captaining and assistant captaining a few Solheim Cup teams. What were some of your favourite looks that you got to wear for the other captains you played for, or least favourite?

I keep things really simple. I think a lot of patterns on the bottom were never really for me. We had a couple years where we had some wild patterns on our skirts and pants. I’m not much of a pattern person.

I think if anything, people will think that I’m being very simple with our design, but at the same time, I want the ladies to feel like they’re comfortable and they’re going to go out there and people are going to talk about our play, they’re not going to talk about our clothes, in that respect where I think we’re going to do some things early in the week that they’re going to talk about our uniforms, and I can’t wait for that stuff to work its way in. When we get there, it’ll be a really cool aspect of the week.

Q. Your thoughts or your plans; are you going to take some people over as you think about your schedule for next year, to play the course, to have team bonding over in Europe? What are your thoughts about that?

I think we’re going to have a team event in the spring on the West Coast. If players want to go over and play Bernardus before, they’re more than welcome. I’m not going to ask them to do that. I understand their schedules are usually pretty packed, and they have a lot of things that they’re committed to.

If anything, I would hope that they would play the Scottish. I hope they would play AIG. I know they’re going to play AIG. But anything that — I feel like Bernardus has a Scottish links feel to it, so I’m going to encourage them to think about playing the Scottish if it’s not on their schedule.

If they want to go play Bernardus, I would love it. But I think I’ve seen it both ways, and I’ve done it both ways. Early on in my career, I went and played early in Sweden a couple times. I think it’s good to get your bearings and know where things are, but really when we get there, they’re going to be so focused on learning the golf course and playing that I think we’re going to get everything we need to out of those four days before.

Q. You said you do stuff just about every day as we approach the off-season here. You’re sending Christmas cards. How will you stay in touch over the next few months?

ANGELA STANFORD: I do this weird thing that — so I love texts and email and all that, but I love face to face. I love talking to people in person. I guess I’m old school in that.

I’ll probably send them a few videos. I did that early on to the core of our players on this team, just to — I don’t know, I think there’s something about sending a video to somebody and talking through it. I think you can read things. When you read an email you’re not really getting — I don’t know, it’s just different. I’ll probably send them a couple of videos.

I’m really going to dig into stats this off-season. Going to start thinking about how specific stats fit Bernardus, go hole by hole. I’m going to dive pretty deep into this and just see if we can find the perfect match when it comes to players for this golf course.

Q. Obviously we had a lot more wins last year by Americans with Nelly and Lauren, et cetera. This year not as many. We’ve seen the emergence of Japanese golfers in terms of winning. Obviously a lot of Americans have played really well but the wins haven’t been there like the past few years. Is that a concern at this point?

No, not at all. I’m very aware of the ebb and flow of seasons, Solheim years and non-Solheim years. I know they’re all trying as hard as they possibly can.

But I also knew when I was playing that when it became a Solheim Cup year, I wanted to win those years, but I was also trying to earn points to make a team. When you get into that mentality, you start seeing better finishes, whether they’re thinking about it or not. I always did personally.

But I’m not worried about it. I just think it’s kind of the ebb and flow, and people are in different stages of their life.

For Nelly, not many people have ever won that many in a year, much less in a row. That’s something that I can only imagine is really difficult to follow. I kind of felt for her in that everybody just expects if you can do it once, you should be able to do it again.

I think Nelly handled it really well this year. She played amazing all year. Winning is hard. Winning is really hard. Personally I think that shows; we had 29 different winners; is that right? 27 or 29. That shows how hard it is to win out here.

I’m not worried about the Americans.

Q. How big do you consider your core group? You mentioned core. And when you get out next year and start having little face to face run into, how deep doing go? How many players?

My core group this time was about six of them, and I just went off of how many had played three or four in a row. I think it’s important to keep those players together and keep them informed.

I think we’ll go to 19 or 20 to invite to the event on the West Coast, fittings, different things like that because this may be — this is just my personal take on this, but it’s not just about next year; it’s about growing an American team for years to come.

I always thought it was an honor to get invited to team events. I thought it was an honor to get emails from a captain. I thought it was a big deal.

Q. Back when you were younger?

I remember I went to functions in 2004 and 2005 for Nancy and I didn’t make that team, but I made ’07, ’09, ’11. I want these younger players that get invited to these things to want to be there. It’s a big deal to be there.

I think it’s a big deal to grow American golf. I love thinking that it’s not just about 2026. Yes, we would like to win and we want to put together the best team we can, but I also want the ’28 team to be good and I want the ’30 team to be good.

I feel like the more they can be exposed to Solheim Cup events, even just talking to them, hopefully it makes them want to make those teams and be a part of making American golf better and better on this tour.

Q. Do you feel like we’re in or approaching a bit of a transition period on the U.S. side of things?

I seem to think that every time. It seems like we keep getting to a point where we feel like, oh, this team is going to be way different. I think it just sneaks up on you. I don’t think it’s something that — now you think about it, you have Nelly, you have Megan, you have Kupcho, we’re going to have Angel, Yealimi played in ’21. All of a sudden it feels like this is a core group. You realize that you’re like, what happened to all those players — I think it just kind of sneaks up on you.

I think we thought that for ’23 there was going to be huge turnover, and I don’t think there was, and that just speaks to American golf.

I think the stronger we can get from 1 to 20 or 30 or 40, it never feels like we have a huge turnover.

Q. I just wanted to ask you, can you share a couple moments? You played in six Solheim Cups. Can you share what your most memorable moment might have been out there on one of those matches?

By far, 2015 in Germany. Every time I get the chance to say I got to beat Suzann, I like to say it because not many people got to beat Suzann. Just that whole Sunday, coming back in singles. We were down 10-6. It was the greatest comeback in Solheim Cup history. That’s definitely the one that stands out.

Winning in 2007 in Sweden, that was kind of on the tail end of Annika’s historic career. We’re playing in Sweden again — we played in 2003 in Sweden and I was the one that got waxed by Annika in singles and they just drilled us in 2003 in Sweden, and that was Annika at the height of Annika’s career. Then to come back in ’07 and get to beat them in Sweden, I thought that was pretty cool. That was a tough week. It was cold and rainy. I thought Betsy did a great job of kind of keeping the team together.

I guess most of my memories come from away Solheim Cups.

Q. On the Saturday night before they make the singles matches, can you just tell us a little “Inside Baseball” about who wants to go out first, who wants to go out last? Based on what you know, what position do you think probably would get the most pressure as the day progresses on a Sunday?

It’s always kind of tough because it depends on — specifically that Sunday in Germany, we had to win them all. It also depends on what the score is, where the points are going into Saturday night.

If we need four points to retain or win the Cup, then we’re probably top loading, like let’s get those points and get it over with. I think the strategy is always — you always have an idea of where you want your players to be, but if we have a chance to go out there and clinch it quick, let’s just send them out and get it done.

I think it all kind of depends on where we stand Saturday night.

Q. Nerves: Six matches, what was your most nervous moment?

I think I was nervous, I remember, in Chicago, 2009. This is one of my greatest regrets, also. I was paired with Stacy Lewis, and we were standing there on the tee — I’m sorry, it was ’11. I was nervous in ’09 at Rich Harvest Farms, but ’11, and it was Stacy’s rookie Solheim, and we were deciding on who was teeing off first. I kind of just pushed Stacy to tee off first. That’s probably one of my greatest regrets is that I just did not hit that first tee shot.

Yeah, I was nervous there. I learned a lot there. I certainly did not step up to the plate, and like I said, it is one of my biggest regrets.

Q. We’ve got about 10 months left. You’re going to be asked this question, but, Solheim Cup players: Has there been any discussion at all about being paid for the services you perform in a week and this is overseas? You know what happened with the Ryder Cup players. Do you want to share any information about that?

Well, I think the beautiful thing about our players is that nobody has ever asked to be paid. Our ladies love it.

I think we understand being a part of the LPGA Tour, we understand what it means to act like a founder. How do you make the game better? Sometimes you don’t always get paid for that. But when it comes to Solheim, those ladies love showing up for it.

We get stipends that take care of our families and friends, and I think everybody that goes that week knows that it’s for something bigger than just ourselves. We’ve just never really talked about it. Nobody has ever really brought it up because it’s like, we’re getting to play for our country. We’re getting to play for each other. We’re getting to grow women’s golf. We’re getting to play on this wonderful stage. Everybody in the world is watching us. We’re getting some cool uniforms. We’re getting to — all the great things that come from that week.

Personally, I don’t think you can put a price tag on it. Then you would have to figure out, well, how much. So we’ve never talked about it.

Q. I think Stacy still gives you grief for that moment in 2011, right?

ANGELA STANFORD: I know.

Q. The last time the world saw you, you were on the first tee at the Ryder Cup. I know that you are a student of other leadership, other teams. What were some of the mental notes you made as you watched the Ryder Cup this year?

I really paid attention to the captains. I watched how they were moving. I’m very aware — and Stacy has helped me with this. Stacy has told me that I need to be more aware of when I’m just standing around and need to be aware of how I stand. So I watched the captains, watched the players.

I did talk to Paula and the other assistants afterwards. But more so with Paula in that there were things that I saw that I just want to make sure our team is aware of, just the way we handle ourselves. If things start going south, how do we react to that.

I did watch the American team all weekend, and I was also watching the Europeans, just trying to — anything I can learn to make us better, I’m trying, and that falls into that every single day. Every single day I’m trying to think of ways that we can give ourselves an advantage.

Q. It was a beautiful last couple days. You got to see a lot of golf. Overall, just again to wrap up, how excited are you for the opportunity you’ve got coming up next year in September?

I was just going to say, are you all sure you don’t have any more questions? I could sit here and talk about this all day. I literally could. I love it.

Q. When I looked up your resume, it said in 2024 you announced your retirement. Golfers don’t generally announce retirement, professional golfers. The question is are you officially retired? Did you announce that you were retiring? How does a pro golfer evolve into retirement?

I’m still working on that. I think for me personally, I use the word “retire” because in any mind, it was from the LPGA Tour, meaning I felt like I got to a point where — I think I could compete here and there, but I felt like I was doing a disservice to myself and this tour if I couldn’t give it everything I got for four days week in and week out. That’s me personally.

My life has changed quite a bit in the last couple years, so just off the course there were things that were more important, and that’s fine. I’m at an age where that’s okay.

I’d really, really — you never lose that competitive drive. I’m really, really trying to help grow the Legends Tour. I wish we had some more opportunities.

I love going out and competing there. That’s been awesome. So that competitive drive doesn’t go away.

But for me personally, I just out of respect for the Tour and the high level of golf, I just felt like it was time for me to move on, and I wanted to be Solheim Cup captain and I wanted to be — I’m kind of one of those all-or-none people, and I knew to win, to give ourselves a chance to win overseas, I have to be 100 percent committed to this. Honestly, I have not regretted that because it is going to take everything I have and everything we have to give it our best shot in Europe.

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