2015 Best Places List

[Steve West]

Steve, is that map strictly course density? If so, it would be interesting to also see the map in relation to population density to see where courses might still be needed. Or is that what you've already done and call it service level?

This is strictly course density, or how much opportunity to play a single resident at the center of each square would have.

To compute the Demand for a new course at a certain spot, I compute the service level for the entire surrounding population both with and without a new course at a particular location. The sum of the increase in service level for each resident is the demand.

Demand takes thousands of times as much time to figure out, so I don't give that away for free. I will say that New York City could fill up at least a dozen new courses.

Many places that already have high service levels have so many people that a new course there would be more popular than a course placed anywhere in the dark areas of the map.

 

[Steve West]

And here is Europe for comparison.