SCOUTING REPORT | S.D. golf country, Sioux Falls teacher pay, pandemic money wasted, sausage dog ban

A weekly digest of interesting local, state, national and even international developments

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The unseasonably warm winter may have taken a couple steps back with our spring snow and cold snap, but South Dakotans who enjoy the outdoors know that the winter of 2023-2024 can’t hold out much longer. Our time will come.

Indeed, prior to the latest winter storm, golf enthusiasts could already be found on the range and putting greens urging on the spring.

A new study by PromoGuy finds that South Dakota is the fifth most golf obsessed state in the nation. PromoGuy is a professional sports betting site. The rankings are based off of Google Trends searches, which tracked interest in golf-related content over the last year. The rankings were released ahead of The Masters Augusta National, which starts next month.

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The data revealed an interesting regional trend. Outside of first-ranked South Carolina – which boasts plenty of beautiful seaside resorts and golf courses – this region of the country is most focused on golf. Seven of the top 10 golf obsessed states are in the Upper Great Plains or Midwest.

The rankings were: 1) South Carolina; 2) Minnesota; tied for third, Nebraska, North Dakota; 5) South Dakota, 6) Montana; 7) Wisconsin; 8) Iowa; 9) Hawaii; 10) Massachusetts.

Worldwide, the United States is the second-most golf obsessed country behind Ireland. The United Kingdom is third.

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