The best winter golf destinations in the US are Scottsdale, Palm Springs and central Florida, where average January highs run from 68°F to 71°F. South Florida and Hawaii are warmer still. Tucson and Las Vegas are cheaper, with colder mornings. Book February early, and avoid Arizona from mid-September to early November, when courses overseed.
Winter golf trips have one built-in problem: everybody wants the same six weeks. From mid-January to early March, the desert and Florida fill with golfers escaping snow, and the prices rise to match. The same round at the same course can cost nearly twice as much in February as in June. A good winter trip isn’t just about finding somewhere warm. It’s about finding somewhere warm enough, at the right price, in a week that isn’t also a tournament week.
Most winter golf lists skip the one thing you actually want to know, which is how warm it will be. This guide gives you the numbers. Average temperatures are NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals, and prices were checked in September 2026 against the operators’ own rate pages where they publish them. The guide is also the hub for our seasonal pages, including a month-by-month calendar for the rest of the year, so when you’re ready to narrow it down, each section points you to the detail.
At a glance
- Warmest reliable winter golf on the mainland: South Florida, with Miami averaging 76°F in January.
- Best overall winter trip: Scottsdale from November to March. Phoenix averages 68°F in January, with lows of 44°F.
- Best dry-heat alternative: Palm Springs, averaging 70.5°F in January with about three rainy days a month at most.
- Best value: Tucson, Las Vegas and late-season Myrtle Beach, if you can live with cooler mornings.
- Peak prices: mid-January to mid-March in the desert and Florida.
- The trap: Arizona’s overseeding season, mid-September to early November, when courses close on a rolling schedule.
The winter golf calendar at a glance
Here’s the whole winter picture in one table: average January temperatures, the best weeks to go and the weeks that cost the most.
| Destination | Avg January high / low | Best winter weeks | Peak-price weeks | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottsdale and Phoenix, AZ | 68°F / 44°F | Early Nov, and March | Mid-Jan to mid-March | Overseeding closures mid-Sep to early Nov; WM Phoenix Open week |
| Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, CA | 70.5°F / 47.6°F | November; late March | January–March | The American Express week in January |
| Tucson, AZ | 67°F / 41°F | November; March | February | Frost delays on cold mornings |
| Las Vegas, NV | 59°F / 41°F | November; March | Big convention and event weeks | Cool, windy days in Dec–Jan |
| Orlando and Tampa, FL | 71°F / 52–53°F | December; late April | January–March | Spring-break crowds; cold fronts |
| South Florida (Miami, Naples, Palm Beach) | 76°F / 61°F (Miami) | Any week Dec–April | January–March | Most of the best Naples golf is private |
| Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra, FL | 66°F / 47°F | Late February to April | March | TPC Sawgrass blackout Feb 15–Mar 16, 2027 |
| Hawaii | 81°F / 67°F (Honolulu) | Any week | Christmas to spring break | Wetter windward coasts; flight time |
| San Diego, CA | 66°F / 50°F | Any week | Presidents’ Day and holiday weeks | The Sentry at Torrey Pines, Jan 25–30, 2027 |
| Texas (Houston, Austin, San Antonio) | 63–64°F / 41–46°F | Late February to March | Spring break | Cold snaps and wind |
January averages from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals (Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, San Diego, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Miami, Honolulu and the Texas cities via Current Results; Palm Springs from NOAA’s station normals). Averages hide cold snaps: north and central Florida can see mornings in the 30s°F when a front comes through.
Two things worth knowing about those numbers. First, a 68°F average high in the desert feels warmer than it sounds. The sun is strong, the air is dry and there’s little wind on most days, so a Scottsdale January afternoon is short-sleeve golf. The flip side is the morning. A 44°F low means the first tee at 8 a.m. is jacket weather, and frost delays of an hour or more are common after clear nights in December and January. Book 9:30 or 10 a.m. tee times if you can.
Second, humidity changes the math in Florida. A 71°F day in Orlando feels soft and pleasant, but it rains more often than in Arizona. Florida’s winter is its dry season, and the heavy afternoon storms don’t arrive until late spring. Even so, you’ll see more grey days than in the desert.
Where is it warm enough to golf in January?
In January, the reliably warm places to golf in the US are South Florida (Miami averages 76°F), Hawaii (81°F in Honolulu), Palm Springs (70.5°F), central Florida (71°F in Orlando and Tampa) and Scottsdale and Phoenix (68°F). Tucson and San Diego are close behind. Las Vegas averages 59°F: playable, but pack a sweater.
“Warm enough” is personal, so here’s how we’d think about it. A daytime high in the upper 60s or better, in sunshine, is comfortable golf for almost everybody. The low 60s, with wind, is fine for a keen group and grim for a mixed one. Below 60°F you’re playing for the golf, not the weather.
By that measure the January shortlist is short. Hawaii, South Florida, Palm Springs and central Florida all clear 70°F on average. Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tucson sit just under 70°F with more sunshine than anywhere else. Texas and Las Vegas are the “it’s still better than home” tier: good golf, lower prices, but the odd day where the wind makes it feel like March in Ohio.
What January doesn’t offer is value. The first two weeks after New Year’s are sometimes softer on price than February, particularly in Florida, but the desert fills up quickly from the middle of the month. Our warm places to golf in January guide goes week by week, and its companion covers warm places to golf in February, the single most expensive month of the winter.
The best winter golf destinations in the US, ranked
We ranked these on four things: how warm and dry the winter really is, the depth and quality of the golf, access for visitors, and cost in peak season. The first three are the reliable picks. The rest suit particular groups and budgets.
1. Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona
Greater Scottsdale has more than 200 golf courses, according to Experience Scottsdale, and from November to April it has the best combination of weather, variety and nightlife of any winter golf destination in the country. January averages 68°F with lows of 44°F. It’s dry, sunny and, apart from the occasional winter storm, remarkably consistent.
Prices follow the thermometer. Peak season is mid-January to mid-March, and it’s expensive. Package operators advertised Scottsdale golf trips from about $965 per golfer in September 2026, and a February weekend at the top resort courses costs a great deal more. The best value comes either side of peak: early November, once the winter rye grass has grown in after overseeding, and late March and April, when prices start to slide but the weather is still excellent. Summer is the other extreme. Highs pass 105°F, and Troon North has advertised 50% off tee times booked inside a 78-hour window.
The one week to plan around is the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale (February 8–14, 2027), the best-attended event in golf. Either build the trip around it or go another week, because hotel rates across the valley spike.
- Our verdict: the best all-round winter golf trip in America. It’s easy to get to, with nonstops to Phoenix from almost every major US city, and the restaurant and bar scene makes it the easiest sell for a group.
- Next step: our Scottsdale golf trip guide covers courses and lodging, and the best time to golf in Scottsdale goes month by month.
2. Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, California
Palm Springs is, statistically, the warmest and driest winter destination on the mainland outside Florida. NOAA’s normals give an average January high of 70.5°F with a low of 47.6°F, rising to 73.7°F in February and 80.6°F in March, with roughly two to three days of measurable rain in a typical winter month. December averages 69.2°F, and November 78.7°F.
The Coachella Valley has more than 100 courses between Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indian Wells and La Quinta. PGA WEST in La Quinta is the headliner, with its Pete Dye Stadium Course hosting The American Express (January 18–24, 2027). Peak-season premium rates run roughly $200–$400 or more, according to Green Fee Tracker. Like Scottsdale, the valley’s desert courses overseed in the fall, so late October and early November can be patchy.
- Our verdict: a close second to Scottsdale on weather, and a better choice for West Coast groups, since Los Angeles is about two hours away by road. The courses are more alike than Scottsdale’s, and there are fewer that are truly great.
- Next step: our Palm Springs golf trip guide.
3. Central Florida: Orlando, Tampa, Streamsong and Cabot Citrus Farms
Orlando and Tampa both average 71°F in January, with lows of 52–53°F. Florida’s winter is its dry season, and statewide highs from November to April sit roughly between 65°F and 82°F. For a winter golf trip, the center of the state now has the best golf in Florida.
Streamsong, between Tampa and Orlando in old phosphate-mining country, has three 18s by three star designers (Red by Coore & Crenshaw, Blue by Tom Doak, Black by Gil Hanse) plus The Chain, a short course. A fifth course, David McLay Kidd’s Bone Valley, opens for preview play on October 30, 2026, with its grand opening on January 26, 2027. This winter is the first chance to play it.
Cabot Citrus Farms, north of Tampa, publishes the clearest winter pricing in the state. Its 2026 resort-guest rates for the Karoo and Roost courses are $330 from January 1 to April 19, $275–$305 from April 20 to May 31, $185 from June 1 to October 1, $350 from October 2 to December 13 and $295 for the holidays, December 14–31. Day guests pay $20–$65 more. Caddies are mandatory from December 1 to March 31 for early tee times and for anyone taking a cart. The two 18s are reported to be walking only from December 14, 2026 to February 28, 2027, so confirm that when you book.
In Orlando itself, Grand Cypress has two Jack Nicklaus courses open to the public. Bay Hill, Arnold Palmer’s club, is limited to members and guests of its lodge.
- Our verdict: the best winter golf east of the Mississippi, now that Streamsong and Cabot Citrus Farms are about two hours apart. Orlando’s airport makes it the easiest winter trip to reach from the Northeast.
- Next step: Florida golf vacations, and the resort guides to Streamsong and Cabot Citrus Farms.
4. South Florida: Naples, Palm Beach and Miami
If warmth is the only thing that matters, go south. Miami averages 76°F in January with lows of 61°F, and Naples and Palm Beach are similar. The catch is access. Of the 126 golf courses within 20 miles of Naples, 108 are fully private, according to GolfPass, and Palm Beach County is dominated by private clubs too.
The public-access golf that does exist is good. Tiburón, the Ritz-Carlton’s 36-hole Greg Norman facility in Naples, is the main resort option. Palm Beach County has PGA National’s resort courses, including the Champion course that hosts the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic.
- Our verdict: the best choice for couples and families who want guaranteed warmth and a beach, with golf as part of the trip. Less good for a group that wants five different great courses in five days.
- Next step: our best time to golf in Florida guide covers the whole state month by month.
5. Hawaii
Honolulu averages 81°F in January with lows of 67°F. That makes Hawaii the only place in the US where winter golf is genuinely summer golf. GolfPass’s 2026 rankings put Poipu Bay on Kauai at the top of Hawaii’s public courses, at about $140–$295, with Mauna Lani South on the Big Island at about $225–$325.
Two practical points. The windward (north and east) coasts of each island get much more winter rain than the leeward sides, which is why the big resort golf is concentrated on the dry sides: Wailea and Kapalua on Maui, the Kohala Coast on the Big Island and Poipu on Kauai. And flights are long. From the West Coast it’s five to six hours, and from the East Coast it’s a full travel day each way.
- Our verdict: the best winter golf vacation for anyone who wants a proper vacation around the golf. It’s rarely the best value per round.
- Next step: our Hawaii golf vacation guide.
6. Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, about two hours southeast of Phoenix, averages 67°F in January with lows of 41°F. It sits a little higher than Phoenix, so mornings are colder and frost delays more frequent, but the afternoons are just as good. The golf leans toward big resort courses in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, along with a strong set of city courses. It’s cheaper and quieter than Scottsdale in peak season, and the best choice for a group that wants desert golf without February Scottsdale prices. See our Tucson golf trip guide.
7. Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas averages 59°F in January with lows of 41°F, so it’s cooler and windier than the other desert destinations. Winter is still its best golf season, and the city has something no other winter destination does: Shadow Creek, Tom Fazio’s private-feeling course north of the Strip, open only to guests of MGM Resorts hotels at $1,250 a round in 2026, limo included.
- Our verdict: best in November and March. In December and January, go for the whole Las Vegas experience rather than for the weather. Our Las Vegas golf trip guide covers the value courses as well as Shadow Creek.
8. San Diego, California
San Diego averages 66°F in January with lows of 50°F, and it has the mildest year-round climate in the continental US. Torrey Pines is the draw. Non-residents paid $258 on weekdays and $322 on weekends for the South Course in 2026, plus a $50 advance booking fee, through a reservations service with a 4–90 day window. In 2027 the PGA Tour’s season opener, The Sentry, moves there from Kapalua (January 25–30), so check for closures that week. Read our San Diego golf trip guide.
9. St. George, Utah, and Texas
Two cooler options round out the list. St. George, in Utah’s red-rock country about two hours from Las Vegas, is best from March to April and October to November; midwinter is noticeably cooler than Phoenix. Black Desert Resort’s 2025 rack rate was $350 for non-guests and $275 for resort guests, including cart, forecaddie and range. See our St. George golf trip guide.
Texas averages 63–64°F in January in Houston, Austin and San Antonio. It won’t beat Arizona on weather, but it has one of the most interesting new courses in the country. Wild Spring Dunes in East Texas, a Tom Doak design, publishes winter rates of $195 in January and February and $195–$260 in December and March, against $275 in the fall peak. For walking-only golf of that quality, those are winter bargains.
10. The Carolinas and the Georgia coast
Myrtle Beach, Pinehurst, Kiawah and Hilton Head are spring and fall destinations, but they don’t close for winter, and for a certain kind of group they’re the best deal in golf from December to February. Winter is Myrtle Beach’s quietest season, with the lowest package prices of the year. Golfbreaks has advertised Myrtle Beach packages from $209 per golfer for two nights and two rounds. The courses are open, the tee sheets are thin and nobody is pushing you along from behind.
What you give up is warmth and color. Winter on the Carolina coast is changeable: a bright afternoon warm enough for a single layer can be followed by a raw, windy day that feels like November in New Jersey. Most of the region’s courses are Bermuda grass, which goes dormant and tan in winter unless the course overseeds it. The fairways play firm and fast, and the ball runs a long way. Some golfers love that. Others find it disorienting after a summer of soft, green golf at home. Pinehurst in January, with dormant wiregrass and bright sand, looks more like its old black-and-white photographs than at any other time of year, and it’s a cheaper time to see it.
- Our verdict: the best winter trip for a budget buddies group that will play in any weather. Not for anyone who packed only shorts.
- Next step: our guide to the best time to golf in Myrtle Beach covers the season week by week, including the winter lows.
When do Scottsdale golf courses overseed?
Scottsdale and Phoenix courses overseed from about mid-September to early November. Each course closes, or plays on temporary greens, for roughly one to three weeks on a rolling schedule, so some are always open. Late October to early November, once the rye grass has grown in, is the best-value window of the desert year.
Overseeding is the reason a desert course can be brown in August and emerald green in February. The fairways are Bermuda grass, which thrives in the heat and goes dormant and straw-colored when nights get cool. So every fall, courses scalp the Bermuda and sow ryegrass over it, which stays green all winter. For a few weeks while the rye germinates, the course is closed, on temporary greens or restricted to carts on paths.
Here’s how to plan around it:
- Check each course’s dates, not the region’s. Courses stagger their closures so the whole valley is never shut at once. Schedules are usually published in late summer.
- Avoid the last two weeks of September and the first two of October if the trip is built around specific courses.
- Aim for late October or early November. Conditions are close to peak, the weather is warm (Palm Springs averages nearly 79°F in November) and prices haven’t hit their winter highs.
- Palm Springs and Las Vegas overseed too, on similar schedules. Florida mostly doesn’t, because its grasses stay green through the mild winter.
We keep the dates course by course in our Arizona golf overseeding schedule.
Winter golf outside the US
If you’re prepared to use your passport, the winter map gets much bigger. These are the destinations US golfers use most, with the key facts for each.
| Destination | Why go in winter | Flight from the US | Headline golf | Know before you go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Cabos, Mexico | Dry, sunny desert-by-the-sea winters | About 2.5–3 hours from Los Angeles, Dallas or Houston | Quivira, Palmilla (Jack Nicklaus’s first Latin American design), Cabo del Sol Desert (Tom Weiskopf, 2001) | Green fees are often extra, even at all-inclusive resorts |
| Dominican Republic | Caribbean warmth and some of the region’s best golf | About 3.5–4 hours from New York; about 2 hours from Miami | Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo, La Romana | Casa de Campo is in La Romana, not Punta Cana |
| Saint Lucia | A new world-class course | Direct flights from several East Coast hubs | Cabot Saint Lucia (Point Hardy), Coore & Crenshaw, opened 2023 | Limited tee times; resort focused |
| Algarve, Portugal | Mild, sunny winters and 30+ courses | Overnight from East Coast hubs to Lisbon or Faro | Monte Rei, long rated Portugal’s best; Ombria (opened April 2023) | Winter is mild, not hot; spring and fall are best |
| Dubai, UAE | Warm, dry winters and night golf | Long-haul, about 12–13 hours nonstop from New York | Jumeirah Golf Estates (home of the DP World Tour Championship), Emirates Golf Club | Emirates GC’s Faldo course is floodlit for night golf |
Casa de Campo publishes its green fees, which makes it a good example of what Caribbean golf really costs. Hotel guests pay $400 for Teeth of the Dog, $325 for Dye Fore and $250 for The Links, all plus 18% tax. Guests staying elsewhere, such as in a private villa, pay $550, $400 and $325. Caddies are mandatory on Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore and are paid in cash: $50 for one or two players, $100 for three or four, or $100 per bag for a walking caddie.
For the full list, see our winter golf destinations outside the US guide. The nearest options have their own hub in Mexico and Caribbean golf vacations, with guides to Teeth of the Dog and a Cabo golf trip.
What is the cheapest winter golf destination?
The cheapest winter golf is usually just outside the warm zone. Tucson and Las Vegas cost less than Scottsdale for similar desert golf. Myrtle Beach and north Florida are quietest and cheapest in January and February, with cooler days. And Texas’s Wild Spring Dunes drops to $195 in midwinter.
Winter golf pricing works on a simple principle: the warmer and more famous the place, the more it charges from mid-January to mid-March. So the cheapest trips come from bending one of those variables. You can go somewhere slightly cooler, go somewhere slightly less famous, or go to the famous warm place slightly outside its peak.
Published rates show how much the season moves prices:
| Course | Peak winter rate | Off-peak rate | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabot Citrus Farms (Karoo, Roost), FL | $330 (Jan 1–Apr 19); $350 (Oct 2–Dec 13) | $185 (Jun 1–Oct 1) | Resort-guest rates, cabot.com, 2026 |
| TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course, FL | From $775 (Sep–May) | From $550 (Jun–Aug) | TPC Sawgrass FAQ, 2026 |
| Wild Spring Dunes, TX | $275 (Sep–Nov 2026) | $195 (Jan–Feb) | Wild Spring Dunes, 2026 |
| Troon North, AZ | Winter rack rate | 50% off summer times booked inside 78 hours | Reported 2026 |
Wild Spring Dunes is the odd one out: its peak is fall, not winter, so January is its cheapest time. For the desert and Florida, the cheapest workable weeks are the first two weeks of December and the last week of March into April. Florida courses commonly cut fees by 10–20% after Easter.
Our cheap winter golf destinations guide has the full budget list, and our golf trip cost guide shows how to build a per-golfer budget line by line.
Which states can you golf in year-round?
You can golf year-round in Arizona, Florida, Southern California, Hawaii, southern Texas and southern Nevada, although Arizona and Las Vegas summers are brutally hot and Florida summers are wet. Hawaii and coastal Southern California are the only places where every month is comfortable.
“Year-round” can mean two things: courses that are open every month, or weather that’s pleasant every month. Most of the Sun Belt meets the first test. Very few places meet the second. San Diego, with an average January high of 66°F and a mild summer, is the best example on the mainland. Hawaii, at 81°F in January, is the only state where it’s warm all the time.
Everywhere else has a season to avoid. In Phoenix it’s June to August, when afternoon golf is dangerous and early tee times are the only option. In Florida, summer brings heat, humidity and a thunderstorm most afternoons. Our year-round golf destinations guide ranks the places that come closest.
Tournament weeks to plan around
Winter is also the West Coast and Florida swing of the PGA Tour, and tournament weeks close courses, fill hotels and push up prices. Here are the 2027 dates at winter golf destinations, from the PGA Tour’s schedule published on August 26, 2026:
| Event | 2027 dates | Where | What it means for your trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| The American Express | Jan 18–24 | PGA WEST, La Quinta, CA | Coachella Valley hotels fill; the Stadium Course is closed |
| The Sentry | Jan 25–30 | Torrey Pines, San Diego | Moves from Kapalua; Torrey Pines closed to public play that week |
| AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am | Feb 1–7 | Pebble Beach, CA | Pebble and Spyglass closed around the event |
| WM Phoenix Open | Feb 8–14 | TPC Scottsdale | Scottsdale’s busiest and priciest week of the year |
| THE PLAYERS | Mar 9–14 | TPC Sawgrass | Stadium Course blacked out Feb 15–Mar 16 |
| The Masters | Apr 5–11 | Augusta National, GA | Prices rise across the region; the spring season’s big week |
If you’d rather go to one of these than avoid it, our golf tournament travel hub explains how to combine watching and playing, and our Phoenix Open tickets guide covers the biggest party in golf.
The golf travel calendar: where to play every month
Winter is only four months of the year. Here’s the whole calendar, so you can see where winter golf fits and where to go the rest of the time.
| Month | Best US golf destinations | Why |
|---|---|---|
| January | Palm Springs, South Florida, Hawaii, Scottsdale, San Diego | The warmest reliable weather; peak prices from mid-month |
| February | Scottsdale, Palm Springs, central Florida, Hawaii | Peak season everywhere warm; book early |
| March | Florida, Arizona, Texas; Myrtle Beach and Pinehurst from mid-month | Spring starts in the Carolinas; desert still ideal |
| April | Pinehurst, Myrtle Beach, Kiawah, Hilton Head, Monterey | The Southeast’s best month; Florida prices fall after Easter |
| May | The Carolinas, Monterey, the Midwest from late May | Last good month in the South before the heat |
| June | Bandon, Wisconsin, Michigan, the Pacific Northwest, Colorado | The long days of northern summer |
| July | Bandon, Wisconsin, Michigan, New England, Colorado | Peak summer; avoid the desert and Florida |
| August | Bandon, the Pacific Northwest, Michigan, New England | Coastal and northern golf at its best |
| September | Wisconsin, Monterey, Bandon, Myrtle Beach after Labor Day | Warm, quieter; start of the fall season |
| October | Pinehurst, Myrtle Beach, Kiawah, New England foliage, Bandon | The best golf month in much of the country |
| November | Scottsdale after overseeding, Palm Springs, Florida | The first week of winter-golf value |
| December | Florida, Arizona, Palm Springs, Hawaii, San Diego | Good weather, short days, busy holiday weeks |
The detail for each month is in our best golf destinations by month guide, and we cover the shoulder months in warm places to golf in March and warm places to golf in November. For the other seasons, see spring break golf trips, the best summer golf destinations and the best fall golf trips. For the national shortlist across all seasons, go to our guide to the best golf destinations in the US.
How to plan a winter golf trip: seven rules
Winter trips follow the same planning order as any other golf trip (dates, destination, the hardest tee time, then everything else), but a few rules are specific to the season.
- Book February early. Desert and Florida resorts sell their best February tee times and rooms months ahead, particularly for groups. For a Presidents’ Day trip, book by the end of the previous summer.
- Check tournament and overseeding dates before you fix the week. Those two calendars account for most of the “the course is closed?” surprises.
- Book mid-morning tee times in the desert. Cold, clear nights mean frost delays, and a 9:30 a.m. start is often better than 7:30 a.m. on a delay.
- Mind the daylight. In December and January, the sun sets before 6 p.m. in the desert and in Florida. A 36-hole day needs a very early start or a cart, and the afternoon replay may run out of light.
- Pack layers. A 44°F start and a 70°F finish is a normal Phoenix January day. A light windproof jacket and a vest cover most of it.
- Watch the Florida fronts. A strong cold front can knock a few days of the week into the 50s°F. It’s a good reason to book refundable tee times where you can.
- Think about the shoulder weeks. Early November, early December and late March deliver most of the winter experience at noticeably lower prices.
For the whole planning process, start with how to plan a golf trip.
Every guide in our winter and seasonal golf series
This page is the hub for our seasonal golf guides. New guides go live every few days, and each title below becomes a link on the day it publishes.
Winter, month by month
- Warm places to golf in January
- Warm places to golf in February
- Warm places to golf in March
- Warm places to golf in November
Winter by budget and region
- Cheap winter golf destinations
- Winter golf destinations outside the US
- Year-round golf destinations
The rest of the calendar
- Best golf destinations by month: a 12-month calendar
- Spring break golf trips
- The best summer golf destinations
- The best fall golf trips
Winter destination hubs
- Scottsdale golf trip · Florida golf vacations · Hawaii golf vacation · Mexico and Caribbean golf vacations
Frequently asked questions
Where is the warmest place to golf in the US in winter?
Hawaii, where Honolulu averages 81°F in January. On the mainland, South Florida is warmest, with Miami averaging 76°F, followed by Palm Springs at 70.5°F and Orlando and Tampa at 71°F. Scottsdale and Phoenix average 68°F, with more sunshine and less humidity than Florida.
Is Scottsdale or Palm Springs better for winter golf?
Scottsdale has more great courses, more nightlife and nonstop flights from more cities. Palm Springs is slightly warmer (70.5°F versus 68°F in January), a little quieter and an easy drive from Los Angeles. For a first winter trip, Scottsdale. For a couples’ trip or a West Coast group, Palm Springs.
What month is best for golf in Florida?
March is often called the best, with warm, dry weather, but it’s also the most expensive. For value, December and late April are better: the weather is still good, and many courses cut fees by 10–20% after Easter. Avoid June to August unless you’re happy with heat and afternoon storms.
Can you golf in Arizona in the summer?
Yes, and it’s cheap, but highs routinely pass 105°F. Book the first tee time of the day, carry plenty of water and ride rather than walk. Troon North has advertised 50% off tee times booked inside a 78-hour window in summer.
When is peak season for winter golf?
Mid-January to mid-March in the desert and Florida, with February the most expensive month, and the WM Phoenix Open week (February 8–14, 2027) the priciest single week in Scottsdale. Early November, early December and late March are the best-value winter weeks.
Is Myrtle Beach good for golf in winter?
It’s playable and cheap, but not warm. Winter is Myrtle Beach’s quietest season, with its lowest package prices, and courses stay open, but you’ll need layers. For warm winter golf, go further south to Florida; for a Myrtle Beach trip, spring and fall are best.
Do I need to book a winter golf trip far in advance?
For February in Scottsdale, Palm Springs or Florida, book four to six months ahead, especially for a group. Early December and late March can be booked with less notice. Tournament weeks, such as the WM Phoenix Open, need a year’s notice for lodging.
Where can I golf in December in the US?
Florida, Arizona, Palm Springs, San Diego, Texas and Hawaii all offer good December golf. Palm Springs averages 69°F in December. Early December is one of the best-value weeks of the winter, while the holiday weeks are busy and expensive.
The short version of winter golf destinations in the US hasn’t changed since the top of the page. For warmth, go to Palm Springs, South Florida or Hawaii. For golf and a good time, Scottsdale. For value, Tucson, Las Vegas or Texas. And whichever you pick, book February early and check the overseeding dates.
Scotland is the opposite of a winter golf destination. Its season runs from April to October, with June the sweet spot at up to about 18 hours of daylight, while winter brings fairway mats, course closures and far fewer visitor tee times at the famous clubs. If you’re planning next summer rather than this winter, our golf trip to Scotland guide explains when to go and how early to book.
If your winter trip is heading to Mexico or the Caribbean, check what “all-inclusive” means for the golf before you book. Some resorts include unlimited green fees, some add a mandatory cart fee to every round, and some charge for the golf entirely. Our guide to all-inclusive golf resorts has a resort-by-resort inclusion table.
Many of the best winter golf trips are resort trips: Streamsong and Cabot Citrus Farms in central Florida, the desert resorts around Scottsdale and Palm Springs, and Sea Island on the Georgia coast. Our ranking of the best golf resorts in the US lists the best months for each, so you can match the resort to the season.
Winter golf trips are where bag fees quietly add up, because they tend to run longer and involve heavier bags: rain gear, extra layers and a second pair of shoes all end up in the travel bag. On American, Delta, United and Southwest a golf bag counts as a normal checked bag, at $45 for a first and $55 for a second each way in 2026, but the 50 lb weight limit is strict. Our guide to flying with golf clubs works out when shipping or renting is the cheaper way to get clubs to Arizona or Florida for a week or more.
Myrtle Beach in winter suits a particular kind of group: golfers who care more about playing a lot of golf cheaply than about green fairways and shorts. Highs are usually in the 50s°F, Bermuda fairways go dormant, and package prices drop to their lowest of the year. For the full picture of the Grand Strand’s courses by area and tier, plus how to add Charleston and Kiawah to the trip, see our Myrtle Beach golf trip guide.
Winter is when a lot of annual buddies trips happen, because it’s the one time the whole group is desperate to play. It’s also when the planning goes wrong most often: flights booked before tee times, too many 36-hole days in short daylight, and nobody sure who owes what. For how to organize a group of 4, 8 or 12, set up a fair Ryder Cup format and handle the money, see our buddies golf trip guide.
Pinehurst in winter is quiet, cheap and underrated. Highs are typically in the 50s°F, the resort offers its lowest rates of the year, and while the Bermuda fairways go brown, No. 2’s firm, fast conditions arguably play closer to how Donald Ross intended. For what access to No. 2 requires, which courses outside the resort are worth playing and what a trip costs, see our Pinehurst golf trip guide.
California splits its winter golf in two. Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley are at their peak from January to March, while the Monterey Peninsula is in its rainy season, with the lowest resort rates of the year and mild highs around 60°F. A winter Pebble Beach trip still needs the two-night resort stay for advance tee times, and the course closes for the Pro-Am in early February. Our Pebble Beach golf trip guide covers costs, access and the rest of California golf.
Sources
Official pages and climate data, checked September 11, 2026 unless noted.
- NOAA 1991–2020 January normals by city, via Current Results: currentresults.com
- Experience Scottsdale, golf: experiencescottsdale.com
- Cabot Citrus Farms, 2026 golf rates: cabot.com
- TPC Sawgrass FAQ (green fees, blackout dates): tpc.com
- Wild Spring Dunes, golf rates: wildspringdunes.com
- Casa de Campo, golf information and fees: casadecampo.com.do
- PGA Tour, 2027 schedule announcement (August 26, 2026): pgatour.com
- Also consulted: Palm Springs NOAA 1991–2020 station normals; Arizona overseeding schedules from Arizona Golf Vacations and Golf Scottsdale Arizona (2026); Florida seasonal pricing from GolfPass and Golf Club Rentals Florida; Streamsong’s Bone Valley dates from KemperSports (March 2026); Naples private-course counts and Hawaii rankings from GolfPass; PGA WEST ranges from Green Fee Tracker; Torrey Pines rates from the torreypines.com reservations service; Shadow Creek pricing from The Golf News Net (2026); Black Desert Resort 2025 rates from The Golf News Net; Cabo, Saint Lucia, Algarve and Dubai course details from Leading Courses and Visit Dubai.
Image credits
| Image | Credit and license |
|---|---|
| Wailea Gold Course, Maui (featured) | Photo by Ndavies2 at en.wikipedia, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Golf course on the valley floor, Palm Springs | Photo by Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Wailea, Maui, from the air | Photo by Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Wynn Golf Club, Las Vegas | Photo by dpursoo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Tiburón golf ball, Naples | Photo by Dan Perry from Atlanta, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| The Phoenician, Canyon course, Scottsdale | Photo by Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Streamsong Black, 5th hole | Photo by Baybay1901, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| TPC Sawgrass 17th hole, aerial | Photo: unknown author, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. |