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What if I told you I could guarantee great golf weather on your next buddies trip?
You'd probably laugh in my face. Mother Nature makes no such promises.
While nothing in life is guaranteed, I can guarantee that your odds for great golf weather go up exponentially in these five golf destinations.
Many golfers pick their next golf trip based on the courses, cost or convenience of getting there. I'm preaching that the weather should probably be higher up on the priority list. I've experienced a few golf trips to golf meccas like Scotland and Bandon Dunes where I was pummeled into submission by wind, rain, cold and even snow. Those are memorable trips ... in all the wrong ways.
Every golfer wants to walk out of the airport into sunshine, 70 degrees and blue skies. Shorts during the round. Flip flops after. That's golf heaven. These five "best golf weather destinations" deliver more than any others.
Have you played golf in any of these destinations? What other U.S. destinations deserve to be mentioned? Let us know about the weather and the courses in the comments below.
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Kohala Coast, Hawaii Island
![Four Seasons Hualalai - hole 17]()
No. 17 at the Four Seasons Hualalai snuggles up to the Pacific Ocean. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPass Why is this dry, desert-like climate of Hawaii Island on top? WeatherSpark reports that the temperature "varies so little throughout the year that it is not entirely meaningful to discuss hot and cold seasons". Highs in the mid-80s. Lows in the mid 70s. Yep, that's what the golf doctor ordered. The local climate is heavily affected by Mauna Kea, America's most active volcano. Golfers can often look up the mountain and see rain clouds, but there's no need to worry. All the wet weather stays on the Hilo side. This region of Hawaii is home to the most diverse set of layouts in the Hawaiian islands, ranging from super high-end private clubs like Nanea, Kukio, Kohanaiki, Hokuli'a and the Ke'Olu Course at Hualalai Resort (a private resort community) to the high-end resort courses such as the Hualalai Course at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, the North and South courses at Mauna Lani Resort, the 27 holes at Waikoloa Beach Resorts, Westin Hapuna and the famed Mauna Kea, the first course on the island, dating to 1964. Locals tend to hang out at bargain tracks like The Village Course at Waikoloa and Makani Golf Club. There's something for everyone.
![Hualalai GC]()
Kaupulehu Kona, HawaiiResort/Private![Mauna Kea GC: #3]()
![Hapuna GC - No. 15]()
![Waikoloa Beach Resort - Kings: #5]()
![Nanea GC: #2]()
![Kohanaiki Club: Aerial]()
![Hualalai GC]()
![Kuki'o - Championship]()
![Kuki'o - 10 Hole]()
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Los Cabos, Mexico
![Solmar Golf Links - hole 16]()
From the blue tees, the 16th hole is drivable at Solmar Golf Links. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPass Temperatures in Los Cabos, the growing golf destination at the tip of California's Baja Peninsula, don't vary too much. Like many desert climates, it is dry virtually year-round. The days can feel overwhelmingly hot come summer, averaging between 89 and 91 degrees from June to October. But the rest of the year delivers cooler temperatures that never dip below 64 degrees or climb higher than 81, according to Weatherspark.com. Cabo has suffered through two damaging hurricanes since 2014, but generally, large tropical storms are rare.
Cabo's two local towns - Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo - couldn't be more different: Cabo's splashy party scene vs. a sleepy, more authentic Mexican fishing village. The region's best public courses are resort-private, where golfers have to stay to play (like Quivira and Twin Dolphin), although there are excellent public options, too, like the Ocean nine at Palmilla Golf Club (the other 18 holes are resort private) and Solmar Golf Links, a Greg Norman design that traverses both desert and oceanside sand dunes.
Cabo Golf Packages
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Gamble Sands, Brewster, Wash.
![Gamble Sands - Sands Course]()
Gamble Sands is one of the interior Northwest's best destination courses, and it's become a go-to venue for U.S. Open qualifying. Gamble Sands Central Washington is our biggest surprise. I visited the Inn at Gamble Sands for the first time in late October just before the end of the 2024 season. Yes, the temperatures can vary wildly - from the 55-degree day like I had to 100+ degrees in the summer - but both extremes are ideal for golf. Why? It's dry.
"When people ask me, 'Why Gamble Sands?', my answer is always, when you are comparing it to Bandon Dunes or Sand Valley, is you have the most reliable weather all summer long," says Architect David McLay Kidd, whose firm has designed all three courses at Gamble Sands. "It doesn’t rain. It’s super dry. It could be 70 (degrees) or it could be 100 (degrees) but chances are, there are no thunderstorms, it’s not muggy, there’s not a bunch of bugs. It’s got beautiful weather, a dry heat, all year long."
The August 2025 opening of Kidd's new Scarecrow Course will bring enough really great golf (50 holes, including the QuickSands short course) that it's finally worth making the long trek from the Midwest and East Coast.
![Gamble Sands - Sands Course]()
Gamble Sands Resort Stay & Play Golf PackageBrewster, WABREWSTER, WA | Enjoy 3 nights' accommodations at The Inn at Gamble Sands and 3 rounds of golf at Gamble Sands - Sands Course and the new QuickSands Short Course. -
Phoenix-Scottsdale, Ariz.
![Troon North GC]()
Troon North Golf Club is one of Arizona's most sought-after golf courses for visitors. Troon North GC Including the Valley of the Sun is probably the most debatable destination on this list. My trip to Phoenix-Scottsdale in January 2023 was a mess of snow in the mountains and rain on the course. And the summers are downright scorching. But when golfers want to be in Phoenix-Scottsdale, from November through April, it's sublime golf weather most of the time. There are no hurricanes like Florida or the Carolinas to worry about. It's consistently warmer than SoCal and the Carolinas during the winter season and drier than Florida. In the summer, as long as golfers finish by noon, they should survive the heat in one piece. There are too many great local places to play to recommend in one place, so allow me to direct you to our golf package page to find courses and resorts that work for your budget.
![Troon North Pinnacle Course]()
Arizona Golf PackagesA dream golf destination in America's southwest, there are many ways to experience spectacular golf here. The Phoenix-Scottsdale mecca boasts 200-plus courses and an array of world-class resorts and spas. Or, experience scenery and seclusion in smaller Tucson. Summer golf can be comfortable too in high-altitude climes like Sedona and Flagstaff. Name your game and Arizona's got a package for you. -
Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
![Wailea GC - Old Blue: #12]()
A view from tee #12 at Old Blue Course from Wailea Golf Club. Wailea GC We've all seen wild winds and weird January weather whip through Kapalua's Plantation Course during The Sentry on Maui. It's heaven most of the time, just not all the time. That's because it's located on the wrong side of the West Maui Mountains. The south side of Maui, including Kihei, Wailea and Makena, is typically warmer and drier, receiving less then 10 inches of rain per year. Lahaina, Ka'anapali and Kapalua receive nearly triple that amount. If golfers are looking for that perfect weather guarantee, book any of the three fine resort courses at Wailea - the Old Blue, Gold and Emerald. The Dunes at Maui Lani is a public course a half hour away that's also on the proper side of the divide.
![Wailea Gold Course: #10]()
![Wailea - Emerald #16 & #10]()
![Wailea - Blue #4]()
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