Winter Golf: The 8 Best Warm-Weather Destinations for December Through March

Here is the thing about a winter golf trip: the best ones are booked in October. By the time the first frost hits and everyone in the group chat suddenly wants to go somewhere warm, the good tee times in Scottsdale and Palm Springs are spoken for and the rental houses have doubled in price. If you are reading this in the fall, you are right on time.

Below are the eight destinations we would book for December through March. Unlike our fall list, there is no foliage to chase here — this is about sunshine, dry fairways, and a reason to dig the clubs out of the garage. Cost estimates are per person for a group of four, three nights and four days, before airfare.

What makes a great winter golf destination

• Reliable warmth. Highs in the upper 60s or better, so the morning round does not start with a scraper on the windshield.
• Dry air and little rain. The desert Southwest is the gold standard. Coastal and tropical spots trade a little more humidity for a beach.
• Courses in peak condition. Desert courses overseed in the fall and play greenest from December through March. Winter is their high season, not their off season.
• Easy to reach. Nonstop flights from most major airports matter more in winter, when one weather delay can eat a round.

The 8 best winter golf destinations

1. Scottsdale, Arizona

The default answer, and for good reason. Winter highs sit in the mid-60s to low 70s, it almost never rains, and there are more than 200 courses within a short drive. January through April is peak season, and the prices show it — the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale runs roughly $436 to $550 a round at peak in 2026. Play it once, then balance the budget with the deep bench around it.

• Courses: TPC Scottsdale Stadium, Troon North, We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro and Cholla), Grayhawk
• Approximate cost: $2,800–$4,200 per person
• Best weeks: Early to mid-December for value; March for the best weather. Avoid Phoenix Open week in early February unless the party is the point.

Our four-day Scottsdale golf trip itinerary lays out the courses, the rental house, and the dinner plan day by day.

2. Palm Springs & La Quinta, California

The Coachella Valley is Scottsdale’s laid-back cousin: more than 100 courses, mountain backdrops on every hole, and winter highs around 70. PGA West is the headliner — the Pete Dye Stadium Course and its island-green 17th are a bucket-list round, and demand pricing means a late-morning or afternoon tee time can cost a fraction of the 8 a.m. slot.

• Courses: PGA West Stadium and Nicklaus Tournament, La Quinta Mountain Course, Indian Wells Golf Resort (Players and Celebrity)
• Approximate cost: $2,000–$3,200 per person
• Best weeks: December, or March once the snowbirds start heading home. The American Express tournament takes over PGA West in January.

3. San Diego, California

San Diego does not get desert-hot in winter — figure mid-60s and the occasional marine-layer morning — but it gives you something the desert cannot: an ocean view from the first tee. Torrey Pines South is a municipal course that hosts a PGA Tour event every year, and in 2026 non-residents pay $248 midweek and $322 on weekends, plus a cart. Pair it with the North Course and a resort round inland.

• Courses: Torrey Pines South and North, Maderas, Aviara
• Approximate cost: $2,200–$3,400 per person
• Best weeks: February and March. Torrey Pines South closes for the Farmers Insurance Open in late January.

4. Streamsong, Florida

Winter is high season in central Florida, and Streamsong is the round worth flying for: three big, sandy walking courses in the middle of nowhere, plus The Chain par-3 course for the evening. Highs in the low 70s make December through March perfect walking weather. It made our fall list too — winter is when it is at its very best, and priced like it.

• Courses: Red, Blue, and Black, plus The Chain
• Approximate cost: $2,400–$3,600 per person
• Best weeks: December, before January–March peak pricing; or early March

5. Las Vegas, Nevada

Vegas is the coolest destination on this list — winter highs run in the high 50s to low 60s — but the sun shines, the courses are in great shape, and nobody has ever said the evenings were boring. Shadow Creek is the trophy round, open only to guests of MGM Resorts and priced accordingly. Most groups are better served with Wynn Golf Club on the Strip and a day trip to Cascata.

• Courses: Shadow Creek, Wynn Golf Club, Cascata, TPC Las Vegas
• Approximate cost: $2,000–$3,500 per person (more with Shadow Creek)
• Best weeks: March, when highs climb into the 70s. Check the convention calendar — big trade shows push hotel rates through the roof.

6. Maui, Hawaii

If the budget stretches, nothing beats Maui in January: low 80s, trade winds, and humpback whales breaching off the coast between holes. The Plantation Course at Kapalua is the star. Drought conditions forced the PGA Tour to cancel its 2026 season opener there, but the course is open to the public and playing well. Round it out with the Bay Course and the Wailea courses on the south shore.

• Courses: Kapalua Plantation and Bay, Wailea Gold and Emerald
• Approximate cost: $3,500–$5,500 per person
• Best weeks: Early December or late March, around the holiday and spring-break peaks. Whale season runs roughly December through April.

7. Los Cabos, Mexico

Desert golf on the ocean is a rare combination, and Los Cabos does it better than anywhere. Holes run through cactus and arroyos right down to the Sea of Cortez, winter highs sit in the high 70s, and nonstop flights from much of the U.S. are often shorter than a flight to Hawaii. Bring a passport.

• Courses: Cabo del Sol Cove and Desert, Quivira, Puerto Los Cabos
• Approximate cost: $2,800–$4,500 per person
• Best weeks: January through March, which lines up with whale-watching season

8. Dominican Republic

The Caribbean’s best golf is concentrated on the Dominican Republic’s east coast. Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo is a Pete Dye masterpiece with seven holes on the water, and Punta Espada and Corales near Punta Cana can stand next to anything on the mainland. It is warmer than anywhere else on this list — mid-80s — and the all-inclusive resorts make group logistics easy. Passports required here too.

• Courses: Teeth of the Dog, Punta Espada, Corales
• Approximate cost: $3,000–$5,000 per person
• Best weeks: January and February, the driest stretch of the year

Winter golf at a glance

Desert, coast, or passport: choosing your winter trip

Choose the desert — Scottsdale, Palm Springs, or Vegas — if golf is the main event. These are the most reliable bets on weather, have the deepest course selection, and give you the most nonstop flight options. They are also the most crowded in peak season, which is why booking early matters most here.

Choose the coast — San Diego or Streamsong — if you want a slightly calmer pace and a little more variety off the course. San Diego in particular works well for groups where not everyone plays every round.

Choose a passport trip — Maui, Los Cabos, or the Dominican Republic — if the trip doubles as a real vacation. These cost more and take more planning, but the combination of warm water, resort amenities, and world-class golf is hard to replicate. Confirm everyone’s passport is valid well before you book; it is the single most common reason international golf trips fall apart.

What about the mountains?

Winter is the one season we will not send you to an Elevated ⛰️ destination. Mountain courses in North Georgia and the Carolinas go dormant, and high-country courses out West close outright under snow. The good news: spring comes back fast. Late March and April in the Blue Ridge bring cool mornings, blooming dogwoods, and rates well below what the warm-weather resorts charge at the same time.

And if you are in North Georgia this winter, the High Draw Swing Lab opens in Blue Ridge in January 2027 — simulators, AI swing analysis, and a place to keep your game sharp until the mountain courses wake up. For the full case on altitude golf, see why Elevated courses are the best-kept secret in American golf.

How to plan a winter trip

1. 1Book in October or November. Winter is peak season at every destination on this list. The best February and March tee times and rental houses go first, and they go early.
2. 2Know the tour calendar. The PGA Tour’s West Coast swing runs straight through these destinations from January into February. Tournament weeks mean closed courses, higher prices, and sold-out hotels — unless you want to go watch.
3. 3Dodge the holidays and spring break. The weeks around Christmas, New Year’s, Presidents’ Day, and mid-March are the most expensive. Early December is the best-kept secret of winter golf.
4. 4Play the afternoon tee times. Many desert courses use demand pricing. A noon or 1 p.m. tee time in January is warmer and often far cheaper than the 8 a.m. slot.
5. 5Build in a buffer day. Winter storms back home can cancel flights. An open morning on the schedule beats paying for a round you cannot make.
6. 6Check passports now. For Mexico and the Caribbean, every passport in the group should be valid for the full trip — confirm it before anyone pays a deposit.

Let Drew handle the details

Every winter trip comes down to one thing: getting the group committed in October instead of January. Drew, High Draw’s AI golf assistant, builds the plan around your dates, puts one per-person number on it, and sends your group a single link to confirm by a clear booking deadline. For more on keeping eight people on the same page, read our guide to planning a group golf trip. You pick the sunshine. He handles the rest.