Cape Kidnappers golf course on the clifftops above Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, in summer

Seasonal · November to March

The Best Golf in the Southern Hemisphere Summer

When the north is frozen, the south is in warm, long-day summer. From the firm, fast Melbourne Sandbelt to Tom Doak's clifftops in New Zealand and the Cape's winelands, here are the eight best places to play golf from November to March, ranked, with our verdicts and how to plan around the season.

See the ranking → Plan a trip ↓

8 placesRanked

Nov to MarchSouthern summer

AU, NZ, ZA, ARFour nations

ReversedSeasons

How we chose

How we ranked the best southern summer golf

The southern hemisphere summer, broadly November to March, is the great prize for the traveling golfer: while the north shivers, the south delivers warm, long days over some of the finest courses on earth. We rank these places on the quality and depth of the golf first, then on how well they suit a summer trip, weighing the climate, the daylight and the turf. The verdicts are ours, drawn from the recognized world and regional rankings and our own travels, and we flag where summer heat means an early tee time or an early or late summer week is the smart play.

The geography favors the cooler and coastal. New Zealand and Tasmania are at their summer best, the Melbourne Sandbelt plays firm and fast, and Cape Town and the Garden Route enjoy their warm, dry peak. Sydney, Adelaide and Kangaroo Island add more brilliant Australian golf, and Argentina and Patagonia open a different, quieter southern summer in South America. Strung together, with the seasons reversed, they turn the bleakest golf months at home into a peak season abroad.

Reviewed June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, dates and seasonal timing verified at publication. How we research and review.

The season at a glance

When the southern summer plays best

Indicative summer timing and climate by destination, southern hemisphere. Conditions are general long-term patterns, not guarantees; always confirm current conditions and tee times directly before booking.
Destination	Prime summer window	Summer character
Melbourne Sandbelt	Nov to March	Warm and firm; mornings kindest in midsummer heat
New Zealand	Dec to March	Mild, long days, settled; ideal across both islands
Tasmania	Nov to March	Cooler island summer; the prime links window
Cape Town and Garden Route	Nov to March	Warm and dry peak; the Cape can be breezy
Sydney	Nov to March	Warm and humid; coastal sea breeze helps
Argentina and Patagonia	Nov to March	Pleasant summer; Patagonia cooler and dramatic

Seasonal timing verified June 2026. In the hottest mainland spots, early and late summer weeks and morning tee times are most comfortable.

The ranking

The eight best places to play in the southern summer

From the firm Melbourne Sandbelt and Doak's New Zealand clifftops to the Tasmanian links, the Cape winelands and Patagonia, ranked with our verdicts and the seasonal notes you need to know.

The Melbourne Sandbelt, Australia

Victoria · Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath · summer firm and fast

The greatest concentration of golf in the southern hemisphere, and a place that rewards a summer visit when the sandy turf runs firm and fast. Alister MacKenzie's Royal Melbourne West and the brilliant Kingston Heath lead a cluster of world class courses within a short drive of the city. Summer days are warm and occasionally hot, so book morning tee times and pack sun protection, but the conditions and the bouncy, strategic ground are at their most thrilling. The essential anchor of any southern summer trip.

New Zealand's North Island

New Zealand · Tara Iti, Cape Kidnappers, Kauri Cliffs · mild summer

A summer loop of the North Island is one of the great trips in golf, with mild, long days through December to March. Tom Doak's Tara Iti north of Auckland is rated the finest course in the southern hemisphere, his clifftop Cape Kidnappers above Hawke's Bay is among the most spectacular anywhere, and Kauri Cliffs adds a third stunner in the Bay of Islands. Settled summer weather and dramatic coastal scenery make this the postcard southern season, and the lodges welcome you between rounds.

Tasmania, Australia

Tasmania · Barnbougle Dunes, Lost Farm, Cape Wickham · summer links

Tasmania's cooler island climate makes summer the prime time for its world class links. Barnbougle Dunes and its sibling Lost Farm sit in towering dunes above Bass Strait near Bridport, raw and windswept and genuinely public, while remote Cape Wickham on King Island is one of the most scenic courses on earth, with eight holes touching the ocean. November to March gives the warmest, driest window for these exposed links, and the golf is as democratic as it is brilliant.

Cape Town and the Garden Route, South Africa

Western Cape · Fancourt, Arabella, Pearl Valley · warm dry summer

The Western Cape enjoys its warm, dry peak from November to March, pairing superb golf with winelands, mountains and the coast. Gary Player's Fancourt Links near George is rated the best course in South Africa, Arabella runs along a lagoon near Hermanus with whale watching offshore in season, and the Winelands courses around Stellenbosch frame the golf with vineyards and peaks. The Cape can be breezy, but the summer light, the scenery and the value make this a standout southern season escape.

New Zealand's South Island

New Zealand · Queenstown, Jack's Point, The Hills · alpine summer

The South Island delivers a different summer, alpine and cinematic, centered on Queenstown. Jack's Point plays beneath the jagged Remarkables along Lake Wakatipu, The Hills is a polished parkland that has hosted the New Zealand Open, and Millbrook spreads across a valley resort. Long summer evenings stretch the golfing day, the scenery is staggering, and the adventure town setting suits a group that wants more than golf. A spectacular complement to a North Island loop or a trip in its own right.

Sydney, Australia

New South Wales · New South Wales GC, The Australian · coastal summer

Sydney pairs a brilliant harbor city with serious golf, and the coastal sea breeze takes the edge off the summer humidity. Alister MacKenzie's New South Wales Golf Club at La Perouse is a wild, windswept clifftop layout with some of the most thrilling coastal holes in the country, while The Australian and The Lakes add championship parkland and links closer to the center. Warm, bright summer days and an easy city base make Sydney a strong, accessible start or finish to a southern golf trip.

Adelaide and Kangaroo Island, Australia

South Australia · Royal Adelaide, Kingscote · summer dunes

South Australia is the quieter Sandbelt cousin, with Royal Adelaide's classic sandy links among the country's finest and a short hop to Kangaroo Island, where the rugged Kingscote course and the wildlife make a memorable detour. Summer is warm and can be hot inland, so lean on morning tee times and the cooler coast, but the golf is excellent and the crowds are thin. A rewarding addition for golfers who want the great Australian turf without the busiest itinerary.

Argentina and Patagonia

Argentina · Buenos Aires, Llao Llao, Chapelco · southern summer

South America's southern summer opens a quieter, characterful alternative, from the historic clubs around Buenos Aires to the lakes and mountains of Patagonia. Llao Llao near Bariloche plays beneath snowcapped peaks on the edge of a glacial lake, and Chapelco at San Martin de los Andes is a Jack Nicklaus design in the Andes foothills. November to March brings pleasant golfing weather, with Patagonia cooler and dramatic, and a trip that blends the golf with steak, wine and wild scenery far from the crowds.

Planning the season

Timing, the heat and planning the trip

The southern summer is the reason to go, but the heat is the variable to plan around. The cooler, coastal destinations, Tasmania, New Zealand, Melbourne, Sydney and the Cape, are comfortable through the season, especially with morning tee times, while inland and far northern regions can be fierce at the height of summer, so the early and late summer weeks and early starts matter there. Long daylight is the bonus, stretching the golfing day well into the evening across the far south.

Access and fees vary widely by country and currency and move with the season and the exchange rate, so we keep this guide qualitative rather than quoting a single figure. Several of the marquee courses, including Tara Iti, Royal Melbourne and New South Wales, are private and played as a member's guest or by prior arrangement, while others welcome visitors and resort guests. We can shape a trip across any of these destinations, secure the bookable rounds, pursue access to the private gems, and cost the whole thing to the head. Always confirm current fees, access and conditions directly before booking.

Compare live tee times at the public and resort courses through our partner: check tee time availability. Lodge and resort stays near the golf: find lodging near the courses.

Plan the trip

Plan a southern summer golf trip

A southern summer trip can be a focused week on the Melbourne Sandbelt, a North Island loop through Tara Iti, Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs, a Tasmanian links pilgrimage, a Cape Town and Garden Route swing, or a grand tour across countries while the north is frozen. Tell us your group, your dates and the courses on your wish list, and we will sequence the routing around the season, secure the bookable rounds, pursue access to the private clubs and book the lodges around the golf.

We handle the long haul logistics and the timing around the heat so the organiser can play. Groups of any size, from a fourball to a full society outing.

Golf in Australia →Golf in New Zealand →Plan my trip →

Good to know

Southern summer golf: common questions

When is summer in the southern hemisphere for golf?

The southern hemisphere summer runs roughly from November to March, peaking in December, January and February, with the seasons reversed from the northern hemisphere. This is the prime window for cooler, coastal destinations like New Zealand, Tasmania, Cape Town and the Garden Route, and the Melbourne Sandbelt plays firm and fast. In the hottest mainland spots, the early and late summer weeks and the morning tee times are kindest.

Where is the best golf in the southern hemisphere summer?

The standout choices are the Melbourne Sandbelt, New Zealand's North and South Islands, Tasmania, and Cape Town and the Garden Route in South Africa, all at their best from November to March. Sydney, Adelaide and Kangaroo Island, and Argentina and Patagonia round out a brilliant set. These pair world class golf with reversed seasons, so they are the ideal escape while the north is frozen.

Is it too hot to play golf in Australia in summer?

It depends where you go. The cooler, coastal destinations like Tasmania, Melbourne and Sydney are very playable through summer, especially with morning tee times, while the firm Sandbelt turf is at its best. Inland and far northern regions can be fierce in midsummer, so the early and late summer weeks and early starts matter there. We plan around the heat so the golf stays comfortable.

Why play in the southern hemisphere during our winter?

Because the seasons are reversed, so when the northern hemisphere is in winter, the south is in warm, long-day summer. A trip down south turns the bleakest golf months at home into a peak season abroad, across some of the greatest courses on earth. The long daylight, settled weather and firm turf make November to March the ideal time to head south for golf.