Christmas and New Year Golf Breaks
The festive fortnight is the best chance of the year to swap the cold and the dark for a few rounds in the sun, and the choice runs from a short hop to the Algarve to a long haul fortnight in the Cape. We have ranked the ten best Christmas and New Year golf breaks by how far you fly, how warm the golf, and how well each one does the festive season, with the booking windows that matter when everyone wants the same weeks. Here is where to spend the holidays with a club in hand.
Photograph: Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, via Google.
How we ranked them
This list answers one question: where to spend Christmas and New Year with a golf bag. We weighed the reliability of the winter weather and the course condition over the festive weeks, how far you have to fly for it, and how well each destination does the season itself, the festive resorts, the New Year events and the atmosphere off the course. The short haul European sun leads for a true break, because a mild week three or four hours from home over the holidays is the easiest win in golf, while the long haul peaks earn their places for sheer warmth and occasion. For a fuller destination guide to each, follow the links through, and see also our companion guide to Christmas and New Year golf holidays. Any seasonal pricing is a guide only, always to be confirmed directly before booking.
The 10 best Christmas and New Year golf breaks
The Algarve, Portugal
For a festive break that needs only a short flight, nowhere beats the Algarve. A three hour hop from northern Europe lands you in mild, bright winter days, typically in the high teens Celsius, on the championship turf of the western Algarve and the bunched courses around Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago and the Vale do Lobo. The resorts dress for the season, the long lunches stretch into the afternoon, and the value over Christmas and New Year is far kinder than chasing the sun long haul. It is the most efficient festive golf break in the world, which is why it takes top spot for a week away over the holidays.
Verdict: the easiest festive escape going, mild and bright a short flight from home.Tenerife and the Canary Islands, Spain
When you want genuine warmth without the long haul, the Canaries are Europe's answer. Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote sit far enough south to stay subtropical through December and January, with daytime temperatures often around the low twenties Celsius and reliable sunshine while the mainland shivers. Abama and the Costa Adeje courses on Tenerife, and Meloneras and Anfi Tauro on Gran Canaria, give you real golf to go with the heat. For a festive break that all but guarantees shorts and short sleeves on a four hour flight, the islands are unbeatable.
Verdict: the surest winter warmth in Europe, subtropical and sunlit over the holidays.Dubai and the UAE
Christmas and New Year is the very best time to play in the Emirates, the heart of the cool, dry desert season when the heat relents and the golf is glorious. The Majlis at Emirates Golf Club, the floodlit Faldo course, the Earth course at Jumeirah and Abu Dhabi's Yas Links and Saadiyat fill quickly over the holidays, and the city turns on a festive show that ends with one of the planet's great New Year firework displays over the Burj Khalifa. It is the marquee festive golf break, polished, warm and effortless, and only the long flight and peak pricing hold it off the top.
Verdict: the grand festive break, peak desert golf and a New Year show like no other.Marrakech, Morocco
For a different and richly atmospheric festive week, Marrakech delivers warm, dry winter days, a cluster of lush, well designed courses and the colour of the medina and the souks, all at a fraction of long haul prices. Amelkis, Al Maaden and the dramatic, desert links style Assoufid play beautifully in the cool season, and a riad strung with lanterns over Christmas, with the snow capped Atlas as a backdrop, is a memorable festive base. A four hour flight from Europe makes it a genuine short break that feels a world away.
Verdict: exotic festive value, lush golf and lantern lit riads a short flight south.Thailand
If the festive period is your chance for a longer escape, Thailand is in its cool, dry season over Christmas and New Year, the best months of the year to play. Bangkok's parkland championship courses, the resorts of Hua Hin and the lush layouts of Phuket are warm, green and superb value, with caddies on every bag and a festive welcome that the country does with real warmth. The long flight is repaid by sunshine, low prices and a fortnight that combines golf, beaches and culture over the holidays.
Verdict: the long break done right, cool season golf and unmatched value over the holidays.Mauritius
Christmas in Mauritius is high summer in the Indian Ocean, warm and lush, with the island's resort courses, the Bernhard Langer designed Heritage La Reserve, the Ernie Els course at Anahita and Ile aux Cerfs among lagoon and mountain scenery that is hard to beat for a festive luxury break. December is the warm, humid summer with the chance of a tropical shower, so build in a little flexibility, but for couples and families wanting sun, sea and golf over the holidays it is as romantic as the sport gets.
Verdict: festive luxury in the tropics, warm lagoons and golf among the mountains.Cape Town and the Garden Route, South Africa
December and January are peak summer at the southern tip of Africa, with long, warm days and the magnificent courses of the Cape and the Garden Route at their best. Play the clifftop drama of Pezula and Pinnacle Point, the parkland of Fancourt and the Cape Town layouts, then pair the golf with the winelands, the beaches and the wildlife for one of the great festive holidays. The exchange rate keeps it strong value for a long haul break, and a Cape New Year under the southern summer sun is unforgettable.
Verdict: peak summer golf and world class value, with the Cape at its festive best.Florida, USA
For North American golfers, and for Europeans who want guaranteed winter sun with an easy transfer, Florida over the holidays is the classic snowbird festive break. The dry, mild season brings comfortable days across the resort clusters of Orlando, Naples, Palm Beach and the Gulf coast, with hundreds of courses, family attractions and a festive sparkle to the resorts. It books up early and prices climb over the holidays, but for sheer accessibility and breadth of golf in reliable winter warmth, Florida is a festive staple.
Verdict: the accessible festive break, reliable winter sun and golf for every level.Los Cabos, Mexico
Where the Baja desert meets the Sea of Cortez, Los Cabos serves up dry, warm winter days and a roll call of marquee designs, from the Dunes and Quivira at Cabo's resorts to the Nicklaus and Norman courses that line the coast. Christmas and New Year is prime season here, the resorts at their festive best, the whale watching in full swing and the golf framed by ocean and cactus. The flight from Europe is long, but for North America it is a quick, sun drenched festive break of real quality.
Verdict: marquee desert and ocean golf, festive resort sun where the cacti meet the sea.Danang and Central Vietnam
For the festive break that gets ahead of the crowd, central Vietnam is in its dry season over Christmas and New Year and offers some of the most exciting new golf in Asia at remarkable value. The Greg Norman links at Danang, the Luna Park night course and the Faldo and Nicklaus designs along the coast pair with the beaches of China Beach and the lantern lit old town of Hoi An at its festive prettiest. A long break here mixes top class golf, culture and value that is hard to find anywhere else over the holidays.
Verdict: emerging festive value, brilliant new golf and lantern lit Hoi An at its best.When to book your festive break
| Destination | Book by | Why it matters over the holidays |
|---|---|---|
| The Algarve and Canaries | Book 3 to 6 months ahead | Short haul festive favourites fill early; reserve flights and tee times by late summer |
| Dubai and the UAE | Book 6 plus months ahead | Peak desert season and New Year demand mean the marquee courses and hotels go first |
| Thailand and Vietnam | Book 3 to 5 months ahead | Cool dry season peak; resorts and caddies in demand over the holiday fortnight |
| Mauritius and Cape Town | Book 6 plus months ahead | Southern hemisphere summer peak; festive resort weeks are the most sought of the year |
| Florida and Los Cabos | Book 4 to 6 months ahead | Snowbird and festive peak; resort rates climb and tee sheets tighten over Christmas |
Booking windows are general guidance based on typical festive demand, verified June 2026; flights, hotels and tee times over Christmas and New Year sell out earliest of any season, so always confirm current availability and rates directly before booking. Find a festive golf resort.
Making the most of a festive golf break
Two things separate a smooth festive trip from a frustrating one: book early and travel a little either side of the busiest days. Christmas Day and New Year's Day see some clubs close or run reduced hours and host special competitions, so check each course's holiday opening when you plan rather than assuming a normal tee sheet. For the best value, choose short haul, the Algarve, the Canaries or Marrakech, where a mild, bright week costs a fraction of chasing the sun long haul, and lean on a favourable exchange rate in South Africa or Thailand if you do go far. Whichever you choose, the festive sparkle, the long lunches and a New Year's Eve somewhere warm turn a golf trip into a proper holiday, and the booking and the tee times are exactly what we are here to arrange.
Plan your festive golf break
Tell us roughly where and when you want to travel over Christmas and New Year and we will build the festive week to suit, hold the tee times and the rooms before they go, and cost the trip to the head, with no obligation.
Festive golf break questions
Where is the best place for a Christmas and New Year golf break?
For a short haul festive break the Algarve is our pick, mild and bright a three hour flight from the UK, with Tenerife and the Canaries the surest winter warmth in Europe. For the grand version, Dubai is at its peak over the holidays with a famous New Year show, while Thailand, Mauritius, Cape Town, Florida, Los Cabos and Vietnam are all superb for a longer escape. The right choice comes down to how far you want to fly and what you want around the golf. Always confirm current rates and tee times directly before booking.
How far ahead should I book a festive golf trip?
Earlier than any other time of year. Christmas and New Year is peak season across the warm weather golf destinations, so flights, the best hotels and the marquee tee times sell out months in advance. As a rule, book short haul European breaks three to six months ahead, and the long haul peak destinations such as Dubai, Mauritius and Cape Town six months or more ahead. Booking early also protects you from the steepest festive pricing. Always confirm current availability directly before booking.
Are golf courses open on Christmas Day and New Year's Day?
It varies by destination and club. Many resort courses in the warm weather destinations stay open through the festive period, though some close on Christmas Day itself or run reduced hours, and others host special festive and New Year competitions. In the UK and northern Europe, weather and daylight are the bigger limits. Always check each course's holiday opening directly when you plan the week, and confirm tee times before you travel.
Is a festive golf break expensive?
Christmas and New Year is peak season, so expect higher flight and hotel prices than the shoulder months, particularly long haul. The way to keep value strong is to choose a short haul destination such as the Algarve, the Canaries or Marrakech, to book early before rates climb, and to travel either side of the busiest few days. Destinations with a favourable exchange rate, such as South Africa and Thailand, also stretch the budget. Any pricing is a guide only, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time releases, green fee changes and the booking windows that matter. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Seasonal conditions and indicative booking windows verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.