Christmas and New Year Golf Holidays
There is no better antidote to a frozen December than a tee time in the sun. While the courses of the north close for winter, the Dubai desert turns perfect, southern Europe and the Atlantic islands stay mild, Asia hits its cool dry season and the whole southern hemisphere is in full summer. Here are the eight best Christmas and New Year golf holidays, ranked with our verdicts, and the one rule that matters: book early.
Photograph: Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, via Google
How we chose
The festive week asks a particular question: where can you play warm, excellent golf over Christmas and New Year, and ideally fold in a holiday the whole group or family will enjoy. We ranked these destinations on the quality of the golf in late December, the reliability of the weather, the ease of access and the festive resort experience, because this is as much a holiday as a golf trip. That favors two kinds of place: the northern hemisphere winter sun strongholds where December is peak season, led by the desert and the Mediterranean, and the southern hemisphere destinations that are in the height of summer.
One factor shapes everything: this is the busiest travel week of the year. Flights, the marquee resorts and the festive tee times carry peak pricing and sell out far earlier than any other trip, so the single most useful thing we can tell you is to book months ahead. Wherever you land, the reward is golf in the sun while home is dark and cold, and a New Year toast somewhere warm.
The 8 best Christmas and New Year golf holidays
Dubai and the UAE
The desert is our number one for the festive week, when late December brings warm, dry days around the low to mid 20s Celsius and the courses are flawless. Dubai pairs the floodlit Faldo course for twilight rounds with marquee tests at Emirates Golf Club and Jumeirah Golf Estates, while Abu Dhabi adds Yas Links and the National. The five star hotels turn on full festive cheer, the transfers are short and the sun is reliable, making it the most dependable and most luxurious Christmas golf there is.
The Algarve, Portugal
The Algarve is Europe's most reliable winter golf base, and December brings comfortable, mild days in the mid teens Celsius and quieter courses than the peak. The dense cluster around Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago and the western Algarve stays in good order, the resorts run festive packages and the flight from across Europe is short. For a warm, easy Christmas escape that keeps the group within a few hours of home, it is hard to beat.
Thailand
December lands in Thailand's cool dry season, the best time of year to play, with warm days around the high 20s Celsius and little rain. Bangkok, Hua Hin and Phuket all offer outstanding resort golf, from immaculate parkland to the old tin mine lakes of Blue Canyon, wrapped in famous hospitality, superb food and the caddie culture that makes Thai golf special. Excellent value and a genuine holiday for couples and groups alike, a long haul favorite for the festive break.
Mauritius
For a festive splurge, Mauritius in late December is warm and beautiful as the island moves into its summer, with temperatures around the high 20s Celsius. The golf is genuinely good, led by the Bernhard Langer designed Heritage course and the island layouts at Anahita and Ile aux Cerfs, all set against white sand and turquoise lagoons. The honeymooners' favorite that doubles as a serious resort golf destination, ideal for a couple or small group wanting sun, seclusion and a special New Year.
Cape Town and the Garden Route, South Africa
South Africa is in the height of its summer over Christmas, and the Cape is glorious, warm and long on daylight, with the rand keeping costs friendly. The Garden Route packs in Fancourt's three courses, including the Links that hosted the Presidents Cup, plus Pinnacle Point on the cliffs and Pezula, while Cape Town adds drama and a wine country for the festive table. World class golf, big scenery and a favorable exchange rate make it one of the season's great value trips, though it is peak local holiday too, so book early.
The Canary Islands, Spain
For the most dependable December sun without a long haul flight, the Canary Islands are the answer, sitting off the coast of Africa with subtropical temperatures right through winter. Tenerife and Gran Canaria lead the way, with cliffside and volcanic resort courses such as Abama and Anfi Tauro, warm sea breezes and shorts weather when mainland Europe shivers. The closest thing to certain festive warmth on the continent's doorstep, and a short enough flight for a family Christmas in the sun.
Florida, USA
Florida is in full golf season over the festive week as the humidity drops and the snowbirds arrive, with warm, dry days and a vast field of courses from the TPC Sawgrass Stadium course near Jacksonville to the resort golf of Orlando, Naples and the Palm Beaches. It is the easy, accessible winter sun option for North America, with short flights, no passport and golf for every budget. The holiday week carries peak season rates, so lock the marquee tee times early.
Los Cabos, Mexico
Los Cabos at the tip of Baja California rounds out the list, a warm, dry desert by the sea that is in prime form over Christmas, with days in the mid 20s Celsius. The golf is a who's who of modern design, the Nicklaus courses at Cabo del Sol and Palmilla, Quivira and the Tom Fazio and Davis Love layouts along the coast, set against the Sea of Cortez. Pair it with the resorts and the New Year scene and it is the festive pick for North American golfers wanting drama and luxury.
Weather and seasonal notes verified June 2026 from destination and golf travel sources. Conditions and green fees vary year to year and the festive week carries peak demand, so always confirm current rates and tee times directly before booking. Check festive week tee time availability.
Plan your Christmas golf trip
Tell us which of these appeals and roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge matches the destination to your group, books the courses and the festive stay, and costs it to the head. Christmas and New Year are the first dates to sell out, so the sooner we start the better, with no obligation.
Christmas golf questions
Where is the best place to play golf at Christmas?
Our top pick for the festive week is Dubai and the UAE, where late December brings warm, dry days around the low to mid 20s Celsius, immaculate courses and five star resorts that turn on the festive cheer while northern golf sits frozen. The Algarve and the Canary Islands are the easiest warm escapes from Europe, while in the southern hemisphere Cape Town and Mauritius are in glorious summer. Christmas and New Year are peak season everywhere warm, so book early. Always confirm current fees and tee times directly before booking.
Can you play golf over Christmas and New Year?
Yes, and it is one of the great rewards of a winter golf trip. As the courses of northern Europe and the northern United States close or freeze, the desert of Dubai, southern Europe, the Atlantic islands, Asia and the whole southern hemisphere are open and at or near their best. Many resorts run festive packages over the holiday week. The catch is demand, as Christmas and New Year are peak holiday travel, so the best resorts and tee times go months ahead.
Is December a good time for a golf holiday?
December is prime winter sun golf season. The Dubai desert is at its dry, comfortable best, southern Europe and the Canaries stay mild, Thailand and Asia are in the cool dry season, and the southern hemisphere is in full summer, with Cape Town, Mauritius and Australia all in form. The festive week itself carries peak holiday pricing and demand, so it is the one stretch of winter where booking early genuinely matters. Always confirm current rates before booking.
How far ahead should you book a Christmas golf trip?
Earlier than any other golf trip. Christmas and New Year combine peak holiday travel with the best winter sun destinations, so flights, the marquee resorts and the festive week tee times can sell out six months or more ahead, especially in Dubai, Mauritius and the Canaries. For a group or a specific resort over the holiday, book as early as you can. A trip planner can lock the courses, the rooms and the festive arrangements in one brief.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Where to play next, the booking windows that just opened and the seasonal trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Seasonal weather windows verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.