The Best Golf Destinations in December
December is the festive winter escape. With the northern hemisphere turning cold and wet and the home courses closed or sodden, the Gulf, southern Africa, the Indian Ocean, Mexico and Southeast Asia deliver dependable sun and courses in peak trim, while the southern hemisphere settles into high summer. Here are the ten destinations we send golfers to in December, ranked, with our verdict on the weather, the value and what to play.
Photo: Emirates Golf Club, Majlis Course, via Google. Credit Zsolt Sasdi.
How we ranked them
This list weighs the things that actually matter in December: dependable warmth as the northern winter sets in, the quality and depth of the courses, the experience around the golf, and how easy the trip is to run over a busy festive month. We have leaned toward the reliable sun of the Gulf, the southern hemisphere summer and the tropics, where December is close to ideal, while giving Florida and the Canary Islands their due as the safest milder options. Every destination here links through to our fuller guide so you can go deeper, and every fee is a guide only, always to be confirmed directly before booking.
The 10 best December golf destinations
Dubai and the UAE
December is arguably the sweet spot of the Emirates year. Daytime temperatures settle into the comfortable low to mid twenties Celsius, the evenings are mild, the skies are reliably clear, and the championship courses, the Emirates Majlis, Jumeirah Golf Estates and Yas Links over in Abu Dhabi, are in flawless winter condition. Around the golf sit world class hotels, beach clubs, dining and a festive season that the city does on a grand scale. It is the most dependable warm golf trip on earth in early winter, and the easiest to run. Book early, as this is peak season and the holidays fill fast.
Verdict: the surest winter sun, championship golf in flawless trim.Cape Town and the Garden Route, South Africa
December is the height of the South African summer, with long, warm days and the courses at their lush best. Play Fancourt's three layouts inland at George, the dramatic Pinnacle Point and Pezula on the coast, and the parkland around Cape Town, then add the winelands, a safari and Table Mountain for one of the great combined trips. The flights are long and from Europe it is an overnight, but the value and the sheer variety are outstanding, the rand stretches a long way, and the southern summer light makes for unforgettable golf.
Verdict: superb high summer golf and a trip of a lifetime around it.Mauritius
For a long haul beach and golf escape over the holidays, December is warm tropical summer in Mauritius, with the championship courses in good order between the occasional passing shower. Play the layouts at Anahita, Heritage Le Telfair and Ile aux Cerfs, then retreat to a five star lagoon resort for the afternoons. It ranks this high on the sheer quality of the golf and the guarantee of warmth, tempered by the distance, the festive premium on a proper Indian Ocean holiday, and the small chance of summer rain.
Verdict: world class resort golf wrapped in a tropical holiday.Los Cabos, Mexico
December in Los Cabos is warm, dry and gloriously sunny, the heart of the high season at the tip of the Baja peninsula. The Nicklaus, Norman, Weiskopf and Tom Fazio layouts at Cabo del Sol, Quivira, Diamante and Querencia are among the most spectacular in the Americas, tumbling between cactus and the Sea of Cortez. Pair the golf with a beach resort week and the short hop from the western United States and it is a knockout December pick, with the honest caveat that the festive fortnight is the priciest stretch of the year.
Verdict: dramatic ocean desert golf in peak winter form.Hua Hin and Phuket, Thailand
December falls squarely in Thailand's cool, dry season, the best time of year to play, and the resort towns of Hua Hin and Phuket are among the most rewarding warm weather trips going. The courses, Black Mountain and Banyan at Hua Hin, Blue Canyon and Red Mountain in Phuket, are excellent and superb value, the caddies are part of the charm, and the beaches, the food and the spas round out a relaxed week. Long haul from Europe but a comfortable hop within Asia, it is a value champion in its prime month.
Verdict: outstanding value golf in Thailand's finest season.Florida, United States
December is high season in Florida for good reason, with mild, settled days across the peninsula and an unrivaled depth of golf, from the resort courses of Orlando and Naples to the famous TPC Sawgrass up at Ponte Vedra. It is the easiest warm winter trip from the eastern United States and a comfortable one from Europe, with endless courses, resorts and value at every level, plus a festive buzz in the theme park city. It ranks here because the December nights can be cool and the weather, while mild, is less certain than the tropics or the Gulf.
Verdict: enormous depth of golf and an easy winter escape.The Canary Islands, Spain
The Canaries are Europe's most reliable winter warmth, and December is firmly in season. Tenerife leads the way with Abama, Buenavista and Costa Adeje, with more golf on Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, all volcanic backdrops, ocean views and a near guarantee of low to mid twenties Celsius. Short flights, plenty of resort choice and dependable sun make it a banker for a winter golf week when you do not want a long haul or a gamble on the weather over the holidays.
Verdict: Europe's safest winter sun, easy and dependable.The Melbourne Sandbelt, Australia
December is early high summer in Melbourne, and the famous Sandbelt is in glorious form, firm, fast and sun baked. Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Victoria and Metropolitan make up one of the great clusters of golf anywhere on earth, all within a short drive of the city, their springy sandy turf and brilliant bunkering the model for strategic design. It is a bucket list golf city in the southern summer, ranking here only on the distance from the northern hemisphere, never on the quality.
Verdict: one of the world's great golf cities in summer trim.Vietnam
Vietnam has become one of Asia's most exciting golf destinations, and December brings the cooler, drier weather of the central and southern regions. Play the Greg Norman links style course at The Bluffs Ho Tram, the layouts around Da Nang and the Robert Trent Jones II design at Hoiana, then enjoy the food, the coastline and the value. It ranks here on golfing depth and the patchier December weather in the far north, not on quality, which is rising fast, and on a coast that is a delight to travel.
Verdict: emerging, excellent value golf along a beautiful coast.New Zealand
For something completely different, December is the start of high summer in New Zealand, with long days and the country's spectacular courses at their best. Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs on the North Island are among the most dramatic clifftop layouts on earth, with more world class golf at Tara Iti and Jack's Point. This is a bucket list, once in a lifetime trip rather than a quick break, ranking here purely on the distance and cost, never on the quality, which is as high as golf travel goes.
Verdict: bucket list clifftop golf in the southern summer.Indicative conditions and seasonal value for December. Weather, green fees and tee sheets change, so always confirm directly before booking. Check December tee time availability.
Plan your December golf trip
Tell us where on this list appeals and we will match it to your dates, secure the tee times in peak festive season and sort the stay and the transfers. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.
December golf questions
Where is the best golf in December?
December is prime winter sun season, and our pick is Dubai and the wider UAE, where comfortable, dry days in the low to mid twenties Celsius meet championship courses in flawless condition just as the festive season fills the resorts. Cape Town, Mauritius and Los Cabos run it close in the southern and tropical summer, while Thailand, Florida, the Canary Islands, the Melbourne Sandbelt, Vietnam and New Zealand all deliver dependable warmth as the northern winter sets in. Always confirm current fees and conditions directly before booking.
Is December a good time for a golf trip?
December is one of the best months of the year for a warm weather golf trip, with much of the northern hemisphere cold and wet. The Gulf, southern Africa, the Indian Ocean, Mexico and Southeast Asia all deliver reliable sun and courses in fine condition, and the southern hemisphere is into high summer. The trade off is that December, especially the festive fortnight, is peak season at most of these destinations, so book early and expect peak rates over the holidays.
Where is guaranteed golf sunshine in December?
For the most dependable December sunshine, look to Dubai and the UAE, where the winter season is at its best, and to Cape Town, Mauritius and Los Cabos, all in warm summer form. Thailand is in its cool dry season, Florida is mild and settled, and the Canary Islands are Europe's safest winter warmth. The Melbourne Sandbelt and New Zealand offer a very different option, world class golf in the long days of the southern summer. Always confirm current conditions directly before booking.
How far ahead should you book a December golf trip?
Book four to six months ahead, and earlier still for the festive fortnight, the marquee UAE courses, Cape Town in peak summer, or a large group travelling together. December is high season at almost every winter sun destination and the Christmas and New Year window is the busiest of the year, so the best resorts and tee times fill well in advance and rates sit at their yearly peak. A trip planner can lock the courses, the rooms and the rounds in a single brief before availability tightens.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Seasonal conditions and destination notes verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.