Where to Play Golf in August
August is high summer, and the move is to travel toward cool air and long light rather than the hot Mediterranean or the desert. The links of Scotland and Ireland are at their peak, the Oregon coast and the Pacific Northwest are in prime form, and Scandinavia plays in daylight that never quite ends. These are the eight destinations we would book for an August trip, ranked with the weather window and the courses to play.
Photograph: Bandon Dunes, Oregon, via Google
How we chose
We ranked these eight on reliable August weather, the quality and density of the golf, and the comfort of playing in the warmest month of the northern summer. The defining fact of August is heat: southern Europe, the Gulf and the southern United States are at their most uncomfortable, so the travelling golfer should head the other way, toward cool coastal links, northern latitudes and mountain air. We have led with the places that pair the finest golf with comfortable temperatures and long daylight, favouring destinations you can build a strong week around rather than a single bearable round.
The 8 best places to play golf in August
Scotland
August is the warmest month of the Scottish year and the heart of the links season, with firm fast turf, mild comfortable air and northern daylight that stretches past ten in the evening, room for thirty six holes if the legs hold. Play the great clusters around St Andrews and Fife, East Lothian, Ayrshire and the Highlands, accepting peak fees and busy tee sheets in return for the finest links golf on the planet at its very best. Our top pick for August by a clear margin.
Ireland and Northern Ireland
Ireland's links coasts share Scotland's gift for August golf, cool, green and lit late into the evening, with the bonus of some of the most dramatic duneland in the world. Build a week around the southwest at Ballybunion, Lahinch and Waterville, the northwest at Carne and Rosapenna, or the Causeway Coast around Royal Portrush, host of the 2025 Open. The weather is as changeable as Scotland's, so pack layers, but August gives you the warmth and the light to enjoy it.
Bandon Dunes, Oregon
August is prime time on the Oregon coast, where Bandon Dunes serves up authentic, walking only links golf shaped by nature and ruled by the wind. Long summer days and steady cool breezes off the Pacific make midsummer one of the best stretches to visit, with seven distinct courses, from Pacific Dunes and Old Macdonald to Sheep Ranch, each wildly different yet united by firm turf and big ocean views. The remoteness is the point, so plan the travel and stay multiple nights.
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Cabot Cape Breton on the wild northern coast of Nova Scotia is at its best in the short, comfortable Canadian summer, and August is the sweet spot. Cabot Links runs right along the harbour and the sea, the Coore and Crenshaw Cabot Cliffs tumbles along the bluffs above the Gulf of St Lawrence with its famous cliff edge par 3s, and the short Nest fills the evenings. Cool ocean air, long days and a genuine end of the road sense of place make this one of the great August escapes.
The Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest hits its driest, sunniest stretch in August, ideal for the modern destination golf of inland Washington and the coast of British Columbia. Gamble Sands in the high desert near Brewster pairs the original David McLay Kidd links with the acclaimed new Scarecrow course and the Quicksands short course, while Chambers Bay, the 2015 US Open venue near Tacoma, plays firm above Puget Sound. Warm dry days and cool evenings make this a comfortable, course rich summer trip.
Northern Michigan
Cooled by Lake Michigan, the north of the state is often called America's summer golf capital, a cluster of mega resorts and forest courses that come into their own in August. Forest Dunes and the reversible Loop, the courses of Boyne and the bluff top layouts above Lake Michigan give a week of varied, comfortable golf in the kind of warm, dry summer the rest of the Midwest cannot match. An easy, value friendly inland alternative to the coastal links trips.
Sweden and Scandinavia
The short Scandinavian summer peaks in August, with warm dry days, cool nights and daylight that barely fades, stretching to true midnight golf in the far north. Sweden leads the region for quality, from the classic links at Falsterbo and Barseback on the south coast to Bro Hof Slott near Stockholm, with strong golf across Denmark and Finland too. For long evenings, value and a different kind of summer trip, the north of Europe is a quietly brilliant August choice.
The Alps
When the European lowlands bake, the Alps stay cool, and August is the high summer season for mountain golf in Switzerland, Austria and the French Alps. Crans Montana, home of the European Masters above the Rhone valley, leads a roster of courses set among the peaks at altitude, where the air is crisp, the views are vast and the ball flies a little further. Pair the golf with hiking, lakes and alpine villages for a trip that suits families and non golfers as well as the foursome.
Weather and seasonal notes verified June 2026 from destination and golf travel sources. Conditions and green fees vary year to year, so always confirm current rates and tee times directly before booking. Check August tee time availability.
Plan your August 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 stay, and costs it to the head. The summer links season books up a long way ahead, so the sooner we start the better, with no obligation.
August golf questions
Where is the best place to play golf in August?
August is high summer in the northern hemisphere, so the smart move is to travel toward cool, dry links and mountain golf rather than the hot Mediterranean or the desert. Scotland is our top pick, with its great links at their summer peak and daylight until ten at night, followed by Ireland, Bandon Dunes in Oregon, Cape Breton in Nova Scotia and the Pacific Northwest. All deliver comfortable temperatures and long days. Always confirm current fees and tee times directly before booking.
Is August a good month for a golf holiday?
Yes, provided you choose a cool climate destination. August is the warmest, busiest stretch of the links season in Scotland and Ireland, prime time on the Oregon coast and in the Pacific Northwest, and the heart of summer in Scandinavia and the Alps. The places to avoid in August are the ones at their hottest, such as the Mediterranean, the Gulf and the southern United States, where midsummer heat makes play uncomfortable.
Where can you play golf in August to escape the heat?
The coolest comfortable golf in August is found on the links coasts of Scotland and Ireland, the Oregon coast at Bandon Dunes, the Pacific Northwest around Washington and British Columbia, Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, northern Michigan, Scandinavia and the mountain courses of the Alps. All sit well away from the midsummer heat that bakes southern Europe and the desert, and most pair cool air with long daylight for late rounds.
Is it too hot to play golf in Scotland in August?
No, August is ideal in Scotland. It is the warmest month of the year, yet temperatures rarely climb beyond comfortable, the links are firm and fast, and the long northern daylight stretches to around ten at night, leaving time for thirty six holes. It is peak season, so the marquee tee sheets are busy and fees are at their highest, but for weather and atmosphere August is one of the very best months to play Scottish links.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Seasonal weather windows verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.