Where to Play Golf in January
January is the deepest month of northern winter and the best month of the year somewhere else. The Gulf is at its coolest and sunniest, Cape Town and Melbourne are in midsummer, and Thailand is mid dry season. Here are the eight places we would actually book, ranked.
Photo: Emirates Golf Club by Zsolt Sasdi via Google.
How we chose
This ranking weighs three things: the reliability of the weather in January specifically, the depth and quality of the golf you can actually book as a visitor, and what a week costs once flights, rooms and green fees are added up. A destination that is merely warm does not make the cut; it has to be at or near its own seasonal peak in January.
We also note who each one suits. Short haul winter sun from Europe is a different trip from a long haul escape out of New York or London, and a buddies week in Thailand is priced a world apart from peak season Dubai. Temperatures below are typical January daytime figures, rounded; weather is weather, so treat them as a guide.
The 8 best places to play golf in January
Dubai and Abu Dhabi
January in the Gulf is what the region was built for: dry, sunny days in the mid 20s, cool evenings and immaculate courses from the Majlis at Emirates to Yas Links and Saadiyat Beach. The DP World Tour's desert swing arrives soon after, so conditioning peaks now. It is high season and priced accordingly, but for sheer reliability nowhere else in range of Europe comes close. Floodlit night golf is the bonus round.
Cape Town and the Garden Route, South Africa
January is high summer at the Cape: long evenings, dry heat tempered by the sea, and a run of courses from Fancourt down the Garden Route that would grace any country's top ten. For Europeans the time difference is an hour or two, so there is no jet lag on a long haul trip, and the rand makes five star living and caddies feel like value. Book the marquee tee times early, this is the Cape's busiest stretch. See our pick of the best courses in South Africa.
Thailand
The heart of the cool dry season, which in Thailand means hot but comfortable, with the lowest humidity of the year. Hua Hin, Phuket and Chiang Mai all peak in January, caddies are part of the culture, and the cost per round is a fraction of the Gulf's. It is the best value long haul golf month on the calendar, and the food and hotels need no selling. Our Thailand golf packages guide covers the trip math.
The Canary Islands
The Canaries are the easiest January answer for Europeans: around four hours from London or Frankfurt, no jet lag, and a winter climate the islands have marketed as eternal spring for a century. Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura share two dozen courses between volcanic hills and the Atlantic. It is not a bucket list golf destination, it is a reliable one, and in January that is the point. Start with our Canary Islands golf holidays page.
Los Cabos, Mexico
January in Los Cabos is dry, warm and windless by its standards, with whales breaching offshore as you play. The corridor between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo carries a remarkable density of big name resort golf with Pacific and Sea of Cortez views. It is a premium trip, pitched at the American market and priced like it, but as a winter sun and golf combination from North America it is hard to top.
Florida
Florida in January is dependable rather than guaranteed: most days sit comfortably in the low 20s, with the occasional cold front that has you reaching for a sweater. What it offers is choice on a scale nowhere else can match, from Streamsong's dunes to the resort golf of Orlando and Naples, plus easy flights from the entire eastern seaboard and Europe. It is peak season, so the famous tee sheets fill early.
Marrakech, Morocco
Marrakech in January is mild rather than hot, with crisp mornings, sunny afternoons around 19 C and snow on the Atlas behind the fairways, one of golf's great backdrops. The city's courses, led by the historic Royal Golf and the modern resort layouts, pair with riads, souks and serious food for the most atmospheric short haul winter trip Europe has. See our Marrakech golf guide.
Melbourne, Australia
For the golfer who wants the best courses on this list rather than the easiest trip, January is midsummer on the Melbourne Sandbelt, when Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath and their neighbors are at their firm, fast best. Days can be hot and the flight is the longest here, but no January destination offers architecture in this class. Visitor access takes planning, which is exactly what our Australia trip page is for.
Rankings are the editorial desk's own verdict, weighed as described above. Typical January temperatures are rounded daytime figures from long term climate averages; conditions vary year to year. January is peak season in most of these destinations, so always confirm rates and availability directly before booking. Check live tee times with our tee time partner.
Plan your January golf trip
Tell us which of these took your fancy, roughly when in January and who is traveling, and one concierge builds the trip, with tee times, hotels and transfers costed to the head, no obligation.
January golf questions
Where is the best weather for golf in January?
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the most reliable, in the middle of the Gulf cool season with sunny days around the mid 20s C. Cape Town, Thailand and Los Cabos are also at or near their seasonal best in January.
Where can Europeans play golf in January without a long flight?
The Canary Islands and Marrakech are the classic short haul January escapes, both around four hours from northern Europe with mild sunshine, no jet lag and a deep choice of courses.
Is January high season anywhere?
Yes. January is peak season in the Gulf, Cape Town, Thailand, Florida and Los Cabos, so green fees and hotels are at their dearest and the best tee times go early. Book two to four months ahead for the marquee courses.
Where is it summer for golf in January?
The southern hemisphere. Cape Town and the Garden Route and Melbourne's Sandbelt are in midsummer in January, with long daylight hours and their courses in peak condition.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Seasonal climate figures are long term averages, rounded; destination details reviewed June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.