Where to Play Golf in May
May is the great links month. The season in Scotland and Ireland is fully open, the turf firm and the daylight long, while southern Europe basks in spring warmth before the summer heat and the United States offers golf from the Carolina pines to the Oregon dunes. These are the eight destinations we would book for a May trip, ranked with the weather window, the courses to play and indicative 2026 fees.
Photograph: Ballybunion Golf Club, Ireland, via Google
How we chose
We ranked these eight on reliable May weather, the quality and density of the golf, and the value of the month. May is a transition, the start of the northern links season and the end of the desert season, which makes it one of the most versatile months of the year. We leaned hard toward the links countries, because there is no better time to play them, then balanced the list with the warm, dependable spots and the spring gems of North America. Throughout, we favored destinations a travelling golfer can build a strong week around, and ordered them with quality, weather and value in mind.
The 8 best places to play golf in May
Scotland
Our top pick for May, and the best month to play the home of golf before the high summer rush. The links from St Andrews and East Lothian up to the Highlands are firm and fast after spring, the daylight stretches late into the evening, and the worst of the winter weather is past. Fees and tee sheets sit a notch below July and August, so you get the great courses in fine condition at spring prices. Pack a layer for the wind, but May Scotland is hard to beat.
Ireland
Ireland runs Scotland close, and May is prime time for the great links of the southwest and the north. Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville and the Old Head along the Atlantic, Royal County Down and Royal Portrush in the north, all play beautifully in late spring with firm ground and long evenings. The weather is changeable, as ever, but the courses are at their best and the crowds lighter than midsummer. A links pilgrimage at its seasonal peak.
Pinehurst and the Carolina Sandhills
May is one of the best windows of the year in the North Carolina Sandhills, warm and largely dry before the heavy summer humidity sets in. Pinehurst, with its famous No.2 and a deep field of resort courses, anchors a classic American golf week on sandy, pine framed terrain that drains and plays firm. It is a walkable, traditional destination at its spring best, and an easy add to a wider Carolinas trip.
Bandon Dunes, Oregon
The great links style resort on the wild Oregon coast hits its stride as the wet winter eases into a drier late spring. Five championship courses, Pacific Dunes and the others, tumble along the dunes above the ocean, all walking golf with caddies in the Scottish tradition. May brings longer days and better odds of settled weather than the depths of winter, on what is arguably the finest links experience in North America. Bring waterproofs regardless.
The Algarve, Portugal
For warmth and value on a short flight, the Algarve delivers in May, warm and dry before the peak heat of high summer, with the championship courses around Vilamoura and Quinta do Lago in excellent order. Prices and crowds ease from the spring peak, the long evenings suit a relaxed week, and the resorts pair the golf with beaches and seafood. A dependable, easy May destination for travellers from northern Europe.
England
England is at its loveliest for golf in May, when the heathland belt around Surrey, Sunningdale and Wentworth, the heather and gorse in bloom, plays firm and fragrant, and the links coasts of Kent, Lancashire and the southwest enjoy settled late spring. It is an underrated month for a quintessentially English trip, mild and green, with the Open rota courses and the great inland gems all in fine fettle before summer.
The Monterey Peninsula, California
The California coast plays well in May, mild and often clearer than the foggier high summer that can settle over the Monterey Peninsula. Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and the Links at Spanish Bay sit minutes apart along the cliffs, and a resort stay unlocks the tee times. It is a splurge in any month, but May offers pleasant conditions and the shoulder before the peak summer demand on the most famous coastal golf in America.
Tuscany and northern Italy
For golf wrapped in a wider escape, northern Italy is glorious in May, spring warmth across Tuscany, the lakes and the Veneto before the summer heat. The courses are green and quiet, framed by vines and hills, and the golf shares the bill with the food, the wine and the towns. It is the most relaxed pick on this list, ideal for a couple or a group who want fine golf as part of a broader spring trip rather than the whole of it.
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 May tee time availability.
Plan your May 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. May links tee times go early, so the sooner we start the better, with no obligation.
May golf questions
Where is the best place to play golf in May?
May is the great links month, so Scotland and Ireland are our top picks, with firm turf, long daylight and the season fully open before the high summer crowds and prices. For warmth and value, the Algarve and the Carolinas are dependable, and Bandon Dunes in Oregon is at its spring best. May is a transition month, the start of the northern season and the end of the desert season, which makes it one of the most versatile months for a golf trip. Always confirm current fees and tee times directly before booking.
Is May a good month for a golf holiday?
May is one of the best months of the year for a golf trip. The links season in Scotland and Ireland is fully underway with long daylight and firm ground, southern Europe is warm before the summer heat, and the United States offers spring golf from Pinehurst to the Pacific Northwest. It sits in the value window before the peak summer rates arrive, so you often get the best of the conditions at less than the high season price.
Is it too hot to play golf in the desert in May?
By late May the desert and Gulf destinations such as Dubai, Arizona and the Palm Springs area are heating up fast and moving out of their comfortable season, with daytime temperatures climbing toward summer highs. Early May can still offer playable mornings, but May is better spent in the links countries and the temperate spots, which are at or near their peak. Always confirm current conditions before booking.
Where can I play links golf in May?
Scotland, Ireland and England are the classic links destinations and May is a wonderful time to play them, with the courses firm and fast after spring, the daylight long and the worst of the winter weather past. Bandon Dunes in Oregon offers links style golf on the American side. May falls just before the peak summer season, so fees and crowds are a notch below July and August. Always confirm current rates directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Seasonal weather windows and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.