Florida Golf: 2026 Season Outlook
Florida is the winter capital of American golf, a sunshine state with more courses than anywhere on earth and a peak season timed precisely for when the rest of the country is frozen. The 2026 calendar runs through the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in March. Here is the outlook, the courses and the timing.
The headline: the winter game's home
Florida runs on a winter calendar, the reverse of most golf destinations, and 2026 will be no different. The peak season runs from November to April, when the humidity drops, the days are warm and dry, and northern golfers arrive in force. Summer is hot, humid and prone to afternoon thunderstorms, which makes early tee times and shoulder season value the smart play from May to October.
The defining event of the Florida year is the Players Championship, played at TPC Sawgrass in March, where the par 3 seventeenth and its island green is the most famous closing stretch in the game. In 2026 the championship ran from March 12 to 15, with Cameron Young winning at 13 under, a reminder of the level the state's best course demands.
The courses that anchor a trip
The flagship is the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course near Ponte Vedra Beach, the Pete Dye design that hosts the Players and whose island green seventeenth is golf's most photographed hole. In the centre of the state, Streamsong has become a genuine destination resort, its Red, Blue and Black courses the work of Coore and Crenshaw, Tom Doak and Gil Hanse on dramatic reclaimed sand.
Down in Miami, the Blue Monster at Doral remains a powerful, water lined resort test with a long tournament pedigree. Beyond these, the state runs deep, from the resort golf of Naples and southwest Florida to dozens of strong layouts up and down both coasts.
How to plan it for 2026
Florida is large, so think in regions rather than a single base. Sawgrass sits near Jacksonville in the northeast, Streamsong is central and reachable from Tampa or Orlando, Doral is in Miami, and Naples anchors the southwest, so most trips pick one or two clusters and fly into the nearest airport. The peak winter weeks book out early, especially around the Players.
For 2026, plan well ahead if you want to play the Sawgrass area around the March championship, and target the November to April window for the best weather. Resort and public green fees swing sharply with the season here, peaking in winter, so treat any quoted figure as indicative for 2026 and always confirm directly before booking.
What it means for your trip, and our take
For a 2026 Florida trip, go in the November to April peak, pick a region, and build around a marquee name: Sawgrass in the northeast, Streamsong in the centre, or Doral and the southwest further down. Add a resort stay and the golf comes with sunshine, beaches and easy logistics.
Our take is that Florida is the most reliable winter golf in the United States, unmatched for sheer volume and for the certainty of warm, playable weather when the north is shut. Streamsong has given the state a true bucket list resort to sit alongside Sawgrass, so plan the season, book early, and let the sunshine state deliver.
Plan your Florida golf trip
From the island green at TPC Sawgrass to the sand of Streamsong, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
When is the best time to play golf in Florida?
The peak season runs from November to April, when the weather is warm and dry and the humidity drops. Summer, from May to October, is hot, humid and prone to afternoon storms, so play early and look for shoulder season value.
Which are the best golf courses in Florida?
The TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course, host of the Players Championship and home of the island green seventeenth, leads the way, alongside the Streamsong resort's Red, Blue and Black courses in central Florida and the Blue Monster at Doral in Miami.
When is the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass?
The Players Championship is played at TPC Sawgrass each March. In 2026 it ran from March 12 to 15, with Cameron Young winning at 13 under par.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Season, course and access details verified June 2026 from club, tour and golf travel sources; conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.