Best Golf Trips in May

In May the whole map wakes up at once. Links season opens in Scotland and Ireland, the Mountain West thaws, and the Northeast finally plays firm and fast. If you want the most genuinely in-season options of any month on the calendar, May is it.

How we rankedRanking blends a destination's typical weather and course-open window for the month with its peak-vs-shoulder season — the same read a group does when it asks "where's actually good to golf right now, and where are we overpaying for it." It's a planning heuristic, not a forecast.

California

Monterey, CA

The bucket-list capital of American golf

6 courses3 bucket-listMRY · 10min

California

Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

Storybook village, world-class golf, and Carmel Valley wine

5 courses3 bucket-listMRY · 15min

International

Costa del Sol, Spain

Marbella & Sotogrande — Valderrama, Finca Cortesin, sun and beach clubs

5 courses3 bucket-listAGP · 45min

International

Algarve, Portugal

Europe's sunbelt golf — Monte Rei, Quinta do Lago, San Lorenzo

5 courses2 bucket-listFAO · 25min

California

Palm Desert, CA

PGA West, Stadium glory, and the valley's best public courses

5 courses1 bucket-listPSP · 20min

California

San Diego, CA

Torrey Pines, perfect weather, and Gaslamp nightlife

5 courses1 bucket-listSAN · 15min

California

Palm Springs, CA

Sunshine, mid-century cool, and wall-to-wall desert golf

5 coursesPSP · 10min

California

Napa, CA

Wine country golf, big-cabernet nights, and Silverado

5 coursesOAK · 60min

California

Sonoma, CA

Laid-back wine country with public golf and a real plaza scene

5 coursesSTS · 35min

California

Los Angeles, CA

Cliffside Trump National, sneaky-good munis, and big-city nights

5 coursesLAX · 25min

California

Ojai, CA

A storied valley resort, mountain light, and a quiet luxury escape

5 coursesBUR · 75min

California

Santa Barbara, CA

Oceanfront Sandpiper, Spanish-style nights, and beach-town golf

5 coursesSBA · 15min

California

Temecula, CA

Wine country, casino nights, and value golf between LA and San Diego

5 coursesSAN · 65min

California

Half Moon Bay, CA

Two oceanfront 18s at the Ritz, 30 minutes from SFO

5 coursesSFO · 30min

California

Sacramento, CA

Value golf, a real downtown, and wine country at the edges

5 coursesSMF · 15min

California

Carlsbad, CA

North County beaches, resort golf, and the Omni La Costa

5 coursesSAN · 40min

California

San Francisco, CA

Major-championship muni golf with a world-class city behind it

4 courses1 bucket-listSFO · 25min

California

Bakersfield, CA

Cheap, year-round golf and honky-tonk nights in Buck Owens country

4 coursesBFL · 15min

California

Aptos, CA

MacKenzie's finest work and beach-town golf above Monterey Bay

3 courses1 bucket-listSJC · 45min

California

Lompoc, CA

One of California's toughest public tests in quiet wine country

3 coursesSBA · 55min

South Central

Branson, MO

Ozarks golf with lake life, live shows, and surprisingly great courses

6 courses2 bucket-listSGF · 45min

Southeast

Pinehurst, NC

The Cradle of American Golf

6 courses1 bucket-listRDU · 75min

Southeast

Hilton Head, SC

Island golf with a side of beach bars

6 courses1 bucket-listHHH · 15min

Southeast

Destin, FL

Beach, nightlife, and golf on the Emerald Coast

6 coursesVPS · 15min