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.
Where to play in May
Monterey, CA
The bucket-list capital of American golf
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Storybook village, world-class golf, and Carmel Valley wine
Costa del Sol, Spain
Marbella & Sotogrande — Valderrama, Finca Cortesin, sun and beach clubs
Algarve, Portugal
Europe's sunbelt golf — Monte Rei, Quinta do Lago, San Lorenzo
Palm Desert, CA
PGA West, Stadium glory, and the valley's best public courses
San Diego, CA
Torrey Pines, perfect weather, and Gaslamp nightlife
Palm Springs, CA
Sunshine, mid-century cool, and wall-to-wall desert golf
Napa, CA
Wine country golf, big-cabernet nights, and Silverado
Sonoma, CA
Laid-back wine country with public golf and a real plaza scene
Los Angeles, CA
Cliffside Trump National, sneaky-good munis, and big-city nights
Ojai, CA
A storied valley resort, mountain light, and a quiet luxury escape
Santa Barbara, CA
Oceanfront Sandpiper, Spanish-style nights, and beach-town golf
Temecula, CA
Wine country, casino nights, and value golf between LA and San Diego
Half Moon Bay, CA
Two oceanfront 18s at the Ritz, 30 minutes from SFO
Sacramento, CA
Value golf, a real downtown, and wine country at the edges
Carlsbad, CA
North County beaches, resort golf, and the Omni La Costa
San Francisco, CA
Major-championship muni golf with a world-class city behind it
Bakersfield, CA
Cheap, year-round golf and honky-tonk nights in Buck Owens country
Aptos, CA
MacKenzie's finest work and beach-town golf above Monterey Bay
Lompoc, CA
One of California's toughest public tests in quiet wine country
Branson, MO
Ozarks golf with lake life, live shows, and surprisingly great courses
Pinehurst, NC
The Cradle of American Golf
Hilton Head, SC
Island golf with a side of beach bars
Destin, FL
Beach, nightlife, and golf on the Emerald Coast
Pick a spot, then let the planner build your May trip — up to three full itineraries at three price points.
Plan a May Trip →