December in Athens, GA: shoulder season for golf — playable with smart tee time selection. Best tee times: late morning to early afternoon after dew burns off.
| Average December Weather | |
|---|---|
| Avg daily high | 56°F |
| Avg daily low | 39°F |
| Rainy days | 12 / mo |
| Avg peak wind | 9.5 mph |
Most golfers expecting December in Athens, Georgia to be a wash — either too cold or too wet — end up pleasantly surprised. The average high sits at 56°F, which is below the ideal 60–80°F window but still workable, especially when afternoon tee times let temperatures climb from the 39°F morning low. With 12 precipitation days, December is actually the 4th-driest month of the year here, meaning more playable windows than the calendar suggests.
The real catch is the 17°F daily swing. Start your round in a heavy jacket and you'll be peeling layers by the back nine — or the reverse if a front moves through. Peak wind averages 9.5 mph, ranking December as the 3rd-windiest month, so approach shots into any headwind will play longer than the yardage book shows. Plan your round around the midday window and the conditions are genuinely reasonable for late-year golf.
Book afternoon tee times between 11 AM and 1 PM to maximize the gap between the 39°F morning low and the 56°F afternoon high — that midday window is when conditions are most consistently playable. Given the 12 precipitation days spread across the month, check the 48-hour forecast rather than booking weeks out and locking in a morning slot you may regret. See how conditions rate hour by hour on our playability scale.
November is noticeably more comfortable, with an average high of 64°F — a full 8°F warmer than December — and only 10 precipitation days compared to December's 12. January offers almost no improvement: the high drops another 2°F to 54°F, precipitation climbs to 13 days, and peak wind increases to 10.4 mph. In practical terms, December sits at the edge of the tolerable range, clearly better than what follows but a real step down from what came before.
Climate normals show the long-term picture, but day-to-day weather varies. Check today's live golf weather score for Athens, GA for the current playability rating, hourly wind, temperature, and the recommended tee time window.
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It's workable rather than ideal. The average high of 56°F falls just below the comfortable playing range, and mornings starting at 39°F require layers. That said, with only 12 precipitation days, December is actually the 4th-driest month of the year in Athens, which means more playable days than most golfers expect.
Morning lows average 39°F, which is cold enough that early tee times will feel genuinely uncomfortable without thermal layers. Afternoon highs reach 56°F on average, so the day-to-night swing of 17°F makes timing your round important. Midday starts give you the best chance of staying in a reasonable temperature range for the full 18 holes.