Playability Score: 100/100 — Elite
Current conditions: 79°F, wind 3 mph, 0% chance of rain.
Updated July 9, 2026
Des Moines offers a continental climate golf season from late April through October. Summer can bring heat and humidity with afternoon storms. Flat terrain means wind is a consistent factor year-round.
Spring and fall are the headline debate for Des Moines golfers, not summer. The question worth asking before you book a tee time is which shoulder season actually delivers — because the data shows they're not equal, and summer has a stronger case than most locals admit.
June through August sits comfortably in the 83–85°F high range with the calmest winds of the year (11 mph in July and August), but afternoon humidity and convective storms are real. April, meanwhile, is the windiest month on the calendar at 15.5 mph average peak — enough to turn a wedge into a gamble. Fall, particularly September and October, posts tighter precip numbers (11 and 10 days respectively) and highs that drop from 78°F to a crisp 63°F, making it the more reliable shoulder season of the two.
April's average high reaches 60°F — right at the lower edge of the ideal range — but its 15.5 mph average peak wind is the highest of any month, and 13 precip days add further friction. May warms to a 72°F high and the wind eases to 13.2 mph, but 18 precip days make it the wettest month of the year. Spring has upside when conditions align, but statistically it asks golfers to work harder for a clean round.
July and August are the calmest months in Des Moines, both averaging 11 mph peak wind — well below the 15 mph moderate threshold. Highs of 85°F and 83°F push the upper edge of comfort, and humidity adds perceived heat, but morning tee times largely sidestep the afternoon storm window. On balance, summer scores better than its reputation.
September drops to 11 precip days and a comfortable 78°F high with a 61°F low — warm enough for shirtsleeves, cool enough to walk 18 without regret. October tightens precip further to 10 days and pulls the high back to 63°F, pairing well with the site's ideal temperature window. Wind creeps back up to 13.9 mph in October, but that's still below April's windiest readings.
Highs in December through February range from 31°F to 39°F, well below any playable threshold, and average lows hit 15°F in January. Precip days are modest at 9 per month in winter, but the cold makes that largely irrelevant — most Des Moines courses are closed or unplayable from December through February.
September and October combine 10–11 precip days, highs of 63–78°F, and winds in the 12–14 mph range — consistently inside or near the ideal window. July and August match them on wind (both 11 mph, the year's calmest) and stay within the 83–85°F high range, making early morning rounds genuinely comfortable before afternoon heat builds.
Fall wins on consistency. September has 11 precip days and a 78°F high; October has just 10 precip days and a 63°F high. Spring's best month, May, logs 18 precip days — the most of any month — and April's 15.5 mph average peak wind makes scoring difficult even on dry days.
Wind is a genuine factor all year: no month averages below 11 mph peak, and April peaks at 15.5 mph. The flat terrain around the city gives gusts little to slow them down, so exposed holes play differently in spring versus the calmer July–August window. Checking hourly forecasts before a round matters more here than in hillier markets.
December, January, and February are effectively unplayable — average highs range from 31°F to 39°F, and January's average low drops to 15°F. November can produce playable days at a 49°F high, but 13.6 mph average wind and the risk of early cold snaps make late October the safer last call for a reliable round.