December in Kansas City, MO: cool / cold season for golf — expect distance loss and stiff muscles. Best tee times: midday when temperatures are warmest.
| Average December Weather | |
|---|---|
| Avg daily high | 45°F |
| Avg daily low | 29°F |
| Rainy days | 8 / mo |
| Avg peak wind | 12 mph |
Booking golf in Kansas City in December is a different calculation than any other month. Courses run shorter daylight windows — roughly 7 AM to 4:30 PM at best — and weekend tee sheets can still fill mid-morning slots quickly because those are the warmest playable hours. The move is to target 10 AM–noon starts on weekdays, when competition for times drops sharply and temperatures have had a chance to climb toward the 45°F average high.
That said, December is actually the driest month of the year here, logging only 8 precipitation days. Cold doesn't mean wet. Wind sits at 12 mph peak — firmly in the moderate range — so a calm-ish morning after a cold front clears can offer genuinely playable conditions. Dress in layers you can shed, keep expectations calibrated to firm or frost-affected turf, and watch the morning frost delay notices, which can push your effective start an hour later than the posted time.
Book the 10–11 AM window at least a few days out, especially on weekends — those slots sell out first because they split the difference between frost delays and the early temperature drop after 3 PM. Weekday afternoons open up considerably, but with a 45°F high and sunset before 5 PM, you're racing daylight on any round that starts past noon. See how conditions rate hour by hour on our playability scale.
December drops 9°F off November's 54°F average high, which is a meaningful shift that pushes more golfers off the course entirely — reducing tee-sheet competition but also shrinking your comfortable playing window. You gain one fewer precipitation day compared to November, making December the driest month of the year. Moving into January, the average high falls another 6°F to 39°F and precipitation days tick up by two, so December is objectively the better playing month of the two.
Climate normals show the long-term picture, but day-to-day weather varies. Check today's live golf weather score for Kansas City, MO for the current playability rating, hourly wind, temperature, and the recommended tee time window.
← November in Kansas City, MO • January in Kansas City, MO →
Most public and daily-fee courses remain open in December barring frozen greens or heavy snow, operating shortened daylight windows of roughly 7 AM to 4:30 PM. With an average high of only 45°F and morning lows around 29°F, frost delays are common, so call ahead or check the course's social media the evening before your round. Cart path–only conditions are also frequent during this period.
Expect a daily high of 45°F and a low of 29°F, creating a 16°F swing that means very different conditions from the first tee to the back nine. December is actually the driest month of the year in Kansas City at just 8 precipitation days, so rain is less of a concern than cold and wind, which peaks around 12 mph. Plan for firm, potentially frost-hardened turf and dress in moisture-wicking base layers topped with a wind-blocking outer shell.