December in Nashville, TN: 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 | 53°F |
| Avg daily low | 36°F |
| Rainy days | 13 / mo |
| Avg peak wind | 10.9 mph |
Most golfers assume December in Nashville means frozen fairways and empty courses — the reality is more nuanced. Average highs sit at 53°F, which is cold but workable, and with only 13 precipitation days the month ties September as the 3rd-driest of the year. That surprises nearly everyone who wrote it off.
The catch is the daily temperature swing: 17°F between a 36°F morning low and a 53°F afternoon high. Tee times before 10 AM can feel genuinely raw, while a midday round in calm air is tolerable in layers. Peak wind averages 10.9 mph — firmly in the moderate range — so wind chill on exposed holes is the real variable to watch, not rainfall.
Book the 10 AM–1 PM window specifically: morning lows near 36°F make early slots uncomfortable, while afternoon temperatures recover toward the mid-50s and give you the best chance at the day's calmest wind. Weekday availability tends to open up in December as casual players stay home, so last-minute bookings 2–3 days out are often viable. See how conditions rate hour by hour on our playability scale.
November is the more comfortable shoulder-season choice, running 8°F warmer on average highs and logging four fewer precipitation days than December's 13. Moving the other direction, January gets harder in every measurable way: highs drop another 5°F to 48°F, rainy days climb to 15, and winds nudge up to 11.1 mph. December sits in the middle — colder than most expect but meaningfully better than what follows.
Climate normals show the long-term picture, but day-to-day weather varies. Check today's live golf weather score for Nashville, TN for the current playability rating, hourly wind, temperature, and the recommended tee time window.
← November in Nashville, TN • January in Nashville, TN →
December is genuinely playable if you target midday tee times, when highs reach 53°F and the morning chill has lifted. The month is only the 3rd-driest of the year at 13 precipitation days, so rain cancellations are less frequent than most people expect. If your schedule is flexible, mid-December weekdays offer the best combination of available tee times and reasonable conditions.
Morning lows average 36°F, which is cold enough to firm up greens and make gripping a club uncomfortable without proper gloves and layers. By afternoon, temperatures typically climb to around 53°F — not warm, but manageable in calm conditions. Peak wind averages 10.9 mph, so exposed holes on hilly Middle Tennessee courses can feel several degrees colder than the thermometer reads.