May in New York, NY: shoulder season for golf — playable with smart tee time selection. Best tee times: mid-morning through early afternoon.
| Average May Weather | |
|---|---|
| Avg daily high | 70°F |
| Avg daily low | 52°F |
| Rainy days | 13 / mo |
| Avg peak wind | 13.4 mph |
The one variable that defines golf in New York in May is the daily temperature swing. A 70°F afternoon high and a 52°F morning low means an 18-degree gap between your first tee time and your back nine — pack accordingly or you'll either sweat through the front or freeze on the early holes. That swing is wider than it sounds in practice: a 6 AM tee time can feel like early spring while a noon finish feels like early summer.
Precipitation is not the story here. May ties for the 3rd-driest month of the year at just 13 rainy days, and peak winds settle to 13.4 mph — almost 2 mph calmer than April. Temperatures sit squarely in the ideal 60–80°F band for most of the afternoon, making this a legitimate window before summer heat arrives and weekend tee sheets fill up fast.
Book afternoon tee times — ideally 11 AM to 2 PM — to land in the 65–70°F window after the morning chill has lifted but before any late-day wind picks up. With 13 potential rain days spread across the month, midweek slots give you the most flexibility to reschedule without losing out to weekend crowds. See how conditions rate hour by hour on our playability scale.
May is a clear step up from April: the average high jumps 10°F to 70°F and precipitation drops by 3 days, from 16 down to 13. June matches May almost exactly on rain (13 days each) and peak wind (both 13.4 mph), but the average high climbs another 10°F to 80°F, pushing afternoon rounds to the upper edge of the ideal range. If you want comfortable temperatures without sacrificing dry conditions, May edges June by a small but real margin.
Climate normals show the long-term picture, but day-to-day weather varies. Check today's live golf weather score for New York, NY for the current playability rating, hourly wind, temperature, and the recommended tee time window.
← April in New York, NY • June in New York, NY →
Yes, by most measures. The average high reaches 70°F, precipitation ties for 3rd-lowest in the year at 13 days, and peak winds ease to 13.4 mph from April's 15.3 mph. The main adjustment is the 18°F daily swing — mornings can be brisk enough to affect your swing if you skip the warm layers.
May ranks as the 5th-windiest month at a peak of 13.4 mph, tied with June, which puts it in the moderate range. That's enough to influence club selection on exposed layouts, particularly on courses with little tree coverage, but it falls below the site's moderate-wind threshold of 15 mph most days.