Playability Score: 76/100 — Good
Current conditions: 108°F, wind 10 mph, 0% chance of rain.
Updated July 9, 2026
Palm Springs delivers desert golf with hot summers and mild winters. Low humidity and abundant sun extend the season. Afternoon winds are common. Winter and spring attract snowbirds with ideal conditions. Summer favors early tee times before peak heat.
Palm Springs golf pivots on one underappreciated fact: the daily temperature swing here can run 25 degrees — from a 68°F dawn to a 93°F afternoon in May. That range means a layering system isn't optional, it's strategic. Start a morning round in a mid-layer and you'll be peeling it off by the 5th hole. More consequentially, cool dense air at dawn produces noticeably longer ball flight than the thin, hot air you're hitting through by midday.
January shows the tightest swing at 17 degrees, with lows of 49°F and highs of 66°F — comfortable all day but requiring at least a light jacket early. By summer the swing widens again, and while the math looks similar, a 85°F low at 6 a.m. in July means even your first tee shot is in heat that suppresses how well you perform physically. Know the numbers before you book your tee time, and Palm Springs rewards the prepared golfer.
April and May are the sweet spot for comfortable highs — 85°F and 93°F respectively — but mornings open at 61°F and 68°F, meaning your first few holes play in conditions 20+ degrees cooler than your finish. May is also the windiest month at 11.4 mph average peak, enough to affect shot shape on exposed desert layouts. Precip nearly vanishes: April and May each average 1 and 0 rain days.
July's average high of 108°F is the hottest of the year, with lows that only dip to 85°F — there is no cool morning reprieve. August is nearly as brutal at 105°F high and 83°F low. Ball flight is affected differently here: extreme heat thins the air and can actually add distance, but heat stress on the body degrades performance fast. Finish 18 holes before 10 a.m. or skip the round.
September still averages a 99°F high, only marginally better than summer, but by October the high drops to 89°F with a 66°F low — a 23-degree daily swing that makes mornings genuinely pleasant. Wind settles back toward calm: October averages 8.4 mph, and November drops to 7.6 mph. Precip stays minimal at 1 rain day per month through October and November.
December is the calmest month in Palm Springs at 6.9 mph average peak wind, and rain is limited to 3 days. Highs reach only 68°F and lows fall to 50°F, so the site's ideal 60–80°F band is achievable in the afternoon but the morning hours sit below it. January's 49°F low is the coldest of the year — bring real layers for early tee times, not just a vest.
October through January balances tolerable highs (89°F down to 66°F) against the calmest winds of the year (6.9–8.4 mph), keeping conditions within or close to the site's ideal 60–80°F band for the bulk of the day. Rain interference is minimal — 1 day or fewer per month except December (3) and January (4). The daily temperature swing is manageable at 17–23 degrees, so dressing for the round is straightforward compared to the wild 25-degree May swings.
January lows hit 49°F, so a proper mid-layer or light jacket is necessary for the first few holes. Highs only reach 66°F, barely touching the ideal 60–80°F comfort range, so you may keep a layer on all round. Bring gloves — not just for grip, but warmth.
Yes, but not in a straightforward way. Extreme heat at 108°F in July thins the air slightly, which can add a few yards of carry. However, the 85°F low means there's no cool, dense-air morning window to compare against, and physical performance degrades fast in that heat — negating any distance gain.
It's seasonal and directional. Peak winds are highest in spring — May averages 11.4 mph and April 10.4 mph — while December is the calmest at 6.9 mph. Afternoon winds intensify as the valley heats up, so even on a calm morning round you may encounter stronger gusts if you play past midday in spring.