Playability Score: 100/100 — Elite
Current conditions: 73°F, wind 4 mph, 0% chance of rain.
Updated July 30, 2026
San Diego's marine-influenced climate is usually mild, but coastal courses can feel very different from inland tracks on the same day. Onshore flow and afternoon seabreezes can strengthen through the day, especially in late spring and summer. Seasonal variability is smaller than most cities, with winter systems bringing the main rain risk windows.
San Diego's golf year breaks cleanly into three acts. The prime window runs from late September through November, when highs ranging from 78°F in September down to 70°F by November coincide with precip days dropping to 3–4 and winds easing gradually through the fall — November averages 10.5 mph, and December hits the annual low at 9.9 mph, so you're entering the calmest part of the calendar just as winter rain begins to build. November also carries the widest daily temperature swing of any month at 19 degrees, so pack a layer for the early holes. Then comes the grind: December through March brings the real rain risk, peaking at 13 precip days in March and winds that crank up to 12.9 mph. You can still play, but you're managing the calendar more carefully.
The sneaky-good act is May through July. May carries 5 precip days, but June is very dry at 3 and July is bone-dry at 0 precip days, and while the marine layer can make morning tee times gray and cool along coastal tracks, midday temperatures stay in the low-to-mid 70s — well inside the 60–80°F ideal range. Winds hover around 11–12 mph all year regardless of season, so there's no magic month there; the real differentiator between acts is always precipitation, not the wind gauge.
March is the wettest month on the calendar at 13 precip days, and winds peak at 12.9 mph — both figures drop meaningfully by April (7 precip days, 12.3 mph) and May (5 days, 12.1 mph). Temperatures climb slowly from a 63°F high in March to 68°F in May, keeping conditions comfortable once the wettest weeks pass.
July is the only month averaging zero precip days, and August reaches the year's highest average high at 78°F. Winds run 11–12 mph through summer — consistent but manageable — though coastal courses can sit under overcast skies until late morning while inland tracks are already sunny and a few degrees warmer.
October averages a 75°F high, 3 precip days, and 11.0 mph winds; November ticks down to 70°F but quiets further to 10.5 mph with only 4 precip days. The 19-degree daily swing in November is the widest of any month, so a light layer for the early holes is worth carrying.
December is actually the calmest wind month of the year at 9.9 mph, and with only 7 precip days it's more playable than its reputation suggests. January and February each bring 8 precip days — one more than December's 7 — with highs stuck at 63–64°F, so expect slower, wetter fairways and the occasional washout — especially if a Pacific system stalls over the coast.
September and October average highs of 78°F and 75°F respectively, with only 3 precip days each and winds at 11.8 and 11.0 mph — all three metrics sit at or near their annual sweet spots simultaneously. November extends the run with just 4 precip days and among the calmest winds of the year at 10.5 mph, even as the temperature eases to a 70°F high that still sits comfortably inside ideal scoring conditions.
The marine layer is most persistent in June, when the average high reaches only 72°F and morning cloud cover can hold coastal courses cool and damp well into mid-morning. It eases noticeably by July, which also drops to zero precip days. If you're playing a coastal track, afternoon tee times in June will almost always give you clearer skies than dawn rounds.
Winds average 10–13 mph peak every single month — December is the calmest at 9.9 mph and March the windiest at 12.9 mph, but the range is narrow. That puts most months just above the site's calm threshold of 8 mph, meaning wind is a near-constant factor rather than a seasonal one. Exposed coastal and bluff-top courses amplify afternoon onshore flow beyond those averages.
March leads with 13 precip days, followed by January and February at 8 each and December at 7. Outside that December-through-March window, precip drops sharply — April has only 7 days, May just 5, and July hits zero. Rain here tends to arrive in concentrated Pacific storm events rather than daily drizzle, so a dry stretch within a wet month is common, but a full week in March without interruption is not guaranteed.