Playability Score: 80/100 — Good
Current conditions: 61°F, wind 15 mph, 0% chance of rain.
Updated July 9, 2026
San Francisco golf contends with fog, wind, and cool temperatures year-round. September and October offer the warmest, calmest conditions. Marine layer burns off by midday in summer. Links-style courses embrace the wind.
San Francisco flips the usual seasonal logic. Spring here means more wind, not less — April and May both average peak winds above 17 mph, well past the 15 mph moderate threshold. Fall, by contrast, brings the warmest highs (September at 70°F, October at 69°F) alongside calming winds that drop to 15.9 and 14.0 mph respectively. If you're weighing spring versus fall for a trip, fall wins on nearly every metric.
Summer looks dry on paper — June, July, and August each average just 1 precip day — but the marine layer and persistent afternoon wind (June peaks at 18.4 mph, the windiest month of the year) keep conditions firmly in the "work for it" category. The real window for comfortable, lower-wind golf is the narrow stretch from late September through November, when temperatures stay reasonable and the wind finally backs off.
Spring dries out fast — April drops to 6 precip days and May to 4 — but the wind builds just as steadily. April averages 17.1 mph peak winds and May hits 18.0 mph, making calm-condition golf rare. Temperatures creep up only modestly, with May averaging a high of 63°F, at the lower end of the ideal 60-80°F band.
June through August is the driest stretch at just 1 precip day per month, but peak winds range from 16.7 to 18.4 mph — the windiest readings of the year. Highs sit in the 67-68°F range, pleasant if the fog burns off, but the persistent onshore flow means afternoon rounds in sustained wind that makes club selection and scoring significantly harder.
September's average high of 70°F is the warmest of the year, and October follows at 69°F with peak winds down to 14.0 mph — second only to November's 12.2 mph, which is the calmest month on the calendar. Precip days remain low at 2 and 4 respectively, making this the most consistently playable stretch on the calendar.
December and January each log 12 precip days, the joint-wettest months, so interrupted rounds are a real risk. The upside: December averages 12.5 mph peak winds and January 13.4 mph — meaningfully lower than the spring and summer peaks. Golfers willing to dodge rain find the wind at least cooperative.
September and October combine the year's warmest highs (70°F and 69°F) with rapidly declining winds (15.9 and 14.0 mph) and few rain interruptions (2 and 4 precip days). November extends the window with the calmest peak winds of any month at 12.2 mph, though its 8 precip days require some scheduling flexibility.
Not by wind standards. June is the windiest month of the year at 18.4 mph average peak wind, and July and August aren't far behind at 17.3 and 16.7 mph. The lack of rain (1 precip day each month) is a genuine plus, but the persistent onshore flow makes scoring difficult and comfortable rounds inconsistent. September and October deliver warmer temperatures with meaningfully lower winds.
The climate data shows summer highs of only 67-68°F despite being peak season, which reflects how much the marine layer suppresses daytime warming. Morning rounds in June through August often start in cool, overcast conditions. The fog typically burns off by late morning, so afternoon tee times tend to offer better visibility and slightly warmer temperatures.
Late spring into early summer is the windiest stretch. May averages 18.0 mph peak winds and June hits 18.4 mph — the highest of any month. By contrast, November drops to 12.2 mph, the calmest reading on the calendar. If wind is your primary concern, plan for November or early October rather than the spring months that many visitors assume are mild.