December in San Francisco, CA: 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 | 56°F |
| Avg daily low | 46°F |
| Rainy days | 12 / mo |
| Avg peak wind | 12.5 mph |
December splits golfers neatly into two camps. The traveling golfer, accustomed to courses that close for winter or turn firm and brown, may find San Francisco's fairways refreshingly green and open — rounds are still completable, the courses aren't crowded, and coastal scenery doesn't care about the calendar. The tradeoff is real, though: a 56°F average high sits below the ideal playing range, 12 precipitation days make this the wettest month of the year (tied with January and March), and a 10°F daily swing means a round that starts cold often stays cold.
The local regular already knows the drill. They own the rain gear, they know which morning windows tend to clear, and they're not surprised when a coastal fog lingers past 10 AM. For them, December is simply the price of living somewhere that never fully closes. Expect softer turf, slower greens, and rounds where club selection leans a half-club longer than usual.
Book a late-morning tee time — around 9 or 10 AM — to let coastal fog burn off while still finishing before the light drops in the mid-afternoon. With 12 potential rain days scattered through the month, check a short-range forecast within 48 hours rather than booking weeks out and hoping for the best. See how conditions rate hour by hour on our playability scale.
November is noticeably more playable — a 62°F average high versus December's 56°F, and four fewer precipitation days — making it the stronger choice if your schedule is flexible. January is almost identical to December in practice: same 12 precip days, same low of 46°F, and only a 1°F warmer high at 57°F, with winds picking up slightly to 13.4 mph versus December's 12.5 mph. If you're choosing between the two winter months, neither has a meaningful edge.
Climate normals show the long-term picture, but day-to-day weather varies. Check today's live golf weather score for San Francisco, CA for the current playability rating, hourly wind, temperature, and the recommended tee time window.
← November in San Francisco, CA • January in San Francisco, CA →
Yes, the major public and private courses operate normal schedules through December. Soft-season conditions — wet fairways, slower greens — are the norm rather than closures, though individual tee sheets may be thinned out compared to summer.
December averages 12 precipitation days, making it the wettest month of the year alongside January and March. That doesn't mean it rains all day every day, but expect at least one interruption or weather delay during a multi-day trip, and pack accordingly.