Playability Score: 99/100 — Elite
Current conditions: 75°F, wind 5 mph, 2% chance of rain.
Updated July 9, 2026
Seattle offers a short peak golf window from June through September when rain is rare and temperatures are mild. The rest of the year is wet but rarely freezing. Morning tee times in summer avoid occasional afternoon wind.
Seattle's golf calendar is really a story of rain rhythm. From November through March, precip days stack up fast — 18 to 23 days per month — which means fairways stay soft, sometimes waterlogged, and cart restrictions are common at courses that don't drain well. That's not a short rough patch; it's five consecutive months where you're fighting saturated turf as much as the weather itself.
Things shift meaningfully in June (13 precip days) and dramatically in July, which averages just 5 precip days. That dryness compounds over weeks: fairways that haven't seen consistent rain since May start firming up by mid-July, giving you the kind of roll you rarely get here. August ticks up slightly to 8 precip days, and September adds 11, but the cumulative drying effect of summer still keeps conditions notably better than anything October through May can offer.
April and May see highs climb to 56 and 63°F — comfortably in the 60-80°F ideal range by late May — but with 17 and 16 precip days respectively, the ground rarely gets a chance to firm up. Winds hold steady around 12 mph all spring, sitting right at the moderate threshold. It's playable, but expect mud-rule conditions at many courses well into May.
July's 5 precip days make it the clear standout on Seattle's calendar, and the 77°F average high keeps rounds comfortable without tipping into heat. Winds drop to 10.9 mph in July and 11.2 mph in August — the calmest readings of the year, though still worth accounting for on exposed holes. August's 8 precip days and 76°F high means the window stays open through the month.
September still offers reasonable golf — 11 precip days, a 70°F average high, and winds matching August at 11.2 mph. October shifts the math: 16 precip days and a 60°F high mark the outer edge of comfortable conditions. By November, you're back to 20 precip days and 13.5 mph winds, the windiest month of the year, and any firmness the fairways built up over summer is gone.
December through February averages 20 to 23 precip days per month, and highs stuck in the mid-to-upper 40s mean the ground never dries between soakings. The 8°F daily temperature range in December is the smallest of any month, which signals persistent cloud cover rather than clearing cold snaps. Golf is possible, but plan around temporary greens, muddy lies, and limited cart access.
July leads with just 5 precip days and a 77°F average high — the only month where conditions consistently favor firm fairways and comfortable temperatures. August extends that window with 8 precip days and a 76°F high, while September's 11 precip days and 70°F high still outperform any spring month. All three months also carry the lowest wind readings of the year, ranging from 10.9 to 11.2 mph.
Most courses that enforce mud rules do so from roughly November through April, when precip days run 17 to 23 per month and the ground stays saturated. You can generally expect restrictions to ease by late May or early June as precip days drop to 13 in June. Courses with sand-based or well-drained fairways lift restrictions earlier, so it's worth calling ahead in April and May.
Yes, the difference is notable. June averages 13 precip days while July drops to just 5 — more than a 60% reduction. That gap also compounds: fairways that stop getting regular rain in June start to firm noticeably by mid-July, producing playing conditions that simply aren't available in any other month. August (8 precip days) stays close to July before creeping back up in September.
Average lows in December, January, and February run 37 to 38°F, which is above freezing on average but close enough that frost delays are a regular occurrence at courses with exposed or low-lying greens. Highs in those months only reach the mid-to-upper 40s, so even afternoon rounds rarely warm into comfortable territory. If you're playing winter golf here, layering for sustained 40s is the norm rather than the exception.