Golf Season: When Does It Start And End?
Depending on where you live, your golf season may start and end at different times of the year, while the numerous professional Tours are an all-year-round season as players move across the world for the various events. So, when does the golf season start and end?
In general, the golf season starts around March or April and ends around November, but some states with the right weather conditions can play golf all year round. The start and end times of the season also vary by the regional golf associations.
This article will explore the various golf season start and end dates across the USA – according to the multiple regions and associations. I’ll also cover golf season dates in:
- Canada
- UK
- Europe
- New Zealand & Australia
- South Africa
So, if you want to know when the golf season starts and ends, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s tee off!
Golf Season For The PGA Tour
The golf season for the PGA Tour is effectively all year round. The PGA Tour has a staggering 50 events over the season. Players move to the warmer areas of the USA, such as California and Hawaii, when the winter sets in across the Midwest and Northern areas.
The Tour plans to make the best of weather conditions for events played in the USA and migrate to other regions and courses with favorable conditions for golf events when inclement conditions take over.
The European/World Tour in the main plays golf during the temperate and warmer months of the northern hemisphere, although sometimes, especially in Scotland, it certainly doesn’t seem so!
And it does end in the Middle East to ensure that its most lucrative season-ending tournament is played in the best possible conditions.
Golf Season In The USA
There are 21 states in the USA where you can play golf all year round as the weather is suitable even in the colder months.
In the Northern states like Michigan, Washington and conditions in the Northeast, where colder weather makes golf unplayable, the golf season will start in April and extend through to October.
Some states can open golf courses as early as March and run through to November, but this will depend on the weather conditions of that particular year, as weather phenomena may affect those dates in individual years.
The Southern States have a more extended golf season than those in the North, but this doesn’t mean that golf is playable all year round. Texas, Florida, and Arizona usually have an open golf season, but sometimes even the hardiest golfers bow to mother nature in December and January.
An important point to remember is that for your scores/handicap to be registered with your member association, you need to play as determined by that association and during the season for your state.
Otherwise, that once-in-a-lifetime 59 will not count!
Let’s now look at the various regions across the USA and the starting and ending dates for the golf season in those areas.
Golf Season In The Pacific West
Golf is an all-year-round sport for California and Hawaii that falls under the NCGA / SCGA and HSGA. Alaska, which falls under the aegis of the AGA, their golf season starts 1st April and ends 31st October – Happy Halloween!
Oregon (OGA) and Washington (MSGA) start their seasons on 1st March, with Oregon ending on 30th November and Washington ending two weeks earlier on 14th November.
| State | Golf Season Start | Golf Season End |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 1st April | 31st October |
| California | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Hawaii | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Oregon | 1st March | 30th November |
| Washington | 1st March | 14th November |
Golf Season In The West – Mountain Region
This region covers Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Montana, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado, and Arizona.
Let’s start with the areas that have an all-year-round golf season. These are Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Utah, and Southern Nevada.
You should note that Nevada and Utah have two golf associations, one for each state’s southern and northern regions.
New Mexico falls under the SCAGA and has golf all year round, as does the Southern Utah Golf Association and Southern Nevada Golf Association.
For golf in Northern Nevada, the season starts on 15th March and ends on 30th November. For golf in Northern Utah, the season opens on 15th March and ends on 14th November. Wyoming has the exact season dates as Montana, opening the season on 1st April and ending on 31st October.
Idaho and Colorado have the exact season closing dates of 14th November, but Idaho’s season opens on 1st March, and Colorado opens two weeks later, on 15th March.
| State | Golf Season Start | Golf Season End |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Colorado | 15th March | 14th November |
| Idaho | 1st March | 14th November |
| New Mexico | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Montana | 1st April | 31st October |
| Utah (North) | 15th March | 14th November |
| Utah (South) | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Nevada (North) | 15th March | 30th November |
| Nevada (South) | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Wyoming | 1st April | 31st October |
Golf Season In The South – West South Central
If you live in any of these states, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, or Oklahoma, you can play golf all year round as the weather and golf associations there don’t have season dates due to the moderate cold weather in fall and winter and warm spring and hot summer.
While you may get interrupted by some severe storms, rainfall, hail, and the odd tornado, golf here is played whenever players desire.
| State | Golf Season Start | Golf Season End |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Louisiana | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Oklahoma | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Texas | All Year Round | All Year Round |
Golf Season In The South – East South Central
Similar in their weather conditions to the West South Central region, the East South Central states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee have golf all year round. The final state in this area is Kentucky. The season opens there on 1st March and ends on 30th November.
| State | Golf Season Start | Golf Season End |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Kentucky | 1st March | 30th November |
| Mississippi | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Tennessee | All Year Round | All Year Round |
Golf Season In The South – South Atlantic
As with many other states in the South Central West and South Central East, most states in this South (South Atlantic) have golf all year round.
The states that offer golf throughout the year are Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Virginia.
Although some courses, the Augusta National (home of the Masters) is one of them, it is closed June-August as it is considered too hot to play. This also allows maintenance/modernization of the course as needed so it can be up to its usual immaculate condition in time for its world-famous tournament.
West Virginia (and Country Roads) opens their golf season on 1st March and closes it on 30th November.
Maryland opens its golf season on 15th March and closes for the year on 14th November, and Delaware, which also closes its golf season on the same date, opens later than Maryland on the 1st of April.
Aside from the states that offer golf all year round, you can see that the general golf season operates from either March or April to mid or late November. As we move further North, the golf seasons become shorter, with virtually no states offering golf all year round.
| State | Golf Season Start | Golf Season End |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 1st April | 14th November |
| Florida | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Georgia | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Maryland | 15th March | 14th November |
| North Carolina | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| South Carolina | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| Virginia | All Year Round | All Year Round |
| West Virginia | 1st March | 30th November |
Golf Season In The Midwest – West North Central
South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota all open their golf season on 1st April in this region. South Dakota and Minnesota close their season on the 31st of October, while Iowa closes its golf season on the 14th of November.
Kansas opens its golf season on March 1st and ends on December 31st, while Missouri begins on March 1st but ends on November 14th. North Dakota’s golf season ends on November 15th and opens for play on 15th March.
Nebraska follows North Dakota regarding their opening date of 15th March but ends a day later on the 15th of November.
| State | Golf Season Start | Golf Season End |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 1st April | 14th November |
| Kansas | 1st March | 31st December |
| Nebraska | 15th March | 14th November |
| Minnesota | 1st April | 31st October |
| Missouri | 1st March | 14th November |
| North Dakota | 15th March | 15th November |
| South Dakota | 1st April | 31st October |
Golf Season In The Midwest – East North Central
Three states have the same golf season dates in this region, opening on April 1st and closing on October 31st. Those three states are Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan. Indiana opens golf season on the 1st of March and closes on the 14th of November.
Ohio has 5 different golf associations, and they each open and close at slightly different times compared to each other. The various golf associations open the season between March 15th and April 1st and close between 31 October and 30th November.
The Greater Cincinnati Golf Association, Miami Valley Golf Association, and Ohio Golf Association open on the 15th of March, while the North Ohio Golf Association and Toledo District Golf Association open on the 1st of April.
Closing dates also vary, with the GCGA closing on 14th November, the MVGA closing on the 30th November, NOGA on the 31st October, OGA on the 30th November, and TDGA on the 31st of October.
It seems Ohio could be a complicated place to play golf, so check with your golf association in your region to make sure your scores are legal.
| State | Golf Season Start | Golf Season End |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 1st March | 14th November |
| Illinois | 1st April | 31st October |
| Michigan | 1st April | 31st October |
| Ohio | 15th March** | 30th November** |
| Wisconsin | 1st April | 31st October |
**Subject to the golf association
Golf Season In The North East – Middle Atlantic
The New York region has three different golf associations and, like the Midwest region above, have similar dates for the opening and closing of their golf seasons. Like other regions in the northern areas of the USA, all-year-round golf is not possible due to the severe weather conditions over the late fall, winter, and early spring.
Except for the New York State Golf Association and Rochester Golf Association, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York all open their golf season on April 1st and close on November 14th.
The NYSGA and RGA open on April 15th and close on October 31st.
| State | Golf Season Start | Golf Season End |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 1st April | 14th November |
| New York | 1st April** | 14th November** |
| Pennsylvania | 1st April | 14th November |
**Subject to the golf association
Golf Season In The North – New England
There are six states in this region, four of which have the exact dates for the opening and closing of their respective golf seasons.
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts open their season on April 1st and close on November 14th. Maine and Vermont open on the 1st of April and close on the 31st of October.
| State | Golf Season Start | Golf Season End |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 1st April | 14th November |
| Maine | 15th April | 31st October |
| Massachusetts | 1st April | 14th November |
| New Hampshire | 1st April | 14th November |
| Rhode Island | 1st April | 14th November |
| Vermont | 15th April | 31st October |
Now that we have covered the golf season in the various states in the USA let’s look at some of the golf seasons around the world, starting with our northern neighbor, Canada.
The Golf Season In Canada
Southern Canada has similar weather to the Northern USA and Northern Canada – well, that’s just freezing in the winter months!
The Canadian golf season opens in March and April and ends in November. Even though the season begins in April, there will be times when the weather will not allow golf in the early fall – unless you fancy playing in six inches of snow and sub-freezing temperatures.
When Is Golf Season In The UK?
Golf season in the UK starts in April and ends in late September. During the spring and summer months, the days are longer and warmer, providing excellent conditions for golf. It’s possible on a fair day in late June to start as early as 6 am and play until 10 pm.
However, the UK weather is unpredictable, and some courses are not always ready in April, especially if there has been a particularly wet winter. Also, in recent years, the weather has remained good for October and well into November. For these reasons, many UK golfers will play golf year-round as long as courses are open.
Although you can play golf in the rain, it’s not much fun playing in the cold and wet. However, if I get the urge and the conditions are not too bad, I’ll brave a few rounds over the winter. You will usually have to follow ‘winter rules,’ which can involve playing off an AstroTurf carry mat which I have yet to master!
The European Golf Season
Since much of Europe has similar weather conditions to the USA, they have identical golf seasons to America.
Northern Europe has similar golf season dates to the Northern USA. At the same time, mid and southern regions operate similar seasons to that of the corresponding states in the Midwest and Southern USA.
In Europe, the golf season typically runs from April to October, with some of the southern areas having a slightly longer season from March to November. Still, golf finishes until the late spring once the winter closes in.
Golf Season In New Zealand & Australia
Australia and New Zealand are southern hemisphere countries and tend to have longer golf seasons than the USA. You can play all year round in Australia if you can handle the heat there.
New Zealand is a far more temperate climate, and there are periods when the cold and snow prevent golf from being played. Thus the season runs from September to late May.
When Is Golf Season In South Africa?
South Africa generally has an all-around golf season, especially inland. While winter temperatures can be cold, the higher altitude regions such as Gauteng don’t have snow and severely inclement weather, so you can play golf there year-round.
On the Eastern coast of KwaZulu-Natal, the winter weather is generally very mild, and both the North and South Coast are pretty pleasant for golf during that time, with temperatures often in the mid-70s and low 80s.
While the wind can be severe, the humidity is much lower in winter than in summer, making the East coast a desirable destination to play golf.
There are some excellent golf courses and golf estates, and for visitors from the USA and the UK, they are ideal destinations for some great golf in the sun away from the ice and snow.
On the West Coast around Cape Town and the South Western coastal areas, the weather in winter is prone to severe rain, winds, storms, and high seas, and while there are some beautiful courses there, the weather in winter is often too chaotic for a decent round of golf.
Summer in those areas is enjoyable and offers some exceptional playing conditions, and the views of the ocean and coastline aren’t too bad either! As with other Southern hemisphere regions, the best weather for golf is from September to May, but realistically, you can play golf in South Africa all year round.
Let’s Wrap This Up!
Playing golf in the USA, except in the southern states and Hawaii, is not a sport you can play all year round. Nonetheless, you can use this resource to determine when the golf season starts and ends in your particular area.
There are also countless training facilities and golf ranges that you can use to keep up your skills when Jack Frost and his friends take over.
Traveling worldwide to play golf will keep you on the course all year, with many destinations providing optimum playing conditions when the USA is buried under snow and ice, and all you need to do is check the weather…and your wallet!
