Spring is the best time of year to plan a golf trip in the United States. Temperatures across the Sun Belt sit in the 70s and low 80s, courses are in peak condition after winter overseeding programs, and green fees at many resort destinations drop below their winter-season highs. The window between mid-March and late May offers the strongest combination of weather, course quality, and value anywhere in the country.

Here are 10 regions worth targeting for your next spring golf trip, along with specific courses to put on your list.

Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona

The Sonoran Desert is at its best in spring. Daytime highs in March and April average 80 to 85 degrees in Scottsdale, and rainfall is almost nonexistent. The desert wildflowers bloom across the hillsides, and the courses are green from winter overseeding.

Scottsdale has one of the highest concentrations of quality public golf in the country. Troon North Golf Club in north Scottsdale plays 7,070 yards through boulder-strewn desert terrain. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation east of town offers two courses with unobstructed desert and mountain views, since tribal land restrictions prevent any residential development along the fairways. Quintero Golf Club in Peoria, about 45 minutes northwest, is a Rees Jones design through desert canyon terrain that plays 7,190 yards from the tips. Arizona has over 300 courses statewide, and the Scottsdale-Phoenix corridor accounts for a large share of them.

One timing note: green fees at top desert courses start to drop in April as temperatures climb, and by May many resort courses shift to their summer rates, which can be 40 to 50 percent lower than peak season.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Myrtle Beach and the surrounding Grand Strand have more than 80 golf courses within a 30-mile stretch of coastline, making it the most course-dense golf destination on the East Coast. Spring brings mild temperatures in the mid-70s, azaleas in bloom, and shoulder-season pricing before the summer beach crowds arrive.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club on Pawleys Island is a Mike Strantz design that plays through live oaks and along marsh edges at 6,526 yards. Barefoot Resort & Golf in North Myrtle Beach has four courses designed by Greg Norman, Davis Love III, Tom Fazio, and Pete Dye. The variety of layouts and price points across the Grand Strand means you can play a different course every day for a week without repeating. Browse all South Carolina courses to build your itinerary.

Pinehurst and the Sandhills, North Carolina

The North Carolina Sandhills region has been a golf destination since the 1890s, and spring is when the longleaf pine forests and sandy soil are at their most inviting. March and April temperatures average in the high 60s to low 70s, and the sandy soil drains quickly after rain, keeping courses playable even in wet weeks.

Pinehurst is the anchor. The No. 2 course, designed by Donald Ross in 1907 and restored by Coore and Crenshaw in 2011, has hosted multiple U.S. Opens and remains the most famous resort course in the country. The resort operates nine courses total, and the surrounding area has dozens more public and semi-private options across the Sandhills. North Carolina has 475 courses statewide, with a heavy concentration in this region.

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Hilton Head sits about 90 miles south of Myrtle Beach but has a different character entirely. The island has a quieter, more residential feel, and the courses thread through maritime forests of live oak and Spanish moss.

Harbour Town Golf Links is the most recognizable course on the island, home to the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour every April. Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus designed the tight, tree-lined layout, which plays 6,916 yards to a par of 71 and finishes with one of golf’s most iconic lighthouse backdrops. Resort guests at Sea Pines can book tee times, and spring weeks around the tournament offer some of the best playing conditions of the year.

Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Kiawah is about 45 minutes south of Charleston and offers a different coastal experience from Hilton Head. The Kiawah Island Golf Resort Ocean Course is the headline draw. Pete Dye built it for the 1991 Ryder Cup, and 10 holes run directly along the Atlantic Ocean. The course stretches to 7,937 yards, and the ocean wind can add two or three clubs to any shot. Spring brings warmer temperatures and slightly calmer winds compared to winter, though the breeze off the water is always a factor. Resort guests can book tee times, and four additional courses on the island provide variety at lower price points.

Central Florida

Florida has over 1,000 golf courses, and while South Florida gets most of the winter attention, central Florida is where many of the best spring golf trips land. The region avoids the summer humidity that settles in by June, and March through May offers consistent low-80s temperatures.

Streamsong Resort Red & Blue in Bowling Green is the standout destination. Built on a former phosphate mining site, the terrain looks nothing like flat Florida. Sandy waste areas, dramatic bunkers, and firm playing surfaces created by Coore/Crenshaw (Red) and Tom Doak (Blue) make it feel more like Nebraska’s Sand Hills than the Gulf Coast. TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, home of The Players Championship every March, is open to resort guests and offers one of the most famous finishing stretches in golf. Browse all Florida courses for more options across the state.

Sea Island, Georgia

Georgia’s coast gets less attention than the Carolinas for spring golf trips, but Sea Island on St. Simons Island is one of the top resort golf destinations in the Southeast. The Seaside Course has hosted the RSM Classic on the PGA Tour since 2010, and Tom Fazio’s redesign makes full use of the ocean-side setting. Spring temperatures on the Georgia coast sit in the low to mid-70s, and the island’s unhurried pace makes it a strong alternative to busier destinations.

The RTJ Trail, Alabama

The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is one of the best values in American resort golf, and spring is the ideal time to play it. The trail spans 11 sites across Alabama, each with 36 to 54 holes of championship golf at prices well below comparable resort courses in the Carolinas or Arizona.

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Capitol Hill in Prattville is the flagship, with 54 holes including the Judge course, where the first tee shot drops nearly 200 feet to the fairway below. March and April temperatures across central Alabama average in the mid-70s, and the courses are rarely crowded compared to better-known destinations.

Palm Springs area, California

The Coachella Valley east of Los Angeles has more than 100 courses packed into a 30-mile stretch of desert. Spring is the tail end of peak season here. March temperatures hover around 85 degrees, climbing through April and into the 100s by late May, so earlier in the spring window is better.

PGA West Stadium Clubhouse in La Quinta hosts the annual PGA Tour event (The American Express) and features Pete Dye’s Stadium Course, known for its island green at the 17th. Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla is about two hours west on the San Diego coast and offers a completely different experience, with municipal pricing and ocean-bluff views at a course that has hosted two U.S. Opens. California has nearly 800 courses statewide, and the combination of desert and coastal options within driving distance is hard to match.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is primarily known for its Strip, but the golf around the valley has improved steadily over the past two decades. Spring temperatures in March and April range from 70 to 85 degrees, making it the sweet spot before summer heat arrives.

Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort offers three Pete Dye-designed courses on Paiute tribal land northwest of the Strip. The Wolf stretches to 7,604 yards and is the longest course in Nevada, and all three layouts benefit from having no housing development along the fairways. All three courses placed among the U.S. Top 50 public courses in the 2026 Golfers’ Choice rankings. The resort is about 30 minutes from most Strip hotels, making it easy to combine golf with everything else the city offers.

Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

North Texas rarely appears on spring golf trip lists, but the region has invested heavily in public golf over the past several years. Spring weather in the DFW area runs in the 70s through March and April before the Texas summer heat takes hold in June.

Fields Ranch PGA of America Frisco is the centerpiece. The PGA of America relocated its headquarters to Frisco in 2022, and the two Gil Hanse-designed courses opened to the public in 2023. The facility will host the 2027 PGA Championship. The courses play 7,863 yards from the tips and offer a modern, links-influenced design on the north Texas prairie. Texas has over 700 courses statewide, and the DFW metro area alone has more than 100 options across all price ranges.

Planning your trip

The best spring golf destinations share a few common traits: warm but not oppressive temperatures, courses in prime condition, and pricing that is either at or below peak-season rates. March through early May is the widest window, though the exact timing depends on the region. Arizona and Palm Springs are best in March before the heat builds. The Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida peak in April. Texas and Las Vegas stay comfortable into May.

Start building your trip by browsing courses by state on FairwayDB. Every course page includes address, hole count, par, yardage, and contact information to help you compare options and book your rounds.