THE TRUTH ABOUT ARIZONA SUMMERS

Who wants to purposely be in Phoenix, Arizona during the hottest season of the year, in one of the hottest parts of the country????

I WOULD. 😎

What if I told you that it’s going to be hot, but greens fees are 50-70% off, courses are wide open, and you’ll have no problem finding parking or quick bar service at happy hour after?

Let’s get into the pros and cons of summertime in the Valley of the Sun.

WHAT’S THE WEATHER REALLY LIKE?

It’s a dry heat…right? Yes, humidity is much lower than most parts of the country- but 115 degrees is still 115 degrees.

The month of May is the start of rising temperatures for the summer season. Most of the time, May and the beginning of June can be pretty pleasant. Highs the last few years have been in the 90’s, but 90 degrees out here is comparable to 80 degrees in other climates. Pretty dry air at this time, so you won’t sweat too much.

As we get deeper into June, temperatures will slowly start to rise into the 100’s. Again, 100 degrees in the desert will not feel as bad as 100 degrees back East, per say.

JULY and AUGUST are definitely the worst months in the summer time. Highs in the valley will be anywhere from 105-115 degrees. If there is a “nice breeze”, it will feel like a hairdryer in your face- just blowing hot air all around. It doesn’t really cool off at night either! This past summer, we broke the record for the “highest low”- at 97 degrees for the low at nighttime. The coolest time of the day will be early mornings (hence why everyone tries to play golf early). Also, July and August can have some humidity in the air with the monsoons (see below)- so just imagine 110 degrees with 30% humidity in the air…not ideal!

With all of that said, many people prefer the dry air over the humidity. Maybe it’s because the golf ball goes a little farther. 😉

MONSOON SEASON

Yes, it does rain in the desert! Monsoons, also called haboobs, are big rain and dust storms that come in quick with a lot of wind and a lot of precipitation at once. They are somewhat unpredictable but the humidity will start to rise and become noticeable in July and August. The official monsoon season in Arizona is June 15th- September 15th. They will cool down the air for the day, but it gets right back to the heat the next.

A heads up, you do not want to be driving on the road when one of these comes in! First of all, no one knows how to drive in the rain out here (shocker) and the roads are not built to drain very well. Second, the monsoons can get pretty intense with extremely high winds and heavy rain. They really diminish visibility. Lastly, monsoons are pretty cool to watch from the comfort of your home instead of your car- the heat lightning gets wild and all of us that live here get excited to watch a monsoon roll in.

DID YOU SAY, “CHEAP GOLF”?

Everywhere else in the country, summer time and warmer weather means the golf courses are in full swing and busy. Here in Arizona, this is our off season for golf, due to the extreme temperatures and tourists going elsewhere for vacations. Many courses do maintenance and punch greens in the summer. Hence, greens fees will be much lower than October-April.

Most courses will be busy during the early mornings (cooler weather), and due to the fact that most places have dynamic pricing, a morning tee time will be more expensive. Tee times start as early as 6am, and a lot of courses will shut down their tee sheet at around 3pm (as well as dining and beverage cart services).

If you can handle the heat, you can play some of the top courses for cheap. The priciest courses will top about $150 give or take for prime time weekend morning tee times. TPC Scottsdale (Stadium) always takes the cake for the most expensive- you’ll see morning tee times for $250 or $150 in the afternoon. If you’re looking to check the Waste Management Phoenix Open course off of your list, this is the cheapest you’ll see it at- and the stands will not be up in the summer. Quintero, We-Ko-Pa, and Troon North are runners up with tee times ranging from $110-$150 in the morning and discounted about 30% for twilight times.

As far as the other public courses go, you really won’t pay in the triple digits during this time of year. You’ll see an average of $90 for the morning and rates as low as $30 in the afternoon, depending on where you play. Twilight is on a heat dependent basis, not necessarily by sunlight- meaning that twilight starts as early as 12pm for most golf courses. However, 12pm is also the start of the hottest temperatures of the day- you might have a cheap $59 rate at the Phoenician in the afternoon, but it won’t be as pleasant as the morning.

ADVICE + DEALS

You absolutely MUST take care of yourself if you are going to play golf in this weather. It is very doable if you are careful in this heat (I’ve seen 80 year old players go out and walk 18 holes in the middle of the summer).

DRINK WATER AND WEAR SUNSCREEN DUH. This can not be emphasized enough! Even when you think you’ve had enough water, you probably need more. The dry air will dehydrate you, and your lack of sweat might lead you to think that you’re fine. Pack an insulated water bottle, bring extras just in case, and grab as much as you can at the beverage cart and each halfway house you see. A Gatorade or electrolyte heavy drink in between water is never a bad idea.

-This seems obvious but make sure you wear your sunscreen, reapply, and bring your sunglasses. Lots of golfers wear sun sleeves and bucket hats this time of year.

-A lot of the locals have portable fans, either handheld fans or ones that they can attach to their cart (some have the neck fans that sit on your collar and cool your face off). You can totally bring your own cooler as well to stock with water and those cooling towels.

NO FIREBALL SHOTS. We are all guilty of thinking we can drink on the course with buddies in 110 degree heat and then get a reality check when the exhaustion hits. If you can handle it, go for it- but I recommend not drinking alcohol or limiting to just a couple drinks. I have war flashbacks from drinking tequila cocktails and shooting back Fireball shots in the middle of August at a skins round at Kierland. Me and my cartner Abigail almost died (not really, but we definitely did not finish the round with birdies). I’d rather enjoy my cold draft beer at happy hour in the cool AC after a round in the summer.

NINE IS FINE. If you’re prone to heat related illness or have a medical condition, take it really easy and listen to your body. Remember that there’s nothing wrong with only playing 9 holes or quitting if you feel bad.

GO NORTH. Try to branch out if you don’t already, and play golf at some of the courses in North Phoenix + North Scottsdale + Cave Creek. It can be up to 10 degrees cooler than the middle of the Valley.

GET UP EARLY. The sun comes starts to come up just before 5am in the peak of summer. If you are an early riser or can train yourself to be one, early tee times are going to be the coolest (and you’ll get done super early- with plenty of time to go inside and cool off by the pool!)

BEST DEALS. If you play a lot of golf in the summer here in Phoenix, there are many discount cards and passes that will help you score even cheaper tee times.

Starfire Summer Pass– $119, play for $16 anytime Monday thru Friday, after 10am on weekends. $3 off breakfast or lunch and 20% off of soft goods.

Mountain Shadows Unlimited Summer Golf Pass– $499 for all the golf you want, anytime Monday thru Thursday and after 10am Friday-Sunday. 7 day booking window.

Silverado Summer Golf Pass– $129, play for $21 anytime Monday thru Friday, after 10am on weekends.

Talking Stick Golf Card– $49, discounted rates with a 3 day booking window. 20% off all food and beverage and 15% off of soft goods.

Phoenix City Card– $50 for the entire year. Discounted rates at Papago, Encanto, GCU, Aguila, Cave Creek, and Palo Verde (check out the extremely low summer rates here).

Arizona Troon Summer Card– $139 for a twosome pass, or $179 for a foursome pass. 3 day booking window, discounts of 30-50% off on greens fees. Includes Troon courses such as Troon North, Phoenician, Boulders, Eagle Mountain, Kierland, Quintero, and Lookout Mountain. (Associated with the regular season Troon Card- can accumulate points for free rounds and keep your rewards number for after the summer season).

We-Ko-Pa Pass– $129, 4 day booking window with rates from $50-$95, good for the cardholder and 3 guests. We-Ko-Pa also offers a $65 Arizona resident rate with a 7 day booking window, as well as $165 rate for 36 holes.

Longbow Flight Card– price not listed. Locked in discounted rates from February to December, with the lowest rates at a 7 day booking window. 20% off in the golf shop and food in the grill. Also good at Dove Valley Ranch.

Grayhawk’s Crazy 8 Special– $399 for 8 rounds of golf. Monday thru Thursday anytime and Friday-Sunday after 8am. 3 day booking window.

OTHER THINGS TO DO TO BEAT THE HEAT

If you still have the golf itch but don’t want to spend 4 hours outside in the heat, check out these spots…

Putting World has an indoor 18 hole putting course similar to real course conditions, as well as fittings and lessons (bar and food here!).

Puttshack in Scottsdale Quarter is fun modern twist on indoor mini golf with high tech scoring and music (bar and food here!).

Popstroke in Glendale (coming soon to Scottsdale) is Tiger Wood’s designed 36 hole outdoor putting track, fun for golfers of all levels (and they even serve drinks right to your hole on the course).

Most of the local restaurants and hotels have summer specials!

(My favorite this summer was Duke’s Sports Bar off of McDowell and Miller- every Monday they had a $7 special for burger, fries, and a free Coors Light. Perfect after a hot round of golf🥳)

Hotel rates will dip considerably in the summer, especially if you are an Arizona resident. Take a staycation or if you’re from out of town, take advantage of the discounted rates!

(check out my Where to Stay tab for all my hotel recs and those attached to golf courses!)

Get out of the heat and take a roadtrip to Payson, Prescott, Sedona, or Flagstaff. All of these awesome mountain towns are only an hour to two and a half hours away.

(see my Road Trips section for all the recs!)

If you don’t have a pool, use Resort Pass for daily pool passes. The easiest way to purchase access ahead of time online for most of the hotels in Scottsdale and Phoenix. You can upgrade to daybeds and cabanas, add in food and drink service, and lounge by a nice resort pool for the day!

WHY I LOVE SUMMER

Once you get mentally prepared and acclimated to the heat, summer is a total vibe here in town. Not only is golf cheap, but tee sheets are bare and you don’t have to stress about booking a tee time in advance and trying to get a spot when you want to play. Empty tee sheets = less golfers = faster rounds too- because nobody wants to be outside for more than 4 hours.

TRAFFIC is way better this time of year too! You will still have your typical rush hour wait, but compared to January thru March, you will be able to find parking and not have to wait as much to sit down at a bar or restaurant. The locals come out to hang, the snowbirds leave, and the bachelorette + bachelor parties are almost non-existent.

The vibes are IMMACULATE- real desert rats know that summer is way more relaxed and chill even with the heat.

Thanks for reading! Leave a comment or shoot me an email at [email protected] let me know if you’ve found any great summer deals on golf or your favorite place to cool off in the heat. Please email for all partnership + sponsorship opportunities. HAPPY GOLFING.