Gulf Shores Golf Weather by Month: Temperature, Rain, Wind and Daylight

Gulf Shores golf weather by month runs from about 61°F highs in January to 89°F in July, based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals for the nearest coastal station. Spring is the windiest stretch (March averages 7.8 mph), summer is the wettest by rain days, May is the driest month, and October and April are the most comfortable for 18 holes.

Below is the Gulf Shores golf weather by month in one table, then what the numbers mean on a golf course, how the Eastern Shore differs, and how much daylight you get.

Quick facts

• Hottest: July and August, highs about 89°F, lows about 74°F.
• Coolest: January, high about 61°F, low about 42°F.
• Driest: May, about 3.2 inches of rain.
• Wettest: September by total (about 6.8 inches); July and August by days (about 13 each).
• Windiest: March, about 7.8 mph average daily wind. Calmest: July to September, about 5 mph.
• Earliest sunset: about 4:50 PM in late November and early December (calculated).
• Hurricane season: June 1 to November 30, with the main risk for this coast from August to October.

Gulf Shores golf weather by month: the full table

Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan have no weather station with published 30-year normals. The nearest one that sits on the coast like the beach towns is Pensacola NAS, on Pensacola Bay about 24 miles east of Gulf Shores. Temperatures, rain and rain days below are its NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Rain days count days with at least 0.01 inch.

Wind is a different source: the average daily wind speed at Jack Edwards National Airport in Gulf Shores, 2016-2025, from Iowa Environmental Mesonet records (2020 and 2021 have gaps). Water temperature is the monthly average at NOAA's Pensacola Bay gauge, 2016-2025; the open Gulf can differ by a few degrees.

Two patterns stand out. Wind and temperature move in opposite directions: the windiest months (February to April) are mild, and the calmest (July to September) are the hottest. And rain days roughly double from spring to summer, from under seven a month in April and May to over 13 in July and August.

What the weather means on the course, month by month

December to February: mild, breezy, short days

Highs of 61 to 64°F make the middle of the day comfortable in a light layer. The first hour of an early tee time, with lows in the low to mid 40s, is cold. January is the wettest of the three winter months, with rain on about nine days.

The wind is the bigger factor. January and February average about 7 mph, and only March and April are windier. Many courses also let their bermuda go dormant and tan in winter; our guide to whether Gulf Shores courses are overseeded in winter covers what's published course by course. For the full winter picture, see golf in Gulf Shores in winter.

March to May: the best temperatures, the most wind

Highs climb from about 69°F in March to 82°F in May, and rain days are at their lowest of the year. May is the driest month, at about 3.2 inches.

This is also when the Gulf breeze is strongest. March averages 7.8 mph and April 7.6 mph at the Gulf Shores airport. On the open, links-style holes at Kiva Dunes on Fort Morgan Road, Golf Digest notes the holes run east-west, so the breeze crosses nearly every fairway. See the Kiva Dunes course guide for its tees. Inland courses such as Craft Farms, about 5 miles off the beach, and GlenLakes in Foley feel less of it. Month guides: golf in Gulf Shores in March and golf in Gulf Shores in April.

June to August: heat, humidity and afternoon storms

Highs of 87 to 89°F, lows of 72 to 74°F, and rain on 11 to 13 days a month. The rain usually comes as afternoon thunderstorms, so a 7 AM tee time is both cooler and drier. Gulf Shores Golf Club itself warns about afternoon heat and storm cells and suggests playing summer rounds before 9 AM.

The upside is the calmest wind of the year, about 5 mph from July to September. In summer, the time of day matters more than the date: book the first tee times and you avoid most of the heat and most of the storms.

September to November: the fall window

September is still hot (about 86°F) and has the most rain by volume, about 6.8 inches, much of it tropical. It is also the statistical hurricane peak, around September 10. October cools to about 79°F with 6.7 rain days, and November to about 70°F with 6.6 rain days and light wind (5.9 mph).

October and November are the most comfortable months for a full 18 without heat or a stiff breeze. See golf in Gulf Shores in October and golf in Gulf Shores in November.

Is the Eastern Shore weather different?

Yes, at night. The courses in Fairhope, Point Clear and Daphne sit inland on Mobile Bay, roughly 45 to 60 minutes northwest of Gulf Shores. NOAA's Fairhope 2 NE station (1991-2020 normals) runs colder on winter nights, a little hotter on summer afternoons, and wetter most of the year.

July is Fairhope's hottest and wettest month, with about 9.0 inches of rain against 6.4 at the coast. In December and January, lows of about 37 to 39°F mean frost delays are possible on early tee times at the Lakewood Club at the Grand Hotel and Rock Creek. Book those for mid-morning in winter.

How much daylight do you get each month?

These sunrise and sunset times are calculated for central Gulf Shores (Hwy 59 and Beach Boulevard) on the 15th of each month, Central Time. They shift a minute or two a day, so treat them as a guide.

Daylight saving time ends November 1, 2026, which pulls sunset from about 6:04 PM on October 31 to 5:04 PM the next day. It starts again on March 14, 2027, when sunset jumps from about 5:57 PM to 6:58 PM. That one change makes a second 18 possible again in spring. Late-day rates move with sunset too: Gulf Shores Golf Club started its twilight rate at 12:30 PM in early December 2026, against about 1:30 to 2 PM in October and November. Our twilight golf in Gulf Shores guide covers the late-day rates.

Gulf Shores weather and hurricanes

No table of Gulf Shores golf weather by month can predict a storm. Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. For the north-central Gulf Coast the main risk is August to October, and the statistical peak is around September 10. Hurricane Sally made landfall at Gulf Shores on Sept 16, 2020, and Hurricane Ivan came ashore near Gulf Shores on Sept 16, 2004. Both damaged courses and beachfront property.

In October 2026, Hurricane Isaias forced a mandatory evacuation of Gulf Shores and canceled the National Shrimp Festival. No course damage was reported, and Kiva Dunes, Gulf Shores Golf Club and others had live tee sheets on October 22. For trips from August to October, check lodging cancellation terms and consider travel insurance, since a storm can close courses for days or weeks.

How to use the weather to pick your dates

• Most comfortable golf: October and April, with highs of 75 to 79°F and under seven rain days.
• Least wind: July to November. If you're headed to Kiva Dunes or Lost Key, where the club says the 16th green sits in a wind tunnel, the calmer months help.
• Driest: May. It's also the last month before summer heat.
• Coldest mornings: December to February, especially on the Eastern Shore. Book 9:30 AM or later.
• Most daylight: May to July, with 13h 40m to 14h 05m on the 15th. Dawn starts are the way to beat the heat.
• Highest storm risk: August to October.

Use Gulf Shores golf weather by month as the first filter, not the last. Weather is only half of the decision. Green fees and crowds swing just as much by season, and our best time to golf in Gulf Shores guide sets the weather beside the prices. Peninsula, for example, says its turf stays green all winter, which changes the winter picture for some golfers.

Plan it on the map

Once you know which month's Gulf Shores golf weather suits you, open the Gulf Shores golf map to see each course's fees, booking window and drive time from the beach, and keep your rounds close together when the days are short.