Thanksgiving Golf Trip Gulf Shores Guide: Weather, Rates and When Tee Times Open
Thanksgiving golf trip Gulf Shores guide for Nov 26, 2026: 70°F days, winter-level green fees, when each tee sheet opens and condos with kitchens.
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For a Thanksgiving golf trip, Gulf Shores lines up well: November highs near 70°F, light wind, about seven rain days a month, and green fees that have dropped toward winter levels. Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov 26, 2026. Holiday week brings family condo crowds, but rates stay far below spring. The catch is short days, with sunset near 4:51 PM.
Here's what a Thanksgiving golf trip to Gulf Shores looks like for 2026: the weather, the prices we saw in October 2026, the date each tee sheet opens, and where to stay with family. Rates change, so check before you book.
Quick facts
- Thanksgiving: Thursday, Nov 26, 2026 (Nov 25 in 2027).
- Weather (NOAA normals): about 70°F highs, 49°F lows, 3.8 inches of rain over about 7 days.
- Daylight on Nov 26 (calculated): sunrise 6:25 AM, sunset 4:51 PM, last light about 5:17 PM.
- Price picture: Peninsula switches to winter dynamic rates from $89 on Nov 15; RTJ winter specials start Nov 16.
- Hurricane season: ends Nov 30.
- Book first: Kiva Dunes (open since late July for Thanksgiving Day).
Is a Thanksgiving golf trip to Gulf Shores worth it?
For most golfers a Thanksgiving golf trip, Gulf Shores included, is good value. The area's season data treats October and November as the second busy golf season, after spring, but by late November tee sheets are quieter and several courses have rolled into winter pricing. Holiday weeks do bring a spike in family condo stays and busier courses, but rates remain at winter levels, nothing like spring or summer.
The trade-offs are daylight and turf. With sunset before 5 PM, a single round a day is the realistic plan, and many courses let their bermuda go dormant from about December while some overseed with rye around October and November. If green grass matters to you, Peninsula says it keeps fairways, tees and greens green all winter. More on that in our guide to whether Gulf Shores courses are overseeded in winter.
Thanksgiving golf trip: Gulf Shores weather that week
| Gulf Shores coast (November) | Eastern Shore, Fairhope (November) | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high / low | 70.2°F / 49.3°F | 71.0°F / 44.2°F |
| Rain | 3.82 in over 6.6 days | 4.57 in over 7.7 days |
| Average wind | 5.9 mph | not recorded |
| Gulf water | 68.1°F (Pensacola Bay mean) | n/a |
Normals are NOAA 1991-2020 for the nearest coastal station and for Fairhope 2 NE. Wind is a 2016-2025 average at the Gulf Shores airport. November is one of the calmer months, which helps at windy Kiva Dunes. Mornings are cool, so the Eastern Shore courses are better as a late-morning start.
How much does golf cost Thanksgiving week?
On a Thanksgiving golf trip, Gulf Shores courses are partway between seasons. Prices seen in October 2026:
| Course | Thanksgiving-week price | Season it falls in | Drive from central Gulf Shores |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiva Dunes | $148.60 before 1 PM / $111.21 after 1 PM (Nov 2026) | Late fall; drops to $130.84 / $107.48 in December | 24 min |
| Gulf Shores Golf Club | $139 riding / $99 twilight (Nov 17) | Fall; $95 / $79 by Dec 5 | 7 min |
| Peninsula | Dynamic, from $89 | Winter season from Nov 15 | 14 min |
| Craft Farms | Six-Pack $420 + tax (about $70 a round) | Winter card, mid-Nov to Feb 15 | 12 min |
| GlenLakes | $86 + tax before 1:52 PM / $66 + tax from 2 PM (rate card) | 2026 rates | 22 min |
| Lost Key | $80 online before about 1 PM (Nov 5) / $95 rack | Winter rates not posted | 33 min |
| Lakewood | $226 rack; RTJ 2+ day special $180 a day | Rack to Nov 30; RTJ winter from Nov 16 | 51 min |
Kiva Dunes' rates may be tax-inclusive (not confirmed). GlenLakes' online tee sheet runs dynamic prices below its rate card, and online bookings there are prepaid and non-refundable. Perdido Bay posted its 2026 card only through Nov 2, though TeeItUp still showed $85 / $65 / $50 for Nov 4.
The Craft Farms Six-Pack is the one deadline that matters before you go: orders close Nov 15, 2026, the card sold out last year, and it is good on either Craft Farms course with a limit of two rounds per card per day. If your group plays six rounds over a long holiday week, it beats daily rates. The Kiva Dunes course page and Peninsula course page show each course's tees and fee history.
When do Thanksgiving tee times open?
Count back from Thursday, Nov 26, 2026 using each course's published public window:
| Course | Window | Thanksgiving Day opens | Black Friday (Nov 27) opens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiva Dunes | 120 days | Jul 29 (open now) | Jul 30 (open now) |
| Gulf Shores Golf Club | 46 days | Oct 11 (open now) | Oct 12 (open now) |
| GlenLakes | 21 days, at midnight | Nov 5 | Nov 6 |
| Lost Key, Perdido Bay | 14 days, at midnight (Lost Key) | Nov 12 | Nov 13 |
| RTJ Trail (Lakewood, Magnolia Grove) | 7 days online | Nov 19 | Nov 20 |
Gulf Shores Golf Club takes a credit card and a maximum of four per online booking, so groups larger than four should call the pro shop. Perdido Bay lets groups of four or more book further out through the shop. Kiva Dunes asks for 48 hours' notice to cancel, and it runs a waitlist that alerts you when a sold-out time opens. The full list is in our Gulf Shores tee times booking guide.
No course we track publishes Thanksgiving Day hours. Several list year-round daily hours, and a live online sheet is the quickest check. Call before you plan a Thursday round.
Making the most of short Thanksgiving days
Sunset on Nov 26 is about 4:51 PM by our calculation, and Gulf Shores Golf Club targets four-hour rounds. Work backward from that: a full 18 needs a tee time by about 12:45 PM to finish in daylight, and twilight rates already start early in late fall. Kiva Dunes' twilight begins at 1 PM from November to January, and Gulf Shores Golf Club's twilight start moves earlier as sunset does (it was 12:30 PM by early December). See twilight golf in Gulf Shores for the month-by-month sunset table.
A practical holiday pattern:
- Wednesday or Friday: the big round. Morning at Kiva Dunes or Peninsula, which sit on the same Fort Morgan Road, about 13 minutes apart by road.
- Thanksgiving morning: an early, short round close to the condo, such as Gulf Shores Golf Club (7 minutes from central Gulf Shores), then home for the meal.
- Saturday: cheaper twilight at Gulf Shores Golf Club or GlenLakes.
A family Thanksgiving with golf on the side
Thanksgiving trips often mix golfers and non-golfers. Two places help:
- Orange Beach Golf Center: the city's par-3 nine is $15 walking or $20 with cart for nine holes, flat all year, with rental clubs at $25 for adults and $10 for youth. The lighted range is open 7 AM to 9 PM, long after the 4:51 PM sunset, and a 34-ball bucket is $5. No tee times; just show up.
- Magnolia Grove Short Course in Mobile: 18 full-length par 3s, walkable, and good for mixed-ability groups or a partner learning the game. It is about 96 minutes from Gulf Shores, so only if you're already making an RTJ day.
Where to stay on a Thanksgiving golf trip: Gulf Shores condos and resorts
A kitchen matters at Thanksgiving. Options from our research:
| Stay | Why it works at Thanksgiving | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Turquoise Place, Orange Beach | 3- to 5-bedroom condos with full kitchens and balcony grills | About $578 a night seen for Nov 29-Dec 1; strict cancellation |
| Kiva Dunes rentals | Condos and homes on the course; renter golf discount outside peak season | No published prices; cancel 30 days out for a refund |
| Gulf Shores Plantation | Cheaper Gulf-front condos with kitchens, next to Kiva Dunes | Policies vary by rental manager |
| Grand Hotel, Point Clear | "Grand Golf Escape" room plus two rounds, valid to Dec 31, 2026 | Holiday deposits nonrefundable 24 hours after booking; 15% resort fee |
| Hampton Inn Gulf Shores | Free breakfast, 3 minutes from Gulf Shores Golf Club | Renovation through Jan 15, 2027 |
The Grand Hotel is the one true golf resort here, with 36 holes 3 minutes from the room. Its standard reservations need five days' notice to cancel, but peak-season and holiday deposits become nonrefundable a day after booking, so commit only when your dates are firm. Our Lakewood Golf Club guide covers both courses, and Gulf Shores golf hotels compares the rest.
What else is happening in November
- Frank Brown International Songwriters' Festival: Nov 5-15, 2026, at Flora-Bama and venues from Gulf Shores to Pensacola. A modest lodging bump in Orange Beach and Perdido Key.
- Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show: Nov 6-7, 2026, at NAS Pensacola. Traffic on the Perdido Key side that weekend.
- Hurricane Isaias: it forced an evacuation in Gulf Shores in October 2026. No course damage was reported, and Kiva Dunes, Gulf Shores Golf Club and others had live tee sheets on Oct 22.
By Thanksgiving week both are over. For the whole month, see golf in Gulf Shores in November.
Getting here for the holiday
Pensacola (PNS) is the main airport, about 69 minutes from Gulf Shores and 56 from Orange Beach without traffic. Mobile's airlines plan to move to the new downtown terminal (BFM) in early 2027, so a Thanksgiving 2026 trip still uses Mobile Regional (MOB). Our flying to Gulf Shores for golf guide compares them.
Plan it on the map
Open the Gulf Shores golf map to see every course with its late-fall fees, booking window and drive time from your condo. For a Thanksgiving golf trip, Gulf Shores tee times are easiest to set around two fixed points: the meal and the 4:51 PM sunset.
Courses in this guide
Questions golfers ask
Is Thanksgiving a good time for a golf trip to Gulf Shores?
It's one of the better values of the year. NOAA normals put November highs near 70°F with about 7 rain days, and most courses have moved to winter or late-fall pricing by Thanksgiving week. Holiday weeks are busier with family condo stays, but rates stay at winter levels, nothing like spring or summer.
What is the weather in Gulf Shores at Thanksgiving?
November averages about 70°F highs and 49°F lows at the coast, with about 3.8 inches of rain and light wind near 6 mph. The Gulf is about 68°F on average in November. Inland on the Eastern Shore, lows run closer to 44°F.
Are Gulf Shores golf courses open on Thanksgiving Day?
None of the courses we track publishes holiday hours, so we can't confirm Thanksgiving Day tee times. Several post year-round daily hours, and online tee sheets are the quickest way to see whether a course is selling times that day. Call the pro shop to be sure.
When can I book Thanksgiving tee times in Gulf Shores?
For Thursday, Nov 26, 2026: Kiva Dunes has been open since late July (120 days), Gulf Shores Golf Club since Oct 11 (46 days), GlenLakes opens Nov 5 (21 days), Lost Key and Perdido Bay Nov 12 (14 days), and the RTJ Trail Nov 19 (7 days online). Times are by our count from each course's published window.
How much is golf in Gulf Shores at Thanksgiving?
Kiva Dunes showed $148.60 before 1 PM and $111.21 after for November 2026. Gulf Shores Golf Club was $139 riding with $99 twilight in mid-November, and Peninsula's winter dynamic pricing starts at $89 from Nov 15. Prices were seen in October 2026 and change.
What time does it get dark in Gulf Shores at Thanksgiving?
By our calculation the sun sets about 4:51 PM on Nov 26, 2026, with usable light until about 5:17 PM. Sunrise is about 6:25 AM, so there are roughly 10 hours 26 minutes of daylight. Daylight saving ends Nov 1, so the evenings are already short.
Where should a family stay for a Thanksgiving golf trip to Gulf Shores?
A condo with a full kitchen makes the holiday meal easier. Turquoise Place in Orange Beach has full kitchens in 3- to 5-bedroom units, and Kiva Dunes rentals and Gulf Shores Plantation put you next to Kiva Dunes. The Grand Hotel's room-and-two-rounds package runs through Dec 31, 2026.
Keep reading
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