Hurricane season golf in Florida: what it means for a Naples or Fort Myers trip
Hurricane season golf in Florida: June to November risk by month, what Ian, Helene and Milton changed on SW Florida courses and resorts, and how to book.
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Hurricane season golf in Florida means booking the cheapest months of the year with a real, if occasional, risk attached. In Southwest Florida the season runs June 1 to November 30, with August to October the riskiest stretch. Ian in 2022 and Helene and Milton in 2024 closed or changed several courses and resorts, and most are back.
This guide explains the season month by month for a Naples or Fort Myers golf trip, what the three recent storms changed, which places are still recovering and how to book so a storm does not cost you the trip. It uses the course and stay records on our map, read November 3, 2026.
Quick facts
- Season: June 1 to November 30; core August to October.
- Recent storms: Ian (landfall Cayo Costa, September 28, 2022); Helene (offshore, late September 2024); Milton (landfall near Siesta Key, October 9-10, 2024).
- Courses hit by Ian: up to 500 in Florida in its path, two-thirds in Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties.
- Still recovering: parts of Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach.
- Rates: hurricane season overlaps the cheapest golf of the year.
- Must-have: trip insurance that covers named storms.
Hurricane season golf in Florida, month by month
| Month | Naples high | Rain days | Golf and storm notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| June | 89.8F | 14.7 | Season opens June 1; cheapest rates; aerification closures |
| July | 90.8F | 16.1 | Afternoon storms most days; summer deals |
| August | 90.9F | 18.7 | Wettest month at Naples; start of the core risk window |
| September | 89.6F | 15.5 | Peak risk (Ian, Sept 28, 2022); quietest tourism month |
| October | 86.5F | 6.4 | Rains ease; risk remains (Milton, Oct 9, 2024); courses reopen |
| November | 81.3F | 3.9 | Dry, shoulder rates; season ends Nov 30 |
NOAA 1991-2020 normals at Naples Municipal Airport. The risk window is a general statement from the season file, not a forecast. For the weather side of summer, see our summer golf in Naples guide.
What Hurricane Ian changed
Ian made landfall on Cayo Costa on September 28, 2022 as a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds and a 10-15 ft surge. It leveled much of Fort Myers Beach, broke the Sanibel Causeway and the Pine Island bridge, and killed 72 people in Lee County. For golf:
- Most courses came back fast. Sports Illustrated (October 11, 2022) reported that most Gulf coast courses reopened within a week.
- Cape Coral was hit hardest among Troon's clubs, naming Cape Royal and Del Tura. Both are on our map and listed open.
- Tiburon's cart tunnel flooded. Both Tiburon Gold and Tiburon Black are open, and the Gold hosts the CME and Grant Thornton each fall.
- Sanibel took the longest. The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club was reported as the last Southwest Florida course to reopen, with its front nine back in December 2023 (via a search snippet). It was regrassed to a salt-tolerant turf.
- LaPlaya on Vanderbilt Beach fully reopened in May 2024 after its Ian restoration; its guest-only LaPlaya Golf Club is open.
The Sanibel Causeway was rebuilt, with permanent repairs completed in 2024 and remaining FDOT work due by 2027. The westbound toll onto the island is $6 with a transponder or $9 by plate.
Helene and Milton in 2024
Helene passed offshore in the Gulf in late September 2024, with surge flooding on the Lee County barrier islands (details were not read from a primary source). Two weeks later, Milton made landfall near Siesta Key on October 9-10, 2024. The forecast called for an 8-12 ft surge at Fort Myers Beach, flooding reached the Pink Shell resort's pool deck, and all Lee County parks closed.
Places still recovering
Most of the board is back to normal, but a few places on the islands still carry storm effects:
- Sanibel Island Golf Club: open and on GolfNow, but the Santiva Chronicle reported in February 2025 that it was still recovering from Ian and Milton, with lost turf and inconsistent irrigation after electrical damage. Check recent reviews before paying peak prices; the Sanibel Island Golf Club guide has more.
- Fort Myers Beach lodging: the chamber has said only about a third of the island's lodging was operating at one point and about 90% of its small inns were lost (undated quote). Margaritaville Beach Resort opened in December 2023, Pink Shell is running, and a new Sunset Beach Resort began construction July 6, 2026.
- Sanibel resorts: Casa Ybel is back open after three years, and Sundial Beach Resort has reopened after Ian.
- RV parks: Sun Retreats Fort Myers Beach was rebuilt after Ian. Fort Myers Beach RV Resort took damage and its 2026-27 status was not confirmed.
- Bay Beach Golf Club near Fort Myers Beach: no evidence of operation was found, and it may have closed after Ian. Status unclear, call first.
See our Sanibel golf guide, the Dunes course guide and closed golf courses in Naples.
How to book a trip in hurricane season
Hurricane season golf in Florida works if you plan for the bad week you probably will not get:
- Buy trip insurance that covers named storms. The season file recommends it for any June to November booking.
- Book refundable rooms and prepay as little golf as you can. Many public courses only open tee times 3 to 7 days out anyway, so you rarely have to commit early.
- Pick the lower-risk ends of the season. June and November carry less risk than September and October.
- Base on the mainland. Island stays on Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach have been the slowest to recover after storms and depend on one bridge.
- Play mornings. Afternoon thunderstorms are the everyday summer hazard, separate from hurricanes.
- Call ahead after any storm. Even a near miss can close courses for cleanup.
Choosing a base for a storm-season trip
Inland, mainland bases near I-75 have the most roads in and out and the most courses within a short drive. Estero and Bonita Springs sit between Naples and Fort Myers, and the airport hotels on Alico Road are minutes from RSW if you need to change flights. In Cape Coral, where Troon's clubs took the worst of Ian, courses are open again: the Cape Royal course guide covers its 27 holes, which sell public tee times on the club site. A beach week on Sanibel is still possible in summer, but it depends on one causeway, so keep plans flexible.
What it costs to golf in hurricane season
The season overlaps the year's lowest rates. Stoneybrook charges $99 in the morning from May 1 to October 31 against $199 from January, and Ibis Landing was $69 before noon in early October 2026. On Sanibel, The Dunes charged $69 from November 1-15 on its 2025-26 card, right as the season winds down. Shell Point, the closest public course to the Sanibel causeway on the mainland, was $115 in October 2026. Our Naples golf in November guide covers the end of the season in detail.
Red tide is a separate issue
Red tide (Karenia brevis blooms) is episodic and most often appears from late summer to winter. It can bring dead fish, coughing and closed beaches for weeks, but it does not stop golf. FWC's October 2026 reports showed no bloom off Lee or Collier.
Other Gulf coast towns
The same season applies across the Gulf. Our Destin hurricane season guide covers the Panhandle. For Southwest Florida timing in general, read the best time to golf in Naples and Naples weather by month.
Plan it on the map
Open the Naples golf map to see every open course and stay from Naples to Punta Gorda with drive times from downtown Naples. The $30 plan builds a summer or fall trip on mainland bases with morning tee times and published summer rates.
Courses in this guide
Questions golfers ask
When is hurricane season in Florida?
June 1 to November 30 every year. The core, and the riskiest stretch, is August to October. Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida on September 28, 2022, and Milton on Florida's Gulf coast on October 9-10, 2024.
Is it safe to plan a golf trip to Naples in hurricane season?
Many people do, especially for the low summer rates, but the risk is real from August to October. Book refundable rooms where you can, buy trip insurance that covers named storms, and watch forecasts in the week before you travel. November and June carry less risk than September.
How did Hurricane Ian affect golf courses in Southwest Florida?
Sports Illustrated reported that as many as 500 Florida courses were in Ian's path, two-thirds of them in Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties. Most Gulf coast courses reopened within a week. Troon's hardest-hit clubs were in Cape Coral, and The Dunes on Sanibel was reported as the last course in the area to reopen.
Are the Sanibel golf courses open after Ian and Milton?
Yes. The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club is open with public tee times after a regrassing to salt-tolerant turf. Sanibel Island Golf Club sells times on GolfNow, but a February 2025 report said it was still recovering, with lost turf and inconsistent irrigation, so check recent reviews.
Is Fort Myers Beach open for visitors?
Partly. Ian destroyed most of the island's small lodging; the chamber has said only about a third of lodging was operating at one point. Margaritaville Beach Resort opened in December 2023, Pink Shell is running, and construction on a new Sunset Beach Resort began July 6, 2026.
Does hurricane season affect golf prices?
It overlaps the cheapest months. Summer rates run through September or October on most cards, such as Stoneybrook's $99 morning rate from May to October. Rates step up through October and November as the season ends and snowbirds arrive.
What should I do if a storm is forecast during my golf trip?
Follow official evacuation orders and your hotel's instructions, and contact your insurer and airline early. After Milton, all Lee County parks closed. Courses that take damage may close for days or longer, so call before driving to a tee time.
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