Yuma golf in January: peak season, chilly mornings and a week that works

Yuma golf in January means peak season: afternoons around 70F, mornings near 48F, very little rain and ryegrass at its best. It also means the busiest tee sheets and the top winter rates of the year, so the weather is easy and the planning is not. Book tee times on release day and dress in layers.

This guide to Yuma golf in January covers conditions, what golf and lodging cost (seen October 2026; rates change), how to get tee times, and a seven-day plan that avoids league mornings.

Quick facts

• Weather: high 69.8F, low 47.9F, 0.39 in of rain over 2.6 days (NOAA 1991-2020).
• Crowds: peak winter-visitor season.
• Green fees: Desert Hills $75 with a cart before 11 AM; Las Barrancas $65.
• Tee times: book on release day; avoid league mornings.
• Event: Yuma AGFest downtown (2027 date not yet published).

What January golf in Yuma feels like

Yuma golf in January starts cool; only December has colder mornings. An early start is close to the daily low of about 48F, so the front nine is a jacket round, though frost is not normal. By early afternoon it is in the low 70s. Rain is rare, at 2.6 days with any measurable rain in a typical January. Our Yuma weather by month guide has the full table.

In January the courses are on overseeded rye, at its best from now to March. Winter sunset is around 5:30 PM, so late starts run out of light, and the first tee time at Desert Hills is sunrise or 6:00 AM, whichever is later.

What to wear: a warm mid-layer or vest over a golf shirt, a light jacket for the rare rainy day, and a beanie for the first hour if you feel the cold.

January green fees

January-to-March punch cards are covered under staying the whole month, below. See the Desert Hills course guide for the full table.

Getting tee times for Yuma golf in January

January is when tee times are hardest to get. Leagues and passholders take blocks of the morning sheets, and at Yuma Golf & Country Club expect members to take priority. What works:

• Book on release day. Desert Hills opens each date at midnight eight days ahead. Mesa del Sol and Coyote Wash show about 14 days online (for Coyote Wash the town brochure says 7 days by phone or GolfNow), Las Barrancas and the Foothills courses 7 days.
• Dodge league mornings. Las Barrancas has leagues Tuesday and Wednesday, Mesa del Sol Monday and Thursday mornings and Friday from 11 AM, Foothills Executive Wednesday and Thursday.
• Try Mesa del Sol's prime weekday window. Its pass terms limit passholders from about 9:00 to 10:37 on prime weekdays, when public times are easiest to find.
• Play after 1 PM. Desert Hills drops to $49 with a cart or $40 walking. With sunset around 5:30 PM, start soon after 1 PM or play nine.

Our guide to Yuma tee times in winter has every booking window and cancellation rule, and Yuma golf leagues lists the league days.

A January week in Yuma

This plan keeps away from published league mornings and mixes full 18s with short-course days.

The Mesa del Sol course guide and the Las Barrancas course guide cover the two Foothills headliners.

Staying the whole month

If you are in town for all of January, cards and passes beat daily green fees:

• Desert Hills punch cards are valid January to March: $500 for ten walking rounds ($50 a round) or $650 with a cart ($65 a round), against $55 and $75 at the morning rack rate.
• Mesa del Sol's 6-month pass ($3,500 individual, $5,650 family for 2026-27) lets you pick the start date, which must be before Mar 1, 2027. It includes green fees, cart, range and sales tax.
• Coyote Wash's transferable punch card is $600 for ten rounds with a cart, or $60 a round against the $70 maximum rate, and a group can share it.

Book a Trackman bay at Las Barrancas ahead if you want a warm-up before a cold morning round; bays book 14 days out and cost $20 per 30 minutes. For every pass and card, see Yuma golf passes.

Yuma golf in January rewards a routine: one or two standing times a week on release day, a league if you want company, and short-course days in between.

Where to stay in January

Hotels are busy, and some room types were already sold out when checked. For Wednesday, Jan 13, 2027 (seen October 2026, before tax):

For a month or more, RV resorts publish monthly rates. Fortuna de Oro RV Resort offered new guests one month at $495 in January, February or March 2027 (reservations made before Aug 28, 2026 excluded; park models excluded), against its $1,090 regular monthly rate. Westwind RV & Golf Resort charged $900 a month from January to April. Monthly stays are often booked a season ahead.

Getting there in January

• Flying into YUM: American Eagle only, from Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth. Round trips were high in January, about $470-$520 from Phoenix (Google Flights, read October 2026). Most visitors fly to Phoenix or San Diego and drive about three hours; see flights to Yuma.
• Time zone: Yuma is one hour ahead of San Diego, Palm Springs and Las Vegas in January, one hour behind Calgary and Edmonton, and the same as Vancouver and Phoenix.

Off-course in January

Yuma AGFest, the downtown agriculture festival that replaced the Medjool Date Festival, is held in January (Jan 24, 2026, 1-9 PM); the 2027 date was not published as of October 2026. Our Yuma Medjool dates guide covers the date farms. The Christmas-New Year holiday weeks bring family visitors into early January.

Compare a January trip elsewhere with Mesquite golf in January, or look ahead to Yuma golf in March.

Plan it on the map

The Yuma golf map shows every course above with drive times from your hotel or RV park. The $30 plan turns this January week into a day-by-day schedule for your dates, or a whole winter stay with a weekly rotation.