GOLF TRAVEL · CRITICALLY REVIEWED

Travel time planning - when is senior season really?

The classic senior travel windows of April and October are shifting — climate change, water scarcity, and the geopolitical situation are currently redrawing the golf travel map. What will really work in 2026 and what tour operator catalogs prefer to remain silent about.

For ten years, my travel formula was simple: the first half of April in the Algarve, the second half of October on the Costa del Sol. 22–25 °C, empty spots, fair prices. In 2024, drinking water ran scarce in Andalusia in the spring — several spots were irrigated with greywater or partially closed. In 2025, we still had 32 °C in Portugal in October. The travel windows of 2015 are no longer the travel windows of 2026. Anyone planning senior golf trips today must keep three factors in mind that travel catalogs almost never discuss: climate change, water scarcity, and geopolitical entry risks.

The classic formula „March-May, September-November for Southern Europe, Winter for the Caribbean or Florida” remains largely true — but each of the recommendations has a footnote for 2026. Spring in Andalusia: check water availability. Autumn in Portugal: expect later heat. Winter in Florida: check current entry requirements and travel advisories. Anyone who ignores these footnotes risks being turned away at the border in the worst-case scenario — or, in a better case, dry, yellow fairways.

Three Senior Travel Season Windows — with Realistic Footnotes

Window 1 — Spring (March to May)

✓ SOUTHERN EUROPE · ⚠ WATER CHECK.

Proven for Costa del Sol, Algarve, Turkey, Cyprus. 18–24 °C, manageable operations, moderate prices. Footnote 2026: Andalusia and the Algarve have lost water reserves after the drought years 2022–2024. Before booking, explicitly ask the resort about the condition of the fairways and watering permits — a „green brochure” does not mean „green fairways.”.

Window 2 — Autumn (September to November)

✓ DELAYED TO NOVEMBER.

Proven for Mallorca, Sicily, Morocco, Tunisia. New for 2020–2025: September in Southern Europe often still has temperatures of 28–32°C, and air passengers arrive dehydrated from the airport. The true senior season has shifted towards the end of October and November – it's milder then, but sunshine duration and greenkeeping quality vary more significantly. Plan November bookings only with a rain alternative.

Window 3 — Winter (December to February)

⚠ TRAVEL DESTINATIONS WITH RESERVATIONS.

Classic: Florida, Caribbean, Mauritius, Thailand, South Africa. 2026 footnotes: Florida/USA — check current travel advisories from the Foreign Office before booking (ESTA revocations and stricter border controls have been documented since 2025); Caribbean — hurricane season officially ends November 30, residual risk remains; Thailand — rainy season ending later than usual. Cape Verde and Morocco are peaceful alternatives without long-haul flights.

+2°C

Average temperature increase in Southern Europe since 1980 — the classic travel windows are shifting by 2-4 weeks

Copernicus Climate Change Service · IPCC 2023

„End of September ideal” becomes „End of October reliable”. Anyone booking from the 2015 catalog is planning for a climate that no longer exists.

Three destination recommendations for 2026

Costa del Sol — March to mid-May + mid-October to November

Spring + Early Autumn · Warning Water.

Two windows remain — but the spring window has shortened (frequently 28°C+ already by the end of May), and the autumn window has shifted later. Inquire about water availability at the resort before booking. The Andalusian regional government has mandated irrigation restrictions for golf courses in 2023 and 2024.

Algarve — October to April

✓ LONGEST SEASON · ⚠ DRY HERE TOO.

Europe's longest senior season—October to April are mostly playable. The downside is rarely listed: in 2022–2024, southern Portugal was among the EU regions most affected by drought. Some courses changed grass types. Ask about grass type and irrigation status before booking.

Morocco + Cape Verde — Winter Alternative to the USA

✓ 3–4 HOUR FLIGHT · NO VISA.

For those who want to avoid the long-haul flight to the USA but still want winter golf: Agadir (Morocco) and Sal (Cape Verde) offer 22–25 °C in January/February, short flight times, no ESTA procedure, and no political entry questions. The golf infrastructure is more modest than in Florida—but sufficient for a senior golf trip.

The travel windows we sold in 2015 have shifted. What used to be „ideal September” is now „bearable October.” Anyone planning a golf trip from a five-year-old brochure is planning for a climate that no longer exists.

IAGTO Sustainability Report 2024 (International Association of Golf Tour Operators)

Three factors that override classic travel time logic.

Climate over calendar

It's not the calendar month that matters, but the current climate data of the destination. 30-year averages are in the past, not a forecast.

Water instead of postcard green

Drinking water has become scarcer in Andalusia and Portugal. A resort that might show up as green in a brochure could have yellow fairways in dry years. Asking beforehand is not an imposition.

Geopolitics instead of travel nostalgia

Winter classics like Florida have been associated with entry risks since 2025—arbitrary rejections of German travelers have been documented. Those seeking peace choose destinations without these categories.

Common Misunderstandings and Catalog Pitfalls

Misunderstanding 1 – „The catalog climate table is reliable”

Incorrect. Travel brochures show 30-year averages — they smooth out extreme values that were typical for the last five years. A „23°C in October” value in a brochure can mean a range of 18–34°C in reality. For travel decisions, the current ten-year series (e.g., via wetter.com or Copernicus) is more meaningful than the brochure.

Misunderstanding 2 — „I'll always get into the USA as a German golfer”

No longer a given. Since 2025, arbitrary rejections of German tourists at US borders have been documented; the Foreign Office has updated its travel advisories for the USA multiple times. ESTA revocation without stating reasons, inspection of digital devices at the border, denial of onward travel for imperfect answers. Mostly unproblematic for senior travelers on a standard golf holiday – but the former „just fly there” casualness is gone. Check current travel advisories before every booking (auswaertiges-amt.de).

Misconception 3 – „Only the peak season is expensive”

Half-truth. The old formula „save money outside of July/August” still holds true. However, the most attractive senior travel periods (end of April, end of October, mid-November) have developed into peak off-season times in recent years, as many tour operators specifically advertise these weeks. Those who want to maximize savings should opt for classic „edge months” (early March, first half of December in warm destinations).

THE SYSTEM

My Path to a Better Score

Complete method

On this page

ON THIS PAGE

01 Three travel time windows

02 Destination Recommendations 2026

03 Catalog Traps

04 What travel time cannot replace

Mathias Struwe

PUBLISHER · HCP 31 · 68 YRS.

+2°C

since 1980 in Southern Europe — the travel windows are shifting.

REFERENCE

Copernicus Climate Change Service (2024). IPCC AR6 (2023). IAGTO Sustainability Report 2024. German Federal Foreign Office: Travel Advice USA. AEMET Drought Reports Andalusia 2022–2024. Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere 2024.

What travel time cannot replace

The right travel time is the most important comfort lever — but it does not replace research on the destination and resort, nor current climate and travel advisory checks. The 2015 catalog subtly misleads in 2026: it shows averages of a world that no longer exists. Those planning today combine classic experience values with a current check of three sources: current weather data for the destination, travel advice from the Federal Foreign Office, and the resort's water or grass levels.

THREE FIRST STEPS

How to make a reliable travel time decision in 30 minutes

Check current climate series

Not catalog, but the last 5-10 years. wetter.com or Copernicus. Maximum temperatures and dry days in the desired period. If extreme values are a threat: shift the window or change the destination.

Travel advisory + resort inquiry

Federal Foreign Office for all destinations outside the EU (especially the USA from 2025). Inquire in writing with the department: irrigation situation, grass condition, pitch closures from last season. Those who say nothing often have something to hide.

Book as an alternative

When faced with summer heatwaves in Southern Europe, consider Scotland, Ireland, or the Baltic Sea as nearby alternatives. Shorter flights, milder temperatures, and no water debates. 2026 trend.