Roda Golf Resort May 2026: What's New Next Month

My neighbour Geoff knocked on the door last Tuesday with a cold Estrella and a very satisfied look on his face. He'd just booked his May flights. "Best month," he said, making himself comfortable on my terrace without being asked.

He's not wrong. May here around Roda Golf and the Mar Menor coast is genuinely special. The temperatures are sitting in the low-to-mid twenties, the course is in excellent condition after the spring rains, and the resort hasn't yet hit that full-summer pace where you need to book everything three weeks in advance. You can still get a table at El Mosqui in Los Alcazares on a Friday without a diplomatic incident. That window doesn't last.

This year there's more to look forward to than usual, so if you're weighing up May versus June, here's what I know so far.

What's Changing at the Resort in May

The outdoor pools are confirmed to open at the start of the month, which, if you've got kids, is basically the whole holiday sorted. Last year my two spent about four hours a day in the water, which gave me enough time to play eighteen holes, have a proper lunch, and still pretend I'd been keeping an eye on them the whole time.

The summer season packages are also now live for May bookings. The resort has bundled unlimited golf with accommodation more competitively than last year, which makes a real difference if you're planning multiple rounds. Rather than paying per round and watching it add up, check the packages first. You can browse the current holiday rentals near Roda Golf to see what's available, and I'd move quickly because the last two weeks of May (UK half term) go early.

The clubhouse is rolling out a revised summer menu from the first of May. I got a preview last week and the cold soups are back, including a gazpacho that's properly sharp and not the watered-down version you sometimes get handed. Evening terrace service is expanded too, so post-round sundowners are more of a structured thing this year rather than something you have to ask about.

Golf in May: The Conditions Are Worth Coming For

If you care about your scorecard, May is arguably the best time to play Roda Golf all year. The course is still holding moisture from the winter and spring, so the fairways are softer underfoot and the greens are receptive. By July the ground is baked hard and everything runs on forever. You can actually shape shots the way they're supposed to be shaped, which I find either satisfying or infuriating depending on the day.

The other thing May gets right is the light. Tee times from seven in the morning are fine, you're done before the midday heat builds, and the afternoons are yours. I've been playing early rounds most weeks lately and finishing by eleven. The evenings stretch out nicely too, with the sun not setting until around nine.

If you're planning to play a few different courses while you're here, May is when they're all at their best. Have a look at the golf courses near Mar Menor for a proper comparison. Hacienda del Alamo and Condado de Alhama are both worth factoring in, and the driving distances from Roda are very manageable.

What's On Around the Mar Menor

San Isidro Labrador falls on 15 May and it's celebrated properly across the farming towns around Murcia. The romerías are basically outdoor pilgrimages with a lot of food and music involved. Torre Pacheco does a good one, with decorated carts pulled by horses, traditional dress, and more paella than you'd think physically possible. Worth a morning if you want to see something genuinely local rather than tourist-facing.

The chiringuitos on the Mar Menor beaches are fully open by May. Los Alcazares has several good ones along the paseo, and Lo Pagán is always worth the short drive for the salt flats and the late afternoon light. The market in Los Alcazares runs weekly and is worth an hour of your time. Fresh fruit, local produce, and if you rummage about, occasionally something interesting beyond the usual tourist bits.

The Mar Menor water temperature in May is typically around 20 to 21 degrees, which is genuinely swimmable. My wife considers anything below 22 degrees a personal affront, but even she managed a paddle last May 10th. The sea warms up noticeably faster here than the Atlantic coast, which is one of the things that makes the Mar Menor so good for families.

UK half term falls in the last week of May, so the resort and the beach towns around San Javier and Santiago de la Ribera get busier. That's not necessarily a problem if you've got children, because there are more activities on and more English-speaking families around. If you want the quieter version of May, the first three weeks are your window. Either way, the Mar Menor area is worth understanding properly before you arrive, particularly if it's your first visit.

Geoff, incidentally, has already asked if he can store a spare set of clubs at mine to avoid the airline luggage fee. I told him I'd think about it. He had another Estrella while I was thinking, so I'm fairly sure he took that as a yes.

If May is looking like the right month for you, feel free to get in touch and I can point you in the right direction on bookings, courses, or anything else about the area.