We Played Roda Golf at Twilight: August's Coolest Tee Times

Nine holes in, sweat dripping off my visor, and my mate Dave finally said what we'd both been thinking for the last twenty minutes: whoever scheduled our 11am tee time in August had clearly never played golf in Murcia. We slogged through, shook hands, and swore never again. The following week we booked the 6.30pm slot at Roda Golf instead, and it was the best decision we've made all summer.

If you've been putting off a game because eighteen holes under the August sun sounds like a punishment, you're not wrong to hesitate. But twilight golf changes the whole equation. The heat drops off, the light goes properly golden, and the course empties out just enough that you're not stuck queuing on every tee waiting for the group ahead. Here's how we've been doing it this month, and what we've picked up along the way.

Why Twilight Beats the Midday Roast

Midday in Los Alcázares in August, you're looking at 35 to 38 degrees, and the humidity coming off the Mar Menor makes it feel worse than the number suggests. By half six in the evening it's usually dropped into the high twenties, and there's often a decent breeze rolling in off the water that you just don't get at noon. Your ball flies differently, your energy holds up for the back nine, and you're not stopping every two holes to pour water over your head.

There's also the small matter of your golf actually improving. Nobody swings well when they're wilting. Play at twilight and you'll hit shots you were physically incapable of at midday, purely because your body isn't fighting the heat at the same time as fighting your slice.

How to Bag the Best Twilight Tee Time

We've learned a few things the hard way, mostly by turning up too late or forgetting kit we needed. If you want to copy our routine, here's the order we do things in.

1. Ring the pro shop rather than relying purely on the online booking system. In August, staff will often quietly offer you the twilight rate ("tarifa de tarde") which can be a good chunk cheaper than a standard round, and they'll tell you honestly whether the course is busy that evening.
2. For eighteen holes, aim to tee off between 6pm and 6.30pm. Sunset in August is around 9pm here, and a full round takes roughly four hours, so this gets you finishing as the light turns proper gold rather than fumbling the last two greens in the dark.
3. If you only fancy nine holes, you can push the tee time back to 7.15pm or so and still get the best of the light without rushing.
4. Check the card for any watering restrictions. Roda Golf runs its sprinklers overnight to cope with the summer heat, so fairways can be a touch softer first thing in the evening than they were at midday, which actually helps your ball sit up nicely.
5. Book a table for afterwards. The clubhouse terrace fills up fast once twilight groups start finishing, and if you fancy something more local, a few of the chiringuitos towards Los Narejos do a decent plate of grilled sardines if you fancy a walk down to the water after your round.

Kit Worth Packing

Bring a torch, or at least trust your phone's light, for the very last hole or two if you're playing the full eighteen. It rarely gets properly dark before you've holed out, but it's happened to us once, and fumbling around a bunker in the gloom isn't fun. Mosquito repellent is worth having in your bag too, especially on the holes that run closer to the lakes, as dusk is exactly when they come out to play. A light jumper for the walk back to the car park isn't a bad shout either. It cools down faster than you'd expect once the sun's properly gone.

Water still matters, even though it's cooler. We've both made the mistake of assuming twilight means we don't need as much, and ended up thirsty on the 16th anyway. Take the same amount you'd take for a midday round.

The Best Bit: Sunset Over the Mar Menor

Honestly, the golf is only half the reason to book a twilight slot. The views across towards the lagoon turn a different colour every few minutes as the sun drops, and there's a stretch of holes where you can see the water properly light up orange and pink. We've stood on the tee more than once just watching it rather than actually playing, much to the annoyance of the group behind us.

It's also quieter in a way that midday golf never is. Fewer buggies, fewer voices, just the odd bird and the click of clubs. If you're staying nearby and fancy making a regular thing of it, it's worth looking at holiday rentals near Roda Golf so you can walk to the first tee rather than driving in from further along the coast. And if you haven't played the course yet, our guide to the golf courses around Roda covers the layout in more detail, including which holes catch the best of that evening light.

For anything specific, like checking twilight availability for a group booking or asking about buggy hire for an evening round, it's worth a quick message through the resort's contact page rather than guessing. And if golf's not the only reason you're out this way, our notes on the Los Alcázares area cover the beaches and chiringuitos worth pairing with a round.

Give it a go this month. Once you've played a Roda Golf round at twilight, midday tee times start to feel like a punishment you're choosing on purpose.