How Does Anyone Play Well In Winter?

[patricks148]

I made a suggestion a time or two about just doing something different during the winter months. Why not play from the forward tees?.....I just got laughed at. "It's not done...." Golf really doesn't like any change.......

i know the feeling, a few of us suggested some NQ comps over winter, just the odd stableford, give a £1 in the shop to enter etc and would involve the club doing nothing except the pro taking the money, was told no interest, yet the course the other side of town play a comp every Sat, with upwards of 100 guys playing every week

 

[jim8flog]

I'd happily play off the reds at my place in winter, 5,800 yds. That would be spot on. Sadly I doubt it would be allowed. We really need to beat the stigma of gender being linked to tees.

One of the niceties where I play is that players can choose which tee they play from but we are a relatively short course in the modern day and I do not see many men playing from the reds, I see it mainly when a man and a lady are playing together.

On most tees there is only about a 10 yard difference between the two and where we are on mats all tees are on the same mat.

 

[Orikoru]

Not sure I've ever really thought about it, but having read the comments I'm going with the majority, it's easier in winter conditions.

Yes, the ball doesn't go as far, big disadvantage.

But the ball will almost always stay on, or at least very close to, any fairway or green it lands on. We have preferred lies so never a bad lie on fairway or fringe, the rough, although wet and often muddy, is shorter and thinner.

Big one is the soft, slow greens. If you're hitting pitches and chips fairly close, they will stay fairly close. Likewise putting, in winter we just bang it up to the hole, whereas in the summer you can take your eye off a good putt or chip and when you look up it's dribbled 5 feet past the hole ?.... ?

Distance is obviously the biggest issue, so after getting smashed about 7&6 or whatever it was by the OP in dry conditions last year, it'll be a winter rematch ?

Rather than it being a majority, my take has been that very good golfers find it easier in winter, while average to bad golfers find it more difficult. As it was mentioned earlier, you can get away with inconsistent strikes in summer, but when it's wet and muddy you cannot. If you strike the ball well anyway this is not a consideration. So while you're taking aim at the lovely soft greens, I'm hitting more fats than usual - especially with pitching.

If we did, you would certainly see how much I need that extra 20 yards of roll...

 

[cliveb]

We don't have any gender Spec tee's any longer all are now rated for Men and Women, the club are trying to get more seniors to play from the greens (old ladies tee locations) and new even shorter silvers. might be worth checking with your new club, you never know?

Orikoru is referring to Grims Dyke. All three tees are rated for both men and ladies. But you'll never see any ladies playing off anything other than the reds. And apart from a few daring seniors men never play off the reds. If any lady spots a man using a red tee, they get the full tongue lashing treatment: "how dare you use OUR tees!".

 

[patricks148]

Orikoru is referring to Grims Dyke. All three tees are rated for both men and ladies. But you'll never see any ladies playing off anything other than the reds. And apart from a few daring seniors men never play off the reds. If any lady spots a man using a red tee, they get the full tongue lashing treatment: "how dare you use OUR tees!".

if thats the case then nothing stopping them being used

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Our whites are 6,294 and the yellow tees are 5,836 so not a massive difference but some holes off the whites I can't get home in two on (par 4's) but I actually relish the challenge of playing the course at the longest length.

 

[pmgolfer99]

My course is fairly tight and fast running, so shots that would run into trouble in the summer check up and stay out of the trees in winter - so whilst it is longer it plays easier in the winter in my view