How much over handicap do you typically play in the winter?

[Kennysarmy]

My official handicap is 3.1
I'm really struggling to play to that in the winter, muddy course, bumpy slow greens, terrible lies.

Home course is par 69
My last few rounds have been 77, 76, 80 and 80!

~ 9 over par or 6 over my handicap.

 

[Imurg]

I think its very much course dependent
We're fairly lucky in that playing conditions don't deteriorate that much in winter.
Yes, there's less run on the ball - but not that much - and the greens are softer and slower making them a little easier
So I might be playing a club more than normal into greens but the ball stops quicker - kind of evens itself out
So I'm more than capable of playing to handicap, or even beating it, in winter...I'm also more than capable of barely breaking 90 too...

 

[IanM]

My official handicap is 3.1
I'm really struggling to play to that in the winter, muddy course, bumpy slow greens, terrible lies.

Well, according to some on these pages....... (read in a Herr Flick accent!)

No, you are lying and/or a bad golfer! Go and stand in the corner! The winter course rating and PCC takes care of all of this. Everything must be qualifying!

 

[wjemather]

My official handicap is 3.1
I'm really struggling to play to that in the winter, muddy course, bumpy slow greens, terrible lies.

Home course is par 69
My last few rounds have been 77, 76, 80 and 80!

~ 9 over par or 6 over my handicap.

To assess your scoring in relation to handicap, you need to compare the Score Differentials against your handicap index. Par is irrelevant.

Usual average scoring is between 3 and 4 over handicap. As such, for you a score differential of between 6 and 7 would be average, and anything up to 10 or 11 would be fairly normal (at any time of year).

 

[jim8flog]

There were may years when most of the 'downs' came in winter.

I have always been very much more of a 'through the air' rather than an 'along the ground' type of player and winter conditions made the outcome of a shot much more predictable.

These days at my age I now have to wear so many layers just t keep warm that the opposite has become a bit true (mainly down to the loss of distance) and my scores are generally 5-6 over handicap. Luckily I can a few more more they start to affect my handicap having had a really good run of form in Sept and October.

 

[LincolnShep]

I play about one shot better in the winter than I do in the summer.

Since 2014 my average score differential in the summer has been 23.7, compared to 22.9 in the winter. If I exclude Winter 20/21 (as I hardly played, and it skews the numbers) then the winter average drops to 22.7, exactly one shot better than my summer average.

BTW, for the purpose of this exercise, "Summer" is Apr-Sep and "Winter" is Oct-Mar.

 

[Orikoru]

I always find winter golf difficult. In previous years it just exposed poor strikes really, as hitting it slightly fat you can get away with in summer but not in winter - this year my ball striking is better than it has been though. You still get some impossible lies to chip from if you miss greens though, all too easy to chunk it, or fly it over the other side of the green whilst trying not to chunk it. Green speed at bit more inconsistent on putts as well. I've heard plenty say that their courses are shorter in winter, but at my course that isn't the case. Some of the winter mats that we tee from are actually longer than the normal yellow tees or even the whites for example. So the overall length might be a tad shorter but not enough to make a noticeable difference. My drives don't go anywhere either, without any roll on it I'm barely a shade over 200 yards.

My last few 18-hole scores from Jan & Dec in terms of points have been 31, 32, 33, and 28 for 17 holes as we skipped the last one. I'm quite a consistent player generally (don't lose many balls to wild slices or hooks) so I consider 32 points just about passable and anything under that a pretty poor round. So I'm kind of 5-ish shots over handicap on a typical winter round anyway.

Actually, I recall two years ago posting a topic about my winter struggles.


One of my mates is kind of the opposite though. He can hit a big slice off the tee, so he loses less balls in winter where it hits the ground and stops rather than rolling into the trees. And he hits a high ball with lots of carry and less roll, so he doesn't lose anywhere near as much distance as I do. In summer he was only outdriving me by 10-20 yards, in winter it's more like 40. His short game is awful all year round as well, so the poor lies make no difference. He chunks in summer or winter.

 

[Bdill93]

On average I'm getting between 28-36 points this winter, there have been a couple of howlers but in really really bad rain etc.

Struggle to chip from around 60 yards and in due to insanely soft ground and that's one of my areas of strength normally.

Irons are down about 20 yards per club too... I hit a very high ball and the wind is just grabbing hold and killing it!

Some good, some bad, some ugly to summarise

 

[Curls]

I have a great tactic for handling the idiosyncrasies of winter golf. Are you ready?

I last played in October. Will dust off the clubs in March.

You’re welcome.

 

[Orikoru]

I have a great tactic for handling the idiosyncrasies of winter golf. Are you ready?

I last played in October. Will dust off the clubs in March.

You’re welcome.

Frustrating, muddy saturated golf is still better than no golf for me.

 

[Bratty]

I probably range anywhere between 1 better and 8 worse than playing handicap of 11 at Westerham GC.
But I don't often play if it's raining heavily.

 

[Whereditgo]

Generally about the same for me. Less carry, but the course is shorter, the rough is less penal and I don't struggle with distance, the greens run less true but the ball stops quicker so you can pitch the ball closer to flags.

Shorter hitters tend to score better through the winter at our course.

 

[Old Colner]

I really would not be too concerned over this, our course is totally non qualifying over the winter due to the changes made because of the conditions over the winter along with using winter greens for the majority of this period.
I really only take winter golf as a bit of fun, a chance to get out with friends and play a round and a bit of craic after working hard all week.
Sometimes get a chance if the weather is decent to nip over to the coast or somewhere near that handles the weather better and play on a full course and proper greens.

 

[Kennysarmy]

I really would not be too concerned over this, our course is totally non qualifying over the winter due to the changes made because of the conditions over the winter along with using winter greens for the majority of this period.
I really only take winter golf as a bit of fun, a chance to get out with friends and play a round and a bit of craic after working hard all week.
Sometimes get a chance if the weather is decent to nip over to the coast or somewhere near that handles the weather better and play on a full course and proper greens.

Yes. This.

However I'm playing in a pairs winter league haha - finding the higher handicappers I play against seem to suffer less due to the conditions.

It is what it is though.

 

[Jason.H]

I thought it’s been easier but then we are using mats everywhere except deep rough so we always have a good lie. Clubbing up is key as the ground is soft.

 

[Golfnut1957]

To assess your scoring in relation to handicap, you need to compare the Score Differentials against your handicap index. Par is irrelevant.

Usual average scoring is between 3 and 4 over handicap. As such, for you a score differential of between 6 and 7 would be average, and anything up to 10 or 11 would be fairly normal (at any time of year).

A bit difficult for me. My last qualifying score was in September (summer) and my next one will be in April (spring) and anything that takes place between those two points is just a slog in the mud.

 

[IanM]

I haven't played a qualifier since early November. I haven't a clue what my scores have been since. We play 4BBB for the beers on a Saturday morning, even if a qualifier is run... The Pro is doing his nut as folk are opting out of what we "still" call the "Saturday Swindle!" Entry fees come back as pro shop vouchers so he is losing income.

Before Xmas we had a bone hard frozen course, since Xmas, it's been too mucky in places for serious golf. Even with forward tees, scores for those who've played comps have been miles worse. Is it worth a fiver a week to push up your HI so you can benefit when the season starts?

 

[sunshine]

If the course is frozen solid or a complete bog then who cares about scoring - I'm just out there for some fresh air and a laugh.

But if it's not too cold or wet, I find the course is easier in winter. Hitting the green is like throwing darts, rough is cut down, tees further forward. Chipping is much easier and the greens are slower too so less dangerous.

 

[sunshine]

I have a great tactic for handling the idiosyncrasies of winter golf. Are you ready?

I last played in October. Will dust off the clubs in March.

You’re welcome.

You missed out on some great golfing weather in November. This was 15th Nov (sorry I don’t know why the image is sideways):

 

[patricks148]

I'm similar handicap wise, but both my courses are much easier in winter, distance is shorter and you can be far more attacking, where as summer a Conservative approach works better.. play we use mats, so it's very easy to stop the ball close. They also cut all the rough back, I had 8 birdies the other day, no chance if that in summer.