Playing golf over winter

[MarkT]

Not a member of a club yet, but looking at joining a local club who have a good offer for 1/11 to 31/3 - the course is open all year with no winter greens, mats etc.

Just curious how often folk play over winter - does the weather usually curtail a lot of planned golf for you? Was thinking maybe get a dozen rounds in - some weekend and a few midweek mornings if I work late shift.

I love a midweek game where the course can be deserted. Expectations are low (and always met) and I genuinely think it's a big help to your game rather than expecting things to be OK in March. The really great days are visiting a links in the winter where the turf can handle most things and trying to sneak in 36 holes.

 

[TheKhemist]

I love the cold crisp early morning tee offs. Having the right gear to keep you warm helps and I like the course being quiet and giving me time to try some different things as I'm not much of a range guy. I do find it harder to find playing partners in the winter as they don't seem to share my enthusiasm for the weather.

 

[clubchamp98]

Thing about a membership is I can choose if I play or not .
Depends on the weather,
Just rock up and play,

 

[Matty6]

If the course is open I play!

Moving house in December and my new home course will be a links course. Looking forward to playing in the depths of winter without bog like conditions!

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Nice one Matty, which club are you moving to?

 

[SteveJay]

Find a links course to join if thats practical (not sure where the OP lives). All year golf then without the same pain as wet boggy fairways seen on many inland courses. Yes, it will be cold and windy but having made the switch myself I think its far more enjoyable that wet parkland type courses.

 

[howbow88]

As with the above suggestion about links, it is all about drainage. The courses around me are on clay, so unless we have minimal rain they are an utter waste of time during the winter.

 

[Ross61]

The great thing with membership is you can start playing and if it gets too inclement for you, you can walk in and not feel you have wasted a green fee. Also same if you want to squeeze in a few holes before darkness or if you don’t have much time
Our course is open all year except for snow covering, fog and the odd day of waterlogging. Play from fairways with pick and place on fairways.
We have a winter league every other Sunday, which is VERY popular. Normally Shot gun start but tee times this year due to Covid.

 

[CliveW]

We have a winter league played on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the close season with your best six scores counting. So the more you play, the better your chances. We also have some terrific deals on local links courses between November and April so we start at Carnoustie and play our way down the East Coast via St. Andrews as far as Gullane and Dunbar.

 

[Siolag]

This winter I’ll probably do a lot of practising and try and get a round a week in. Work Monday to Friday so any more is out of the question. I don’t mind being out in inclement weather and will just adjust my expectations for being on the course.

 

[Matty6]

Nice one Matty, which club are you moving to?

Cardigan ??

 

[ScienceBoy]

I’ve made my decision to retreat to the par3 until spring, may venture out to a local 9 hole par 33 course which I am questing to beat +4 gross round (keep getting very close).

18 holes is now a April/May venture, hoping next year will be my biggest golfing year since 2013.

 

[Golfnut1957]

I play 3 times a week all year unless the course is closed. I usually throw in a practice day as well. We have been using mats on the fairways (or you can move your ball to to the closest fringe and no mat) during the winter. I love using mats.....it's not the real world, but you get a great lie.

And you get to spin it like a Pro off a mat, soon come back down to earth in the spring though.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

As with the above suggestion about links, it is all about drainage. The courses around me are on clay, so unless we have minimal rain they are an utter waste of time during the winter.

Bit of a generalisation. We are on clay but we invested heavily several years ago to improve drainage to improve 12, 15 and 16 which were problem areas. Yes last winter 15 and 16 were still bad but it was an excessively wet winter. All the other holes were playable throughout. Aside from that other year have been playable all winter

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Winter golf is great...just get yourself as nice warm, comfy hoodie and you’ll be fine!

 

[Billysboots]

Unless it snows it’s 364 days of the year at our place. It stands up really well to wet weather, with us not losing a single day to the awful flooding we had last winter, and whilst the bunkers flood we rarely see standing water on the course.

Personally I’ll play in any weather apart from heavy rain. I don’t mind the cold, and as the course is exposed we get wind most of the time.

Winter golf = sloe gin in the hip flask. Happy days.

 

[Crazyface]

I hate winter golf. But if the weather's ok I'll rock up mid morning but will a carry bag and only about five or six clubs and a load of cheap nasty balls. Don't bother looking for balls in winter and don't count lost one's in the round. Oh and only use a pw all other wedges are mothballed until April

 

[Fromtherough]

I’ll still play every weekend the course is open. The biggest change for me is that due to the reduced daylight, I can now only play weekends. I enjoy the receptiveness of the greens, but the loss of run balances any advantage in this regard. I dislike when the inevitable trolley ban arrives, but soon get used to carrying again. The course plays a lot differently in the winter so it’s refreshing to play different approaches from further back and different types of shots compared to summer golf. Also, the course is usually quieter as the fair weather golfers have put their clubs away until March, so round times are usually quicker in winter.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Definitely felt like winter golf today. Some bare muddy lies and greens slowed noticeably. No run off the drives and the rough getting thicker and wetter and harder to get out of. Or maybe it's just that I played poorly

 

[FELL75]

Definitely felt like winter golf today. Some bare muddy lies and greens slowed noticeably. No run off the drives and the rough getting thicker and wetter and harder to get out of. Or maybe it's just that I played poorly

Played on Saturday and greens were definitely slower. Still think they are in good shape after autumn maintenance ?