Winter golf easier?

[Jaco]

I’ve been back playing for about a year after a very long lay off and I’m slowly getting my scores down, although minimally and slowly.
It feels that I’ve been playing off winter tees for ages now and I wondered which form of golf is considered easiest, summer or winter?
On the minus side some of the greens on my course are soaking wet and very difficult to judge weight wise, but on the other hand the holes are 10 yards shorter and the ball stops almost dead if you get your wedges right.
Just wondered what others think?

 

[Cake]

Lots of differing views on here on that topic - see this thread

I think it depends on how your course ‘reacts’ to winter. I play 2 courses frequently... one only had a couple of temps on during a stableford comp a few weeks back and CSS went up 2 shots so it clearly wasn’t easier than average (Very windy, cold and playing longer than summer due to very soft ground); the other had loads of temps last time I played and felt a LOT shorter than in summer, so played a fair bit easier in my opinion.

So I don’t think there is a definitive answer... depends on the course, and how you play the game as well I guess

 

[jim8flog]

There was a time when virtually all my cuts in handicap came in the winter months. Mainly because I knew I could fire at the pins with certainty that the ball would stop almost dead or spin back a little bit.

These days, as I have got older, I am really noticing how short my shots are and am missing the run on the drives.

 

[Beezerk]

100% easier, my main golf man shot low 70s a few times last winter playing off around 14. Ended the season without a cut in sight 😂

 

[Leereed]

Pros and cons no roll on the fairways but if your irons are on form you can score well due to the soft greens holding.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Winter golf is harder. Course playing as long as it can off the whites, bare muddly lies around the greens and the ball going nowhere on wet fairways and strong winds. The greens though have remained in good condition all winter and are true and putting at a good speed. Come the summer, even a short hitter like me can get extra distance, there's more grass so the short game is easier and the sand in bunkers much softer.

 

[Orikoru]

I hate it. Trying to nail a delicate chip out of sodden mud kills me every time. My course never had more than four temp greens at one time either, so you couldn't really say the course was way shorter than normal. And the temp greens were awful to putt on anyway so it's hardly helpful.

 

[r0wly86]

Current course: far easier in winter, simply because the course is in a SSSI and a Grade 1 Historical park they are forbidden from cutting the rough so in the summer the rough is crazy and anything off the fairway is a high risk of a lost ball. It drains very well so rarely is it shorter and the greens are much worse in the winter, because it is soft and we have a lot of deer, in the summer they are lovely. But in the winter I can hit a drive anywhere and find it so much easier.

Old course: Much harder in winter, not often on temp greens, and some temp tees are further back than the regular tees. Fairways get very wet so get absolutely no roll which makes it play a lot longer, and when the ball doesn't fly as well in the cold air anyway.

So as above it depends on the course really. Either way mid-Spring on both courses it the best time to score, warmer air temps, greens are in good condition fairways starting to firm up and get some roll

 

[patricks148]

i suppose it would depend on if the course was different during winter or not.

My place is a good 500 yards shorter even than the yellows in winter. And with Mats and softer greens its a good few shots easier. only hole that isnt is the 7th which is 500 yard par 5 off the yellow which is into the prevailing wind and with the winter tee at about 490 but becomes a par 4.. lol not sure who's idea that was

 

[PJ87]

I hate it. Trying to nail a delicate chip out of sodden mud kills me every time. My course never had more than four temp greens at one time either, so you couldn't really say the course was way shorter than normal. And the temp greens were awful to putt on anyway so it's hardly helpful.

I play completely different in the summer from the winter

If I have a delicate chip in the winter I’ll just bump it in with a hybrid instead of even attempting it

 

[Orikoru]

I play completely different in the summer from the winter

If I have a delicate chip in the winter I’ll just bump it in with a hybrid instead of even attempting it

Yeah, I don't think I really found an answer! Other than giving up totally and whacking it with the putter wherever possible. I've tried the hybrid chip before and always seem to get too much on it and punt it off the other side. Hopefully now we're into Spring we won't have to worry about this again for a while... *fingers crossed*

 

[clubchamp98]

There was a time when virtually all my cuts in handicap came in the winter months. Mainly because I knew I could fire at the pins with certainty that the ball would stop almost dead or spin back a little bit.

These days, as I have got older, I am really noticing how short my shots are and am missing the run on the drives.

I have found this about my age v length.
But was assured by my pro my swing speed is still there so why the loss of length.
He told me “lots of people are asking this and it’s because the water table is so high that the course never dries out properly to have a good run out on the ball”
The course has seemed longer to me but he could be right.
The last couple of years the course has not been firm and fast very often.