Winter Golf- Who has the advantage?

[3offTheTee]

There are about 15 of us that have a roll up on a Saturday in Winter.

Shorter course, temporary greens, preferred lies through the green.

Higher handicappers have usually won as they reach the par 4’s in 2, although lower handicap players could reach par 5’s in 2( more par 4’s than 5’s)

Some lower handicappers feel at a disadvantage.

What is the general feeling please?

 

[r0wly86]

The biggest difference between high and low handicappers to me is the short game.

Temporary greens rob the lower handicappers of that advantage

 

[duncan mackie]

Understandable feeling

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

There are about 15 of us that have a roll up on a Saturday in Winter.

Shorter course, temporary greens, preferred lies through the green.

Higher handicappers have usually won as they reach the par 4’s in 2, although lower handicap players could reach par 5’s in 2( more par 4’s than 5’s)

Some lower handicappers feel at a disadvantage.

What is the general feeling please?

I think lower handicappers at a disadvantage - but not through shorter holes so much - but when temp greens in play. Low handicapper will generally hit higher % of shots closer to the flag - but when on temps you can still be closer to the flag than your higher handicap opponent - but you still have much harder down in two than when same distance putting on the green.

 

[upsidedown]

When on temps the higher handicaps have the advantage all day long at ours, as they are a lot shorter than the main greens.

 

[nairn1967]

There are about 15 of us that have a roll up on a Saturday in Winter.

Shorter course, temporary greens, preferred lies through the green.

Higher handicappers have usually won as they reach the par 4’s in 2, although lower handicap players could reach par 5’s in 2( more par 4’s than 5’s)

Some lower handicappers feel at a disadvantage.

What is the general feeling please?

If it's like my course...half a course and still play from full H/Cap it's a no contest for the lower guys..

 

[Hobbit]

Another ‘win’ for the high handicapper, providing it isn’t frozen solid, is a drive heading towards the deep stuff can pull up before it gets there because the ground is soft, and the long grass has died back...

 

[rosecott]

Our course is normal length, normal tees, normal greens.

Who would have advantage in that situation?

 

[Capella]

Didn't we have that discussion just a few weeks before? Seems oddly familiar.

Anyway. I'd say it depends on why the higher handicappers are higher handicappers. If it is mostly because they struggle with length, then yes, playing the shorter course might actually give them an advantage and help them to play better than their handicap (even though, depending on temperatures and ground conditions, you lose quite a bit of distance compared to summer as well, so maybe the difference is not even that great). This is true for older players, for example, if they bring many years of experience to the game and have just lost some of their distance due to their age. A high handicapped beginner on the other hand probably does not profit so much (or not at all), because the temporary greens tend to be smaller and very tricky to play to. It is less a question of handicap, more one of specific skill set. But yes, a different layout might favour different players. Suck it up and deal with it. Winter is almost over anyway and then things are back to normal.

 

[jim8flog]

I think the ones with the biggest advantage are those that do not feel the cold and do not have to put on loads of layers so can swing normally.

Great quote from one of mates yesterday.

" this is like swinging in a sleeping bag".

 

[Imurg]

Our course is normal length, normal tees, normal greens.

Who would have advantage in that situation?

The longer hitter - probably, but not necessarily, the lower handicapper

 

[jim8flog]

When it comes to the course and temp greens, as a relatively lower handicap I feel that I lose my advantage of being a very good putter (3 putts are a rarity).

 

[USER1999]

The person who reads frozen worm casts the best.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We're on full greens and our roll up play off the whites so it's a long course. Recently and unsurprisingly it's playing into the long hitter's hands. That does get levelled out a degree with frozen greens and the lottery of whether the balls will rocket off of come in short and find an odd bounce and shoot off at a strange angle.

To be honest in the predicted conditions and temperature, I can't see any merit with playing tomorrow or Sunday. Bitterly cold and then a wind chill taking it lower and a deep frost I think I'll give all golf including the range a wide berth this weekend. A day in front of the telly watching sport tomorrow and a pub lunch on Sunday. The low and high handicappers can lock horns for a few quid on their own

 

[clubchamp98]

Temp greens are a nightmare for good putters and the bobble theory comes into play.
A good putter will get 80% on line so any bobble left or right will miss .
A average putter 50% but the ones that are offline have a chance if it bobbles the right way.
Bad putter well enough said.
This assumes you get the pace right.
Temps are just a walk in the park to keep your swing going so I don’t worry to much.
I just won’t play for a lot of money on temps.

But one of the big advantages is there are no bunkers around the temps .
But I know a scratch capper who was like a 28 out of bunkers.

We had a system years ago
Main tees main greens full h/cap.
Main tees temp greens 3/4 h/cap.
temp tees temp greens 1/2 h/cap

cant see any one has a big advantage it’s just a knock.

 

[MadAdey]

Our course is normal length, normal tees, normal greens.

Who would have advantage in that situation?

That sort of depends of the length of the holes. If you have a long course then I would say long hitting low handicappers are at an advantage as they will still be able to hit the greens in regulation, and the soft greens will make it even easier for them.

But if you play at a short course, then I think the higher handicap starts to get the advantage. Hitting greens geta easier as they are soft and any short shots are easier to get close as there is not a lot of run out, so making what would normally be a tough little chip shot now is easier to get close.

 

[Grant85]

Higher handicappers def have a clear advantage in winter conditions.

V little rough. Many bunkers not in play. Temp greens usually v flat. Much shorter course.

Meanwhile they are still getting their shots despite the course not really having many teeth to bare.

 

[Junior]

High handicappers clean up in Winter at our course. The main reason being is that we hit of mats, so striking the ball (especially chipping and pitching) becomes so much easier. The shorter course also helps.

The other week I was 2 under for 13 holes and came around 10th. I worked out that I needed to have been 6 under gross to win.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Higher handicappers def have a clear advantage in winter conditions.

V little rough. Many bunkers not in play. Temp greens usually v flat. Much shorter course.

Meanwhile they are still getting their shots despite the course not really having many teeth to bare.

So do low handicappers only win in the summer because........
Surely low handicappers are low because they’re good, not because high handicappers are in the rough, in all the bunkers, putting on sloped greens and the course is long.
Surely with the low handicappers ability the winter conditions you describe sound perfect for them to rip the course apart.
I agree that winter conditions will give a high handicapper a helping hand, but not a clear advantage.
Out of the 2 groups, one is mostly depending on ability while the other is hoping for a bit of luck.
This thread makes it sound as if once winter comes low handicappers lose their ability to hit a fairway, forget their club distances and the ability to putt.

 

[louise_a]

Winter golf is just that, a time for practicing and not worrying about the player who is getting 2 shots on a shortened par 3.