The cold weather has arrived, making it more tempting to sit by the fire with a hot toddy than hit the course. There are many benefits to playing golf through the winter months. From a playing perspective, the experience playing in different and challenging weather can really improve your game. Adapting to various conditions is a crucial part of being a great golfer.
Here are a few tips to make your winter golf more enjoyable. The fire will be waiting!
Keep Warm
Keeping warm in the cold can make the difference between an enjoyable game and a miserable one. Here are some tips:
Wear layers
You can always remove layers if you get warm, but you can’t add layers you don’t have. Be prepared, wear warm socks and layered clothing to keep you warm.
Handwarmers
Keep handwarmers in your pocket and put your hands in your pocket between rounds. Your hands are your only link to the club so keeping them warm will improve your feel.
Eat & drink
Eat foods and drink liquids that raise your body temperature. Coffee, green tea, coconut milk and high protein foods are all beneficial for this.
Realistic Expectations
When the temperature dips and conditions are less than the summer ideal, it is unrealistic to think that you will play as well as when conditions are at their peak. Dr. Karl Morris, mind coach to four major golf champions, says this: “As a general rule, given the state of courses between November and February and the harshness of our weather, I don’t think it’s unreasonable for us to add two strokes on to the par of the course for each nine, making a par-68 course a par 72 and so on. The point of this isn’t to be a defeatist, it’s to increase your chances of a confidence-boosting winter by being realistic.”
Tools of the Trade
Use a softer golf ball
You may not hit the ball as far with a softer-covered golf ball, but you’ll have a little more feel. The Pro V1 is one great option for a softer ball for winter golf.
Try high-vis yellow golf balls
Yellow golf balls perform the same as white ones and are easier to spot among leaves or frost. Yellow is the most visible colour in the spectrum, so using a yellow ball makes helps to increase visibility even at long distances. An extensive visibility test to determine how much easier it is for players to see yellow golf balls compared to white revealed that at 225 yards, yellow golf balls were twice as easy to see as white.
So put on your layers, grab your clubs and enjoy a game of winter golf. There’ll be plenty of time for telling stories by our fire, over a drink or a meal, after your game. Contact us at reservations@leevalley.com to book your tee time.