Feeding Your Golf Addiction in Winter, Pt. 1: Golfing

This is the first in a series of essays on things that can feed your golf addiction in the off-season, when cold and snow drive those of us in the northern climes away from our beloved game.

Play golf

The best thing a golfer can do outside of the golf season is play golf. There’s no need to stay off the track just because it’s gotten cold. If the ground is clear of snow, at least one lane is likely open. There will be several in southeastern Michigan.

I’ve also noticed that even on the coldest days, when there’s no snow, I won’t be the only one on the trail. I suspect there are a lot of people in Michigan who play year round.

The key is not to expect much. The cold temperatures, hard ground and wind will all prevent you from scoring well. Many courses have temporary winter greens, so putting is not optimal. Some golf courses in Michigan even flip the tees. You start with a temporary tee at the 18th green and play backwards to the 18th tee box, which has a hole cut in it. The last hole is the first tee.

Good clothing is essential. Keep your head covered, your core warm and dress in layers. I wear a wool hat from Tilley (love the built-in earflaps), winter weight golf pants from Under Armour, a heavy fleece or sweatshirt and maybe an insulated vest. Woolen socks are required, as are waterproof shoes.

Old Boy Scout says: There’s no such thing as bad weather. There are just bad clothing choices.

Of course, all that extra clothing prevents a complete service. But maybe that’s a good thing. I tend to exaggerate anyway.

I generally play these winter rounds with a Sunday bag loaded with a driver, a few hybrids, maybe a wedge and a putter.

On hard ground, hybrids make it easier to sweep the ball off the ground, rather than digging into it. Lob shots are impossible, but that makes it a good time to practice sweeping. The winter winds – at least in Michigan – are often strong, so I have to work on keeping the shots low.

Golf ball selection is important. I use low compression balls. I use for T-shirts rubber winter golf tees, like these on Amazon. The hard ground often makes it impossible to use a traditional tee.

Winter golf is fun, though. I have played golf in Michigan every month of the year for the past 129 months in a row. Once the snow clears and the sky is sunny, I pack my clubs for the course.