How long is your golf season - weather permitting?

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

This is my first year playing a course with a curtailed golf season due to the climate. I played most of my golf in Ireland where it's a year-round sport (unless you're unlucky enough to be a member of a boggy parkland course), so I never thought much about it until this year. Where I am in mid-Sweden (Stockholm), many courses will close in late October/early November and open again in late April/early May.

The thought of having to wait 5-6 months is depressing. I do have the option to play Bro-Bĺlsta's Winter Tour on their 3rd nine (it's the main 18 holes that are closed Oct-May), but with -5C to -10C temperatures, and fairways and greens covered in snow, I think I'll stay in bed over the winter weekends.

They make 'em tough in Sweden

http://www.brobalstagk.se/vintertour/Tour_2008-2009/foto-2009-02-08.htm

So how long is your golf season? Only answer if your season is shortened due to the climate. Where is your course? Where is the border line from US East coast to West coast where play is possible/not possible during the winter? What condition is the course in after the winter? Are there some winters where you're lucky enough to play the whole season? Do you practice indoors in the winter? What do the greens staff do during the winter?

[Carl Nichols]

I live in Washington, DC, which seems to be pretty close to the East Coast dividing line for courses that stay (fully) open all year and those that close for part of the winter.  In a typical year, my course will shut the greens down on January 1, and then open them back up at some point in March.  There are usually plenty of days in January and February that are warm enough to play, in which case I either find somewhere that has regular greens or play my course with temp greens.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Donal,
Realistically, April 1st through October 31st (NW Connecticut). Southern Ct. has courses that stay open all winter if there is no snow cover.

There is a course south of Albany, NY ( Hudson River Valley) that also stays open, weather permitting.

Anything north of Albany NY, Springfield Ma., Worcester, Ma., is ordinarily closed after October 31st.

If you want to play golf in comfortable weather during the months of January and February you really need to be in Florida (preferably S. Florida).

[Chris Buie]

They used to close Augusta for the summer.  I suppose they still do. 

[Kalen Braley]

Northern Utah typically has at least a 8-9 month season.  You can almost always find somewhere to play from March thru November.  December - Feburary is a crap shoot though.  3 years ago we had a mild winter and I got a lot of golf, albiet cold golf in. But the last two winters we've had more snow on the ground and I didn't even pick up a club for 2-3 months.

[Adrian_Stiff]

From the South of England we play all year, probably more than half the courses use temporary greens during the winter typical Nov 1st -March 31st, mainly for frosts or very prolonged rain at the older courses. It would be nice to have a two month break for January and February but whilst a lot of golfers are summer golfers you will never get clubs to shut down totally...makes sense in many ways gives the staff a break for holidays, so reduces staff costs, reduces clubhouse energy costs (at peak times), saves vital wear on a course during a time when the grass is virtually dormant.

[Greg Chambers]

We are getting set to close our course this weekend.    We will re-open about the last weekend in April.  Between about mid-November till end of March we will be covered under feet of snow.  Course is at 8000ft elevation in the Colorado Rockies.

[Mark Smolens]

My guys play cart ball here in Chicago 12 months.  Sorry Mr. Morrow  .  Cart covers and a heater in the cupholder.  At least a dozen courses in the District will be open year round. . .

[Dale Jackson]

Here in the very southwest tip of Canada (Vancouver and Victoria) we golf 12 months a year, with some closures for frost or (very) occasional snow.  The rest of the country is closes down anytime between now and late November and opens mid February to late April.

One of the nice parts of living out here on the coast is playing on a nice sunny winter day, temperature about 10 or 15 degrees Celsius (50 - 60 Fahrenheit), getting home and watching the evening news to see that the rest of the country is in a deep freeze and/or blizzard!

It should be obvious by now that the rest of Canada views us as more than a little obnoxious about weather.

[JC Jones]

Northern Utah typically has at least a 8-9 month season.  You can almost always find somewhere to play from March thru November.  December - Feburary is a crap shoot though.  3 years ago we had a mild winter and I got a lot of golf, albiet cold golf in. But the last two winters we've had more snow on the ground and I didn't even pick up a club for 2-3 months.

What is it like a few hours north in Boise?

[Kalen Braley]

Northern Utah typically has at least a 8-9 month season.  You can almost always find somewhere to play from March thru November.  December - Feburary is a crap shoot though.  3 years ago we had a mild winter and I got a lot of golf, albiet cold golf in. But the last two winters we've had more snow on the ground and I didn't even pick up a club for 2-3 months.

What is it like a few hours north in Boise?

I'm guessing its similar JC, but I think they get less snow in the winter than we do..... but mostly just a guess on my part.

Kalen

[Carl Nichols]

Here in the very southwest tip of Canada (Vancouver and Victoria) we golf 12 months a year, with some closures for frost or (very) occasional snow.  The rest of the country is closes down anytime between now and late November and opens mid February to late April.

One of the nice parts of living out here on the coast is playing on a nice sunny winter day, temperature about 10 or 15 degrees Celsius (50 - 60 Fahrenheit), getting home and watching the evening news to see that the rest of the country is in a deep freeze and/or blizzard!

It should be obvious by now that the rest of Canada views us as more than a little obnoxious about weather.

Aren't there places in B.C. where the climate is considered Mediterranean, like Salt Spring Island and the others between Vancouver Island and the mainland? 

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

There was an article in the Irish Independent newspaper recently concerning frost and the pro Paul McGinley mentioned that Sunningdale did not close when there is frost. This seems surprising as there are very valid reasons for not allowing any traffic on the greens during frosty weather.

The problem in mid-Sweden and above, is that it goes below 0C almost every night from November to March and considering how low the sun is even at midday, many courses do not thaw out due to shade, even if the daytime temperature does get above 5C. We sometimes have temps of 10C in December, but unfortunately the courses are closed. We get very little snow here, usually up to 5-10 cm every few weeks between late December and March.

Mark:

I'm surprised to hear you can play during the winter in Chicago. I had thought your season would end in October or November as it's pretty cold there at this time of the year. I guess it can be bitterly cold there with the wind coming in off the lake?

Dale:

Lucky you! Just one more reason why it's good to live along the coast.

Jim:

Many Europeans head off to southern Spain and Portugal in the winter. The courses may not be great, but at least the weather is usually good.

[Bob Jenkins]

I live in the Vancouver area in south west BC and Dale is correct. We can regularly play every month of the year, although there are some times when we get snowed out or a cold spell. They usually do not last all that long. Although temporary greens can be used in the winter, many courses do not use them and prefer to close down if there is frost.

Carl,  the area you are thinking of is the Okanagan Valley east of Vancouver by a 4-5 hour drive. It is very arid but the courses up there do close, usually in late October or early November and reopen around early April, weather permitting. Although dry in that area, it tends to be cooler than the coast during the winter. Great golf up there for most of the year.

[Chris_Clouser]

We can play usually into November and get back out as early as March 1st, but some times we can play in the winter months as well.  In Southern Indiana I know several courses that stay open year round.

[Rick Shefchik]

Here in Minnesota, we're waiting for Monday's 3-inch snowfall to melt. We ought to be back at it by Thursday, maybe Friday if we're lucky. That's how it goes here in October, November, March and April. Sometimes we play a little in December; usually the season ends overnight. 

[Mark Pritchett]

Year round here in Georgia-lina. 

[Ash Towe]

We can play year round here in Auckland.  Temperatures are never a problem.  However we do get extensive rain which combined with clay based courses results in some regular but short periods of shut downs.

[Dan_Callahan]

Well, I was in Maine last weekend, and at 10:30 it was 40 degrees and windy. But if we had opted out because of the chill, we would have missed what turned into one of the best days of the year. Better still, we were pretty much the only people on the course.

[Sean Leary]

All year here in Seattle. I actually find that I play more in the winter than I do in the summer, as there is less to do...

[Jim Franklin]

We can play usually into November and get back out as early as March 1st, but some times we can play in the winter months as well.  In Southern Indiana I know several courses that stay open year round.

I hope this weekend isn't too cold as I am playing Crooked Stick and Sycamore Hills.

[Mark Smolens]

Donal, there is something to be said for jumping out of a heated cart, hitting a knockdown 5 iron from 80 yards about 30 yards short of the green, and watching it bounce across the frozen turf onto the green.  Sort of like playing links golf, except it's 20 degrees.

And the Windy City got its nickname from the actions of its politicians, not the weather, tho the Hawk can certainly make it uncomfortable out of the cart if there are dawdlers in the group. . . of which there are rarely any when the temp falls below 40!

[Rob Rigg]

I play almost all year round in Portland, OR unless it gets wicked nasty - a lot of the private clubs have really good drainage after years of top dressing, unfortunately the course I tend to play on gets a bit boggy when it's super wet.

Having grown up in Toronto when golf season ended promptly at the end of October and did not real get going again until May (I think - depending on the winter or when hockey season ended) - golfing it up in the PNW is nice if you don't mind some less than ideal weather.

Of course the Cali guys are 365 golf . . . grrrr.

[Richard Hetzel]

Here in Cincinnati it is approximately 7 - 7.5  months. I played my first round March 14th this year, and am hoping to play my last round at the end of October. It gets dicey starting right now as far as the weather goes. Of course, I will play well into the low 40's as long as it is without an Open Championship wind!

[Andrew Jenkins]

Hey Dan,

Is that Belgrade Lakes I see in your pics? What a cool spot. I went to college up the road at Colby... I wished I played golf when I was in school because I would of spent all my free time at Belgrade Lakes. I made my first ever birdie there on a blind pitch on to the first hole. I thought I hit a good shot, then got up to the green and didn't see my ball. I then proceeded to look around the green for 5 minutes while the group behind me waited, until finally I decided to check the hole. A little embarrassing... I always make it a point to stop and play when I go back to visit.

As far as the golf season in Boston is concerned, I'm guessing most courses close up shop on first snow, although I hear some of the Cape courses stay open as long there is no snow cover.

Andy