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John Shimony

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Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« on: November 08, 2010, 01:46:58 PM »
Last winter was the first I played continuously through the season except when snow covered the ground in Philadelphia.  I became aware that holes without run-up approaches are not ideal when the ground is as hard as concrete.  I played an 8 or 9 iron to a par three green fronted by a creek that sent my ball probably 20 or more yards over the green with one bounce.  While its playable it's very different and you have to love the game to play endure those conditions. 

Aside from plateau greens, or constricted approaches, what else would you say are features that do not lend themselves to winter play?  Or what features do lend themselves to such conditions?

What generally do you like or dislike about winter golf?

John Shimony
Philadelphia, PA

PCCraig

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2010, 02:24:18 PM »
I'm all about winter golf and if the temp. is above 38*, there is no snow on the ground, and little wind...I'll try to get outside and play a few holes. Most clubs and courses here in Chicago cover their greens in the winter, so many times you're playing to temp greens which isn't ideal but at least you're playing golf :)

If somehow we catch a great day where it's 50* in the middle of winter, I'll try to head to one of the courses around here that doesn't cover their greens (Winnetka Par-3, Sunset Valley, Cog Hill #1 and #3). Then it's just getting over the shaggy greens which stimp at about 5 as well as dealing with the crowds of Chicago golfers who have the same idea as you!
H.P.S.

John Kavanaugh

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2010, 02:40:37 PM »
I play all winter regardless of temperature.  I started my last sabbatical from GCA by getting a hole in one in 28 deg weather on my first day away from the site.  It was during a five man wolf game on frozen greens to a pin that remained frozen in the cup.  The Golf Gods clearly were on my side.

I use to live in Chicago and to say 38* is winter weather is like saying Jane Byrne understood how to manage a snow event.  I played in 38* weather just last week down on the Indiana/Kentucky border.

The only disappointment I have with winter golf is that far to many people no longer believe it begins the day after labor day.

Jud_T

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2010, 02:47:20 PM »
Winter golf is about as close to firm/fast conditions as your going to find on most northern courses which are on clay.  Pat,  check out Waveland.  Fun track when you can get around in under 3 hours....
Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

John Kavanaugh

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2010, 02:52:06 PM »
The ground rarely freezes in an old divot and aeration holes from October usually can be found when you need to tee a ball.

I can't imagine paying green fees to play winter golf so it is a bastion of private clubs but if curling were an option I doubt I would golf at all.

Tim Martin

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2010, 03:04:52 PM »
John-I`m a big fan of winter golf and use Shennecossett Golf Club in Groton Connecticut as the go to spot. The pins are in all winter long weather permitting. If it`s above 35 degrees with winds at approx. 25 mph sustained or less its a go. The conditions can be fast and firm, wet and soggy with no roll or fast and firm on steroids if its semi-frozen. I would agree that elevated greens make for the toughest shots as the ground game is front and center in these conditions. Frozen bodies of water can present challenging shot making possibilities and be used for an array of side bets. My favorite spot is South Jersey around Atlantic City as there are a pile of good courses with reduced rates. True winter golf requires the pins to be in or you might as well just go hit it around in an open field. Once you embrace the weather and course conditions its a blast.

Michael Hayes

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2010, 03:05:28 PM »
My winter golf consists of a week in Bandon, and a snowshoe tourny in Feb.  I don't miss slogging in the rain in the Seattle area at all anymore.  

Curling and Skiing are now my winter activities.

MH
Bandonistas Unite!!!

John Shimony

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #7 on: November 08, 2010, 03:15:44 PM »
I have a municipal course next to my house that is playable and they only charge you about 15 bucks if they charge you anything.  Sometimes the guy at the counter just laughs and tells you to go on out.  Usually the course is empty which allows you to play across holes, playing from the tee of one hole to the green of a completely different hole making it a par 10 if you want.
John Shimony
Philadelphia, PA

Tim Martin

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #8 on: November 08, 2010, 03:18:31 PM »
In real winter golf, drivers are useless anyway because you can't get a tee in the ground...

Dave-I`ve seen guys use small ball peen hammers to take care of that problem. These are the same guys that have more equipment than ice fisherman including hand warmers, special gloves, face masks, thermals and all manner of flasks loaded with mysterious and potent concoctions.  

Jud_T

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Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

Joe Bausch

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2010, 04:21:53 PM »
John, when the ground gets frozen I'll still play, but it is really just for the exercise.  I had a hard-core buddy that would join me a few years back at the now deceased Valley Forge (Findlay) in King of Prussia.  They charged 10 bucks and we would walk and play 18 holes in way less than 3h.  Once we played in 2h 15 min.  Just good clean fun, but I guess I consider it a much different game at that point.
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

JLahrman

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2010, 04:29:31 PM »
Winter golf is best to play in late November/early December.  A sunny 40-degree day that time of year keeps everyone inside.  In March, the first sunny 40-degree day will have everybody out at the course.

Frozen ground is a must.  The wild bounces are a ton of fun, but as mentioned courses that are designed for target golf become extremely difficult.

I'm always amazed at how much a round of golf can warm you up.  When I was in grad school in Bloomington, Indiana, a classmate's boyfriend was in town and wanted to play a round of golf.  It was late February and still cold out.  I'm pretty hardy, but when I was driving up to the course I was thinking "I can't believe this guy actually wants to play in this weather".  And it was cold for the first two holes, but walking and swinging can really warm you up quick.  After a couple of holes it was really quite pleasant.

Colin Macqueen

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #12 on: November 08, 2010, 08:57:46 PM »
In days of yore and as a wee boy I would go out and play Ashludie not far from Carnoustie during Christmas school holidays as there were few people around.  I remember being astounded at the kangaroo bounces the ball would take when you hit the green. Your drives would run forever creating delusions of grandeur! Some poorly drained bunkers would have a thin skim of frozen ice in their low points. You used to play with red golf balls if there was too much snow around. By far the worst thing was the jarring pain inflicted in your cold hands (my tiny hand is frozen!) whenever you mistimed a hit....the ball used to feel like a pebble.

Cheers Colin
"Golf, thou art a gentle sprite, I owe thee much"
The Hielander

Adam Clayman

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #13 on: November 08, 2010, 09:57:13 PM »
In real winter golf, drivers are useless anyway because you can't get a tee in the ground...

Carry a pencil sharpener. One of those little plastic jobbies that we use to use in the first grade. They work perfect with wooden tees on frozen ground.

I love figuring how far short I have to hit a shot to get it to conclude on the green. 200 yards is a nice 8 iron. Water hazards are too much fun to negotiate. How can you resist?
« Last Edit: November 08, 2010, 09:59:38 PM by Adam Clayman »
"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle

RJ_Daley

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #14 on: November 08, 2010, 11:05:03 PM »
I've played every month but Feb, in Green Bay.  We usually have one guy carry the hammer for teeing.  Although the course we play in deep winter when there is no snow cover, or just mostly filling bunkers, they don't technically allow using the tee boxes.  But, sometimes we use them when out of site of the clubhouse, because the tee blocks in the FW suck and render too many of the holes on the course too short.  The coolest thing on that particular course is well riprapped pond edges, where when it freezes solid and a ball hits the pure ice, when no snow has accumulated, a neat boi, oi, oi, woi, woi, yoi sound reverberates for a few moments.  A few years ago, some dope hit his ball out thirty feet or more on the ice and inched his way out with his water ball retreiver, and when he got about 10ft off shore, went though the ice in about 3-4ft of water... 

A few years ago, we had an unusually warm spell through Dec., and it was quite a physical stress playing golf in the day, and curling in league at night, and go back to golf the next day.  This is one place I suspected I screwed up my back for several years with too much stress on back muscles.  Hitting irons hard off frozen turf has a bad cumulative effect...  ::) :-\
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Matt Harrison

Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #15 on: November 08, 2010, 11:19:31 PM »
Winter golf is great, especially now that I live in Kentucky instead of Michigan.  I would love to tell the story about the winter golf round where my partner fell through the ice after I goaded him into playing a shot off the frozen creek...but I am afraid it is one of those "had to be there" stories.

Mark McKeever

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #16 on: November 09, 2010, 09:25:50 AM »
I dont mind playing in the winter as long as the course isnt frozen.  It wears on me quickly when everything I hit ends up wayyyy long of the green.  Playing blades gets painful on slight mis-hits as well.


Mark
Best MGA showers - Bayonne

"Dude, he's a total d***"

Tom ORourke

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #17 on: November 09, 2010, 09:35:41 AM »
I play at Moorestown Field Club, a 9 hole course just east of Philadelphia. We play a lot of winter golf as the snow often does not cross the Delaware River. Our 8th hole becomes the toughest hole on the course and in winter it plays at 100 yards. But over a creek with OB behind the green. You can aim for the bunkers but they can be frozen as well. You will also find out soon enough where the predominant wind comes from. It blows down 2 and 3 on our course and your face will freeze off until you get to 4 and get some blockage from houses. It becomes links golf as you need to land shots 30 yards short and play the bounce. It is good practice for firm and fast conditons. You learn trajectory control as well. If the course is open we are playing. The coldest we play in is around 23 - 27 degrees. We will usually have around 6 to 8 guys every weekend if the course is open. You better have a course without forced carries to your greens.

Ian_L

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #18 on: November 09, 2010, 08:35:36 PM »
http://www.golf.com/golf/gallery/article/0,28242,1670474-1,00.html

Looks like a fun place to design a course! Powder snow for bunkers, large icebergs to use as other kinds of hazards...

Mark Chaplin

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #19 on: November 10, 2010, 01:45:08 PM »
Are the courses in Boston open early December??
Cave Nil Vino

Sev K-H Keil

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Re: Winter Golf (not for everyone)
« Reply #20 on: November 10, 2010, 06:15:35 PM »
The weather around the Jersey Shore tends to be a bit milder. Apart from last year, we've been fortunate enough to play November, December January --- GN stays open year round --- I believe 2 years ago we actually played the day before Christmas and had a great round --- if you are looking for winter game, please feel free to PM me.

On a separate note, I'm a big fan of winter golf in England --- it rarely gets too cold, you have the course to yourself and conditions are excellent --- a little wind and hard turf make it fun --- the lunch & wine in the club house tastes even better. While others may fly to Scottsdale, Florida or DR now, I'm looking forward to a December round at Deal...