Winter is not officially here yet but we are starting to experience those winter temperatures. That means if we decide to play golf we need to make some adjustments to our game. We do not need to adjust our golf swings. Our approach toward each round will change slightly, but only when the temperatures get below 65°.
We also need to be aware of golf course conditions and how each golf course prepares for colder temperatures. Some, like TPC Louisiana, have overseeded with a winter Rye grass, while others choose to let their Bermuda grass go dormant. Both types of grass will play differently. Regardless of what grass you encounter on the greens, the soil underneath will most likely be softer. This means being aware of fixing pitch marks. Rye grass will react more like you experience all summer with a slightly slower speed. Dormant Bermuda on the other hand, will be like playing on packed-down mud and will be much faster than normal. You will also see a difference in your approach shot. The Rye will check up or possibly spin backward more than normal. The dormant Bermuda will do two things. The ball will either dig into the green and spin back or it will bounce and roll a lot. With dormant Bermuda grass, it will depend on how the golf course maintains that grass and whether it stays firm or becomes very soft. Of course, any rain doesn't evaporate and get out of the soil like it would during the summer and things can stay soft and wet for days.
When it comes to ways to maintain your play or possibly play better cold-weather golf than you normally do there are three main things that can help.
Dress warm while still being able to move freely. The more layers we put on the harder that becomes so I would suggest wearing pullovers, like the Clique pullover shown above, that are mid-weight. Most midweight pullovers have a warm lining without getting bulky and thick. This allows you to swing freely while staying warm and keeping the wind from cutting through. If you need to go warmer some fleece-lined pullovers and vests that would do that but they also will restrict some movement. If the temperatures get cold enough that a midweight pullover is not warm enough for you I would suggest a thermal base layer. There are many out there designed for sports activities that will allow you to stay warm without restricting movement. If it gets cold enough you need more than that I suggest staying in and forgetting about golf that day. 😂 If you are looking for options to layer up we have some in our Golf Nola shop for both Men and Women.
Know that the golf ball does not fly as far. Although I do not know the exact numbers of how many yards per degree drop I do know once temperatures get below 65° is when you start to see a difference. Once temperatures start to drop you can not compress the golf ball like you normally can when it is above 70°. Less compression means less energy through impact leading to shorter shots. This can also change in a single round. If you tee off early in the day you may have to hit 2 extra clubs for a particular distance on the first couple holes but only one extra club later in the round as it warms up. Once you are aware of this you can club accordingly to make sure you reach the green.
In keeping with the above tip there are two ways you can combat the loss of distance during cold weather golf. One way is simply playing up a tee from where you would normally play. Playing a shorter tee will allow you the opportunity to play the same as you do during warm-weather golf. This is especially helpful when your driver's distance is shorter. Let's say when playing your home course, on the first hole, you normally hit driver than 8-iron. When it's cold if you play the same tee you could only hit your driver to your 6-iron distance but would have to hit 4-iron to the green. Playing up a tee could potentially leave you with that normal driver, 8-iron combination on that hole. This varies per golfer and golfers with slower swing speeds will see a bigger difference. The other option is to play a lower-compression golf ball during cold weather golf. For example, I have a swing speed of 107mph and play the Bridgestone Tour B X designed for swings over 105mph. When temperatures drop below 60° I like to switch to the Bridgestone Tour B RX. The Rx series is a lower compression golf ball designed for swing between 90 and 104mph. The lower compression allows me to get similar distances during the cold weather that I would see with the BX during warmer weather.
I hope these tips help you enjoy cold-weather golf better and enjoy the game during a time it is difficult to have fun and score well. Some hot chocolate during the round also wouldn't hurt to help you stay warm and the chocolate is good for keeping your energy levels up.
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