THE FIRST SNOW FELL in our mountains early this morning. It snowed all day, a wet snow that’s not ideal for sledding but makes a dangerous snowball. Although winter doesn’t officially begin until December 21, snowfall and temperatures dipping into the 20s make me feel as if winter has arrived. It also signals the end of golf for some.
I saw a poll at PGA.com that asks how the winter months affect readers’ golf game. I took the poll, but I was more interested in the results (so far):
39% Golf is year round for me, there is no off-season
I saw a poll at PGA.com that asks how the winter months affect readers’ golf game. I took the poll, but I was more interested in the results (so far):
39% Golf is year round for me, there is no off-season
22% I will read articles online, in books and magazines
15% I will travel somewhere that I can play
13% I will find some place that is open outside, even if I hit balls into the snow
11% I will take lessons at an indoor facility
The truth is, winter will not affect my golf game at all. I haven’t played a round of golf or even hit a ball since July. I’ve been hampered by a strained left shoulder. Nothing too serious, but it’s kept me off the golf course.
My “Armchair Golfer” moniker is well earned.
Winter Golf in Seattle
There was a time when I was an avid winter golfer. It was years ago when I lived in Seattle. I played with a golf buddy named Russ who was a former college golfer at the University of Washington. Russ hit a nice ball. His college golf days included tournament rounds with players such as Fred Couples and Corey Pavin.
For a couple of years, Russ and I were members of a small private club south of Seattle. Our rule of thumb for winter rounds: If it was 40 degrees or above, we teed it up. If it rained, we played. (It always rains in Seattle.) We put on our rain suits and golf boots. We slogged through nine holes after work and 18 on Saturdays. We tried to keep our golf gear from getting completely soaked. (We never succeeded.) We always walked. On weekends, we ate lunch in the clubhouse and watched sports.
The days weren’t all that pretty, the course was often a bog, and the ball didn’t go very far in the cold and wet. Still, I loved it. I never regretted being on the golf course on those gray winter days.
−The Armchair Golfer
(Image: Jeff Cushner/Flickr)
The truth is, winter will not affect my golf game at all. I haven’t played a round of golf or even hit a ball since July. I’ve been hampered by a strained left shoulder. Nothing too serious, but it’s kept me off the golf course.
My “Armchair Golfer” moniker is well earned.
Winter Golf in Seattle
There was a time when I was an avid winter golfer. It was years ago when I lived in Seattle. I played with a golf buddy named Russ who was a former college golfer at the University of Washington. Russ hit a nice ball. His college golf days included tournament rounds with players such as Fred Couples and Corey Pavin.
For a couple of years, Russ and I were members of a small private club south of Seattle. Our rule of thumb for winter rounds: If it was 40 degrees or above, we teed it up. If it rained, we played. (It always rains in Seattle.) We put on our rain suits and golf boots. We slogged through nine holes after work and 18 on Saturdays. We tried to keep our golf gear from getting completely soaked. (We never succeeded.) We always walked. On weekends, we ate lunch in the clubhouse and watched sports.
The days weren’t all that pretty, the course was often a bog, and the ball didn’t go very far in the cold and wet. Still, I loved it. I never regretted being on the golf course on those gray winter days.
−The Armchair Golfer
(Image: Jeff Cushner/Flickr)
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