Golf Year Round? Maybe not so Good!

[NM Golf]

I've been playing golf year round for the last 20 years, no burnout here. My only complaint is when things come up and I can't play. Mind you my play decreases significantly in the winter due to weather and lack of sunlight. I might only play 4-5 times a month compared to 4-5 times a week in the summer. 

 

[shanksalot]

My wife and I play three times a week year round. Been retired since 1990 and the only time I got burned out when I play over 300 rounds three years in a row. It felt like I was going to work after awhile, so I stopped for a while and then came back to the 3 times a week. The last half dozen years I have had some surgeries and that gave me some time off. When I can back I was chomping at the bit to play again. Take time off until you feel like you need to play some more golf. It is no fun if you do not enjoy it.

[Patch]

In fairness to the OP, I think moving from a cooler, wetter climate, to a warmer, more drier climate, eventually takes it's toll on the human body. 

I think if I moved up north, it would take me a good 6 months to acclimate myself to the weather change. Maybe even longer. 

Add in the copious amount of alcohol in hotter weather, and anyone's body would need a breather. 

[Archie44]

17 hours ago, iacas said:

Golf burnout aside… what's the biggest swing you can make where you hit a non-flipped shot with a 7-iron? Can you hit a chip without flipping? Can you hit the 7-iron 30 yards? 50 without flipping?

That's not an unsolvable problem.

Thanks for that!  I will give that a try!  I would formerly hit my 7 iron up to 165 yards with a good swing and a full turn.  Can't do that as well anymore.  Again, thank you!

Arch

[Archie44]

2 hours ago, Cantankerish said:

I think that just about anyone who witnesses their ability in anything slowly and inexorably deteriorate is going to want to quit.

 

I agree with the folks recommending moderation, and not just with the golf.  It reads as though you promised yourself a particular lifestyle when you retired and went whole hog into it as soon as you got there.

You are correct.  Main reason for move was my wife's health issues (RA) but I was up as soon as the sun was up every morning hitting golf balls at a very nice (and shady) range with regular golf balls--not the limited flight balls.  I got good, played with a bunch of great guys but then could feel myself getting bored.  And then we found a prestigious facility that has two golf courses and both are beautiful!  And then I got even more bored after we joined.  I think I will just take the rest of November off and try to get back to it in December.  Thanks for your thoughts Cantankerish!

Arch

[iacas]

53 minutes ago, Archie44 said:

Thanks for that!  I will give that a try!  I would formerly hit my 7 iron up to 165 yards with a good swing and a full turn.  Can't do that as well anymore.  Again, thank you!

Sure, to be clear, I'm just saying to hit a little punch shot where you have the shaft leaning forward at impact. If that's a chip shot, and anything longer leads to flipping… just find that one point where that change occurs from shaft lean to flip.

[Archie44]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

Sure, to be clear, I'm just saying to hit a little punch shot where you have the shaft leaning forward at impact. If that's a chip shot, and anything longer leads to flipping… just find that one point where that change occurs from shaft lean to flip.

Yes!  Your description and vision you provided is excellent!  The forward shaft lean has been a real struggle for me.  Envisioning a chip shot with a 7-iron and progressing from there to a full shot makes a whole lot of sense!  Again, thank you Iacas!

Arch

[djake]

20 hours ago, dennyjones said:

If you only retired to play golf in a warmer climate, you probably should not have retired.  

Find another hobby, take up hiking, bike riding, swimming, volunteering your time, anything to take a break from golf.     I enjoy golf immensely but that wasn't why I retired. Life is too short to be limited by just playing golf.  

Ok, have you ever lived thru 1 Minnesota winter?  It's what we dream about.

Warmth in January and golfing.

Hell, it was 3 flippin degrees this morning. AND IT'S ONLY NOVEMBER

 

[Double Mocha Man]

5 minutes ago, djake said:

Hell, it was 3 flippin degrees this morning. 

 

Uh okay, absolutely tropical.  Remember to have a cocktail with a little umbrella after your round today.  

[Archie44]

16 minutes ago, djake said:

Ok, have you ever lived thru 1 Minnesota winter?  It's what we dream about.

Warmth in January and golfing.

Hell, it was 3 flippin degrees this morning. AND IT'S ONLY NOVEMBER

 

Yes!  Lived through winter of 1973 in Thief River Falls, MN where the temp never got above -20!  We lived in MN (Minnetonka area) for 25 years!  Could not have lived through spring/summer of 2019 where all it did was rain, wind, clouds and cold!  Maybe there is something to the idea of SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorder)?

Thanks!

Arch

[stricklerlee]

I’ve played a lot of golf recently for the past two years. I started playing in October of 2017. Then, I started taking a break just two to three months ago. Now, my game has deteriorated a bit but I have found myself more movitated now. 

I am trying to be prepared for the upcoming pat event in December but more likely next year.

[RWC]

Good luck to the OP in finding balance both in your golf as well as lifestyle. I've been retired for 11 years and my golf game has slowly gotten stronger but only after a couple of years of way too much golf - it got to the point where it seemed almost like a job. Now I play twice a week and practice 1 day - this has become a reasonable balance for my body and my enthusiasm. 

As to the year round aspect - well living in Chicago, we are happy to have a 7 month season. Snow on the ground for the last couple of days but might hit 45 next week - perfect for a quick 9 holes. Best of luck!!

[Archie44]

9 minutes ago, RWC said:

Good luck to the OP in finding balance both in your golf as well as lifestyle. I've been retired for 11 years and my golf game has slowly gotten stronger but only after a couple of years of way too much golf - it got to the point where it seemed almost like a job. Now I play twice a week and practice 1 day - this has become a reasonable balance for my body and my enthusiasm. 

As to the year round aspect - well living in Chicago, we are happy to have a 7 month season. Snow on the ground for the last couple of days but might hit 45 next week - perfect for a quick 9 holes. Best of luck!!

Yes.  Good call RWC!  With the addictive nature of the game of golf, It is so difficult to not get up and go out to the course to hit a few wedge shots or practice chipping or pitching.  It's just fun but as others have pointed out, it can lead to bad habits.  I had the good fortune of being able to play any sport well as a kid and young adult.  And then it all caught up with me with 4 back surgeries from 1978-2014.  Despite extensive PT, I really never got back to where I was.  So that's where your idea of "balance" comes in.  Never been able to do it!  I am almost 73 and my brain still thinks I can shoot long-range jump shots in basketball and play fast-pitch softball.  Nope!  But golf...it has this magnetic feeling where one thinks he/she can still hit a small ball with a big stick.  Where IS the balance in that?  I cannot find it.  I just want to be active and enjoy sunshine and golf but one day, all I do is chunk the ball and the next, hit it pure.  Golf is a love-hate relationship and to find balance, as you suggested, should be my goal.  

Thank you!

Arch

[WUTiger]

My area's weather has limits on golf. For example, you can't post scores for HDCP from November through February.

HDCP postings aside, there's usually a few days a month during winter when you could go out and play. Big limit: the course doesn't like people slamming irons against frozen turf and damaging the grass roots.

With simulators at golf shops, you can always rent some launch monitor time when its snowy outdoors. This is a good time to spend a half hour focusing on just one aspect of your game.

I'm usually a little sore and tired after tournament stretch, so a break is welcome. Also, I make sure I get my income tax done along with any recycling, etc., so I can play once the weather warms up.

[Typhoon92]

Archie, check out some Monte Scheinblum Instruction videos on YouTube.  Pretty close on the last name.  He was a former Long Drive guy.  A friend was telling me he has this “ no turn” swing that makes it impossible to flip the club is it’s an iron. 
I haven’t checked it out, he had me try to flip it while doing the swing and we watched the video...even when I tried to flip it I couldn’t.

[Double Mocha Man]

37 minutes ago, WUTiger said:

Also, I make sure I get my income tax done along with any recycling, etc., so I can play once the weather warms up.

Gotta get those income taxes filed and the refund check in the mail.  Buys you the new clubs... new driver... couple of dozen balls to kick off the season.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 11/12/2019 at 4:19 PM, Archie44 said:

Yes!  Your description and vision you provided is excellent!  The forward shaft lean has been a real struggle for me.  Envisioning a chip shot with a 7-iron and progressing from there to a full shot makes a whole lot of sense!  Again, thank you Iacas!

Arch

Makes a lot of sense to me as well. I remember distinctly a round where I parked a drive in the right rough on a par 5, and needed to hit a low punch under an overhanging limb, to get it back out into the fairway. I took a low iron, back when I still hit low irons, played it back in my stance, and hit it with a lot of forward shaft lean. The results were incredible! The ball took off like it had been nuked! And you know what? I didn't really swing all that hard! 

[Seenya]

Something I learned from a friend a long time ago was that if you start flipping, which I had a tendency to do, focus on a spot about 2-3 inches in front of the ball (target side of the ball) instead of focusing on the ball itself. This always did the trick for me and I will even do it on the course if I start flipping or hitting shots fat.

I also bought a DST Compressor and practice with it regularly. Not a ton of balls but about 10-15 and that helps to ingrain the proper hand position. It's a curved club that forces you to put your hands in the impact position at address. If you're flipping, you'll know. Without a doubt.