Winter withdrawal...how do you cope?

[BigAl5150]

Besides drinking more beer?

This winter I'm going to be changing my grip so I plan on working on that everyday as well as spending some quality time with my Z-Factor . Also going to hit the golf dome a couple of times/month as well.

[meenman]

I just try to suck it up on those 55 degree early mornings and pray that I can lose the windbreaker between shots on the back 9.

[Big Padrigo]

it's peak season in Texas now, going to be 65-75F this weekend!!

[PiKapp23]

I'm in OH and my friends and I play as long as temp if above freezing (at least by end of round). Most golf coures around here are open as long as there is no snow or ice on ground. Definitely need to head south. I have been to Myrtle Beach a few times for winter golf and it's great (although Myrtle Beach and can be chilly in Dec., Jan. and Feb.) Also Alabama and Arizona/New Mexico/Vegas make good destinations. Myrtle Beach and Alabama are probably the cheapest, though.

[davy4862]

Dont cope too well.

My course is open unless it is waterlogged / snow ice but we need to take a small mat round to hit off and there are winter tees and greens November through mid March.

This makes playing unenjoyable so I will probably head to the range now and then to keep the swing going through the winter.

Mid March seems a long way away from here!

[Zachwright1]

I used to swing in my house until one day my cat got the idea that it was a toy and jumped at it and now she is blind in her right eye. So, now I take lessons at a place called Concept Golf Studio and they have a golf simulator there and I go play leagues there. Its not the exact same thing as a real round but I have gotten A LOT better using it. The putting is near impossible, so hard that if you get the ball within 6 ft. its a gimme. A lot of fun, and its really good practice. It actually makes an actual round seem easier.

[Fourputt]

I just don't worry about it. If the weather allows, I will play occasionally. If it doesn't allow, then I find other things to occupy myself with. While I have a passion for the game, it isn't all there is to life. My wife and I will try to travel to the Islands (Caribbean, Mexico, etc) at least one week during the winter, not for golf but for scuba diving. We go to plays, spend time with friends, just do stuff.

I'm at the point where I don't really start to miss golf until we get a really nice day in February when there is still too much snow on the ground to play.... then I start to get the fever again.

[cdriver]

It is just awful here in Tucson. It is only going to be low 80's and sunny this weekend. I was hoping to play, but with this awful weather, I don't know if it it worth trying.

I know, I'm rubbing it in, but it feels so gooood!

[Uber$winG]

Denver just got 3 inches this morning - covering the courses in forgetful snow. How will I cope? I imagine a couple shots of absinthe and 100mg of lithium should help.

[Fourputt]

Denver just got 3 inches this morning - covering the courses in forgetful snow. How will I cope? I imagine a couple shots of absinthe and 100mg of lithium should help.

But the next several days are going to be in the 60's, so the 2 or 3 inches on my lawn will be gone by Sunday.... I'll be on the course Monday morning.

In fact, the sun is poking through the clouds as I type this...

[cubdog]

I lived in Denver for 23 years. The year round golf was great. Most people don't realize how mild the winters are there.

cubdog

[PEZGolf]

Having recently moved from Denver to northern Illinois I'm wondering how you cold climate guys deal with the winter months and limited, if any, golf. The Denver climate was mild enough that courses stayed open and we could play year round. I live in a small town so I do not have access to indoor or heated ranges. I figure I have about a month tops to squeeze in a few rounds then what?

I live in Upstate New York, and the weather is already cold, but the golf courses are NOT officially closed---they do not shut down until snow covers the ground. Nonetheless, there are few days when it is warm enough to play so our "off-season" has begun, and no golf until mid-April. Here is what I do to help my golf game and satisfy my desire to play:

1. My wife and I usually plan to go to Hilton Head or Myrtle Beach the first or second week of March. This gives me something to look forward to and an incentive to practice golf. 2. In this area, there are two nice places that have excellent golf simulators. So, I go there at least once a week. 3. Our local YMCA is good about allowing golfers to practice golf off mats with plastic balls. This is done on the basketball court. 4. Workout---I have a series of exercises for golf muscles, and I also run, play basketball, and do cardio-vascular activities. I NEVER ride in a golf cart, so I want to be in shape to walk 18 holes at a brisk pace. I have a Momentus golf club that I swing 10-20 times at a time, three times a day. 5. We do have a golf dome at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino and I go there at least once a month and hit balls. It is frustrating to have a protracted off season, but we cannot change that, except my relocating down South.

[bogeyhitter25]

I'll mainly just chip around in my basement, and of course putt around. My carpet about a 5 or 6 on the stimpmeter, but it atleast keeps my stroke fundamental. I think this year there is going to be a heated driving range so I can keep swinging. And by next spring I'll try and get a job at a local driving range. Boo-Yeah!

[squaddie]

There are a few driving ranges nearby, one of them heated. When it's not snowing I'll probably go once a week.

There is one range at Sports Center in Shelton, Connecticut, that will let you use the range when it's been snowing for a while. They claim to have over 1 million range balls, so they don't collect the balls from the snow until after it melts. I'll have to give them a try if the roads are clear.

Sports Center link: Sports Center Driving Range

[LongestDrive]

I spend 3/4 of the year in California so I'm quite fortunate. The rest of the time I'm in the East Coast and often time when the weather is far from ideal. How do I cope? I go to the local golf store where they have a demo area and chip around.