Northerners - What do you do during Winter?

[DaSportsGuy]

What do you do over the Winter? Just pack up the clubs and bust them out in the Spring or do you go down south and play during the Winter months?

**Could a mod/admin move this to Golf Talk? I didn't realize I was in the Playing Tips Forum when I made the thread. My bad.

[GaijinGolfer]

A lot of people do pack their clubs up for the winter. Me, personally, I keep playing no matter how cold it gets until the courses all close (which is usually late November) and then I go to a heated driving range.
I practice chipping with foam practice balls and I practice putting on my living room floor.
Its not as good as actually playing, but it allows me to keep my game in decent shape during the winter months.

[iacas]

What do you do over the Winter? Just pack up the clubs and bust them out in the Spring or do you go down south and play during the Winter months?

Practice my swing with a shorter, weighted club thingy. Go to a dome now and then (I hate mats but they're better than snow). Work on my putting. Try to take one quick trip south.

[tonyy]

I sometimes go to a local heated driving range to keep my swing in order. I've also became quite close to my club builder at Golf Etc and we usually get on the monitor and play some Tiger Woods.

[Parker0065]

In my area in Upstate NY we have two heated ranges that stay open year round and a Sports Dome.

I usually play at my home course until around Thanksgiving then I'll use the heated outdoor ranges for a few weeks. Usually sometime before Christmas the outdoor ranges get too cold and I will start hitting at the dome twice a week. I'll hit balls at the dome usually until late Febuary, early March then move back outside to the heated ranges and go there until the courses start opening in late March, early April.

So I basically never end my season as far as hitting balls and I have a putting/chipping area set up in my basement. It makes a huge difference coming out of the gate in April!

[paperclip]

Heated outdoor range once in a while; practice putting in the hallway; domes don't do much for me

[LoafyD]

Unless I head south to get a few rounds in, it's pretty much indoor screen golf for me. It keeps the rust off the swing, and can be entertaining with your buddies. There's a dome, but it's pretty spendy. That's pretty much it until the sun comes up again.

[flap]

Usually play into Dec. then go to Florida for week in January and lots of heated outdoor range time.

[kfowler]

Funny, I was just thinking about this this morning. I always head south for Thanksgiving and Christmas so I get to play a little there. I usually shut down playing about right now and start focusing on lessons. I'll start lessons again in December. The winter is a great time to implement swing changes. One thing I haven't figured out is how to effectively practice short game during the winter. This is where I need the most practice.

[NormH3]

Here in the Mid-Atlnatic we can usually play through the winter, assuming there is no snow, ice and high winds. Since I have just restarted playing, I plan to take advantage of the lighter than usual crowds and do some sincere practicing on the course. My goal is to get myself ready for an official handicap in the springtime.

[shades9323]

I put the clubs away. Don't touch them until spring. I may practice putting this year. To keep me occupied during winter, I play Ice Hockey and x-country ski.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I dont play much golf during the winter, but i practice more at the range probably 5x as much as i do during the season.

[ND Fan]

I actually appreciate the break. I put my clubs away almost a month ago and haven't looked back. I hate coming back in April and playing like I have never played before. But the winter months are reserved for three cushion billiards. I find it mentally as challenging as golf and keeps that part of my game just as sharp.

[kfowler]

It's also a good time to build up credit with the wife.

[Where's the Cart Girl?]

Practice my swing with a shorter, weighted club thingy. Go to a dome now and then (I hate mats but they're better than snow). Work on my putting. Try to take one quick trip south.

^ What he said. Don't have a dome but have a place called "Play Better Golf" up here that I plan to check out. This year is gonna be Orlando again it looks like in early February.

[OldDog66]

In Illinois I play whenever there is no snow on the ground and it is over 20 degrees. All the fair weather golfers are gone. No slow play in the winter.

[GaijinGolfer]

To keep me occupied during winter, I play Ice Hockey and x-country ski.

Same here, in addition to snowmobiling.

[rmccabe6]

I sit around and wish it is next july when I will be playing near myrtle beach

Actually I'm thinking of joining a indoor golf center that's about 20 miles away.