When is it too cold to golf?

[uitar9]

I bought a pair of those loose fitting cobra mitts this year, getting ready for the cold. I f I keep the hands warm, Ill stay warm. Didn't use them. Last two rounds before the course closed was in the low 20'sC. It was t-shirt/shorts weather.

-4 yesterday morning, scraping the windshield, got the cobras in the car.

[Dakota Atkinson]

Played in 36 degree weather with minimal wind yesterday, it was great. I was layered up pretty well and had a face/neck mask on so I actually wasn't cold. I birdied the first two holes and thought the Golf Gods were rewarding me for playing in freezing temperatures, but that turned out to not be the case lol. Shot an 83.

[NM Golf]

We play 12 months a year in Albuquerque, occasionally it gets pretty cold. I try not to play when its below 45 because I hate playing with more on than a light pullover. I hate winter!

[Wanzo]

Played 9 holes this morning and it was 40 degrees, cloudy, and some wind. I wouldn't have played but have a buddy in town who want s to play. It wasn't as bad as i thought but pretty darn cold and harder to swing with 4 layers on. 

[scotth]

When I have to wear so many layers to stay warm that I can no longer take a full unrestricted swing it has become to cold for me.  

Last winter played a few rounds when it was 20 and 24.  That is about as cold as I think I would be comfortable playing.

[Club Rat]

There are many great products made to help endure the colder temps for those who wish to play in colder climates.
Cart covers and propane heaters, hand warmers, large adhesive therapeutic heat pads work well for the lower back or shoulders.
Even clothing manufactures are now making better attire to wear which have less restrictive and require less layers to maintain body temperature.

Walking and keeping the wind from penetrating your clothing is vital to staying warm. 

[jsgolfer]

When the course is closed.  

[Binh Nguyen]

Never here in Vietnam but I often go to Japan and play there too. December is just too cold, especially in the North. 

[Yukari]

Once when a foreign client insisted on playing golf in dead of winter in his country, we teed off at 0 *F and it never got above 5 *F.  It was freezing but when a client wants to play golf...

[Buckeyebowman]

On 10/28/2017 at 10:00 AM, dennyjones said:

says a guy that hasn't experienced a real winter....    We have experienced wind chills around -20º and white out conditions.   That is unusual but it does happen..  

Heck, I've experience actual temps of -22*, with wind chills well into the -30's! And I worked in them! Just tried to survive. Yes, there are temps too cold for golf!

[phillyk]

13 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Heck, I've experience actual temps of -22*, with wind chills well into the -30's! And I worked in them! Just tried to survive. Yes, there are temps too cold for golf!

Geez that cold and I’m going golfing! Hit some 400yd drives! So long as there is no/little wind and no snow covering the ground, I’m good to go. 

Edited November 4, 2017 by phillyk

[MarvChamp]

The Swedes say, "There is no bad golf weather, only bad golf clothes." The European Tour plays in what I would think are pretty brutal conditions that I personally am too old for.

Long ago, a friend named Jim and I had a tradition of playing on the last day and first day of each year, no matter what. A North Texas norther came in with a bit of sleet. On a downhill par 3 at the Lake Arlington muny, I took a mighty swing and my orange Top Flite broke in half. Jim didn't miss a beat - "Which half you gonna play?" We had a great time with that!  -Marv

[Fourputt]

17 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Heck, I've experience actual temps of -22*, with wind chills well into the -30's! And I worked in them! Just tried to survive. Yes, there are temps too cold for golf!

Back in my checkered youth, I worked at a copper smelter in Great Falls, Montana.  One of the processes was hazardous enough that the whole section had to be open to the air due to the potential for an accident which could release arsene gas, a deadly poison.  I worked that department for a while in midwinter with temps reaching -35° F.  It would have to be about 70° warmer for me to even consider playing golf. 

I haven't played in temps below about 45° for more than 20 years now.  Somehow, when I was in my 20's, 45° was warmer than it is now that I'm in my 70's.  I will start a round with the temperature at around 40°, but only if the expectation is that it will at least warm quickly into the 50's as the morning progresses.  

I'd still rather play in cold than in rain.  In fact, if any significant rain is expected, I'm not even going to consider playing golf.  I love rainy days, but I'd rather go fishing then, or just sit out under the awning on my camper and listen to the rain as I read a good book. 

[Henrik Engvall]

Its never to cold to play golf 

[Vinny Cap]

In New England, if you cant pound a 16 penny spike into the ground to hold your Tee, it's too cold!

[Mr. Desmond]

Winds above 10 mph and below 40F.

[Hoganman1]

A friend of mine said there are three things to consider when playing winter golf: wind, rain, and cold air. He said one can play in the absence of any two. Another friend had what he called the three/nine rule . He would play if the temperature was above 39* F or below 93* F. As I've gotten older, I've become more selective, but rain is my main barometer. I'll play in the cold as long as it's not wet.

[byrne092]

Temperature doesn't seem to be as much of a factor as wind speed and if the sun is out. The big problem this time of year is I can't golf during the week because the sun goes down before 5!