cold weather golf

[HAVOC]

Those of us that live in places with a cold season understand all too well how the cold affects our golf games. For one, ball flight is going to be shorter because cold air is more dense and creates more drag on the ball. Depending on how cold it is, you might see a decrease in distance of a club or two. Equipment expert Frank Thomas says that for every degree that temperature increases, there is about one foot of added carry. So, playing in 50 degree weather will give almost 7 yards of additional carry over 30-degree playing conditions. Many players like to keep an extra ball in their pocket to keep it warm to be able to swap their “live” ball out between each hole. But did you know that this may be having little or no effect? According to an article at Golf.com, a golf ball’s optimum playing temperature is around 80 degrees. That refers to the temperature of the ball itself, not to the weather at the time. At that temperature, golf balls will provide the highest amount of compression off the club face. In addition to that, consider another cold weather fact that Thomas provides: golf balls take about 6 hours to reach ambient temperature all the way to their core. What this means is that if you store golf balls in your trunk in the cold weather, rotating one in your pocket each hole is not doing you any good because the core is still going to be cold well after your round is over. Those mis-hits are still going to sting and you won’t be maximizing the playability of the ball. The best approach is to store your golf balls indoors where the temperature is much more warm. Then, rotating them in your pocket will help delay the ball’s temperature dropping to match the outdoor temperature, assuming the inside of your pocket is reasonably warm. There’s also always the option of using one of those hand warmer things in your pocket which, of course, is a violation of the Rules of Golf.

[SoCal Blade]

Gentlemen dont play in temperatures lower than 55 degrees unless they are pro's. There are other sport endeavors for temperatures that low, but golf is not one of them.

if you live where its below 60 degrees in the winter, you need to consider moving

[bkoguy07]

Lol most of the US would have to move..

just man the hell up and go play golf when you want to play golf

[TaylorMadeTaylor]

Originally Posted by SoCal Blade

Gentlemen dont play in temperatures lower than 55 degrees unless they are pro's. There are other sport endeavors for temperatures that low, but golf is not one of them.

if you live where its below 60 degrees in the winter, you need to consider moving

Was this...a joke?

[zeg]

Just had my first cold weather experience, simultaneous to my first rainy golf experience.  It was fun.  That is, once I accepted that my score was going to be miserable and let myself enjoy the unexpected occasional good shot.  It was raining and hailing until about the 14th hole, then just a drizzle, but my friend and I stuck it out.  We both wound up about 10 strokes over our typical differential... The most frustrating thing was playing on soggy turf---I'm used to getting away with slightly fat shots coming off just a few yards short.  In the soggy turf there's no such forgiveness.  In the end, both my friend and I wound up about 10 strokes over our typical scores, which we chalk up to the conditions and our unfamiliarity.

The other thing was how hard it was to keep pace.  Between cart path only and the number of bad lies, there was a lot of walks back to the cart when the distance-based club selection just wasn't going to work.  Fortunately no one else even started on the course until we were done, so it wasn't an issue, but it turned out to take almost 6 hours.  Ouch.  Still, good times, good experience, and here's hoping that it's a little drier tomorrow.  Can't be much wetter!

[Radford Wooly]

Originally Posted by SoCal Blade

Gentlemen dont play in temperatures lower than 55 degrees unless they are pro's. There are other sport endeavors for temperatures that low, but golf is not one of them.

if you live where its below 60 degrees in the winter, you need to consider moving

Sure we'll all move! To where, Southern California that's where!!

[HAVOC]

Originally Posted by Radford Wooly

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoCal Blade

Gentlemen dont play in temperatures lower than 55 degrees unless they are pro's. There are other sport endeavors for temperatures that low, but golf is not one of them.

if you live where its below 60 degrees in the winter, you need to consider moving

Sure we'll all move! To where, Southern California that's where!!

right next to paco's house on the border

[Radford Wooly]

Originally Posted by HAVOC

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radford Wooly

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoCal Blade

Gentlemen dont play in temperatures lower than 55 degrees unless they are pro's. There are other sport endeavors for temperatures that low, but golf is not one of them.

if you live where its below 60 degrees in the winter, you need to consider moving

Sure we'll all move! To where, Southern California that's where!!

right next to paco's house on the border

Sound's like a plan!!

[Blades4me]

The hardest thing for me in cold weather is getting used to the "new" distances my clubs generate. I usually loose a club, IOW, it takes a 7i to go what a 8i usually does. After that its pretty funny and keeps me thinking. I'm still not a big fan of play'n when its in the 30's.

A week ago it was in the high 30's with a cold east wind at about 15-20 mph. I was dumb founded b/c it took my 12.5* 3 metal, choked all the way down to hit a 210 yd shot. I can get 240 off of the deck with this club, but not on that day.

[Blades4me]

Originally Posted by Radford Wooly

Quote:

Originally Posted by HAVOC

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radford Wooly

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoCal Blade

Gentlemen dont play in temperatures lower than 55 degrees unless they are pro's. There are other sport endeavors for temperatures that low, but golf is not one of them.

if you live where its below 60 degrees in the winter, you need to consider moving

Sure we'll all move! To where, Southern California that's where!!

right next to paco's house on the border

Sound's like a plan!!

LOL, he's from socal. What else would you expect him to say?

As far as moving to where it doesn't get below 60*; I don't think so cuz that climate usually attracks way too many fair weather golfers and dweebs. I'll take the over cast of the Northwest thanks.

[Robato]

Thanks for the ball temperature tip, Havoc. Works like a charm.

[dbuck]

Originally Posted by SoCal Blade

Gentlemen dont play in temperatures lower than 55 degrees unless they are pro's. There are other sport endeavors for temperatures that low, but golf is not one of them.

if you live where its below 60 degrees in the winter, you need to consider moving

In my old age, I tend to agree, even though I am not fortunate enough to live in such a place.  My limit is about 55 if breezy, maybe 50 if sunny and calm.

Twasn't always the case; in college there were times they wouldn't let me on the course because the greens were frozen.

[Leftygolfer]

I'll play in 40 if it is sunny.  Maybe 35 if the weather has just been horrid and I'm itching.  But it really isn't "real" golf at that point.  The greens are frozen, slow as hell, and I am surely not playing the ball down.  At that point, I'm just looking to hit solid shots.  I think I went out once in December and it was 35 and sunny.  I played 9, hit 6 of 9 greens.  Hit the ball ok, but had something like 22 or 23 putts.  Just couldn't hit them hard enough.  It was nice to get out, but I don't take my bad putting seriously.  I know I average around 15 putts a side in the summer and don't put to much stock in my bad day on the greens.  I was out to get out and swing a little.

To the guy who said you shouldn't play if it is less than 55?  Come on.  What other sports can a 31 year old guy play?  Bowling.  I like it but I don't like it that much.  And Cal has its own host of problems that make you pay for the weather (IE high taxes, unemployment, cost of living, horrid state government).  I'll take winter instead.

[madforpancakes]

I just moved to Seattle from San Diego this past summer, but I actually don't mind the winter golf. I'll play if it's 45 and not too high of a chance of rain or down to 40 if it's sunny. I always walk, so I find once I get on the course and get warmed up I'm usually perfectly comfortable in a winter hat, t-shirt, hoodie, and jeans. Oh and my Foot Joy WinterSof gloves. Those things are life savers! I'll have to try the ball temperature trick out, I've been getting killed on my distances ever since it got cold out.

We went out to play a couple weeks ago when it was under 40 and sunny here, but it had been colder recently so the ground was frozen. It was ridiculous. Perfect shots to the green bouncing off like it was the cart path. Saw a guy trying to use the head of his driver to hammer a tee into the ground on the first tee box. Frost everywhere. It was a mess.