But to play in these conditions you will need to have the right equipment as it will already be hard enough trying to play a full round in winter conditions, you should at least be warm enough to play your best.
Keeping warm - Golf Clothes
It seems quite obvious to say that if you want to be outside in the cold weather to wear warm clothes but…well yeah. However, while many peoples instant reaction to the cold is to throw on several layers with big coats and jackets to keep warm, which yes does work, it is terrible for your golf game.
The key is to start with a warmer base layer, such as thermal tops that hug the upper body and long johns that keep in the warm in the lower body. Despite being products that are so thin they help reduce the amount of body heat that is lost, with many designs being skin tight to increase warm blood flow.
After that, you need to make sure you get the right kind of clothing that is not only warm but functional so that you are able to still have complete body movement that doesn’t affect or change your swing in any way.
There are plenty of golf jumpers and golf jackets that have been specially designed to move with a golfer's body to ensure that they don't impede the motion of a swing. To use a material that is able to keep the body warm, while also being so light and well made that it feels like it’s not even there.
And don’t forget about the two areas that are exposed to the elements the most, your hands and head. It won’t matter how many technological advancements your new driver has or how forgiving your irons are if your hands are frozen solid and you can barely feel a thing.
Golf is a game that requires players to be able to feel what the club in their hand is providing, so if they’re cold and numb your game will really suffer. And keeping your head warm makes sense as nobody will have the patience to aim a great round saving shot from the rough or a game-winning putt if your ears are stinging, your head is freezing and you just want to go inside.
Keeping warm - Use The Driving Range
Before going to play a full round of winter golf it's important more so than any other time of year to warm up before playing.
Going to the driving range and working your way through every golf club, from wedge to driver, before stepping out onto the golf course is a great way to to find your swing after some time away. Don't worry if your first few shots aren't reaching the distances they normally do, just focus on getting your shot mechanics and swing motion back to where you need them to be to play a great round.
Doing this pre-round preperation is great for helping you to perform out on the course, but more importantly it's a great way to warm up your body so that you can avoid any risk of injury. The last thing anyone wants is to make the decision to brave the freeze cold weather to play a round of golf to immediatly pull a muscle or throw out your on the opening tee.
It has been proven that in the winter months the muscles in your body become much tigfhter, so forcing them to carry out an explosive movement (like swinging a driver off the tee or wedge in the bunker) can caise some serious muscle tears which will require weeks of recovery.
Be smart and warm up.
Prep for wet weather
Playing golf in the United Kingdom can easily be associated with terrible weather - wet, windy and a nightmare for any golfer. However, if you are a golf who is willing to brave the these conditions you will need three key items to keep you protected from the elements.
Imagine being on the golf course, soaked through to the bonem shivering constantly and trying to line up a putt for the third time after three infuritating misses, needless to say, that would be absolute torture for a full 18 holes of golf. High-quality Golf Waterproof Clothing is essential for every golfer to own if they want to be able to play no matter the conditions, especially in a country that has such temperamental weather.
As mentioned earlier keeping your hands warm is very important, but you also need to remember to keep them dry too. Not being able to have the correct grip of the club properly because of having slick hands and the risk of the golf club slipper with every shot can dramatically affect your game.
Having wet weather golf gloves will allow you to keep playing at your best by keeping your hands warm and dry to not only increase your grip but to maintain the feel of every shot.
And finally, it probably goes without saying that an umbrella will always come in handy during the winter months with wetter conditions, but a great golf umbrella will be able to keep you dry while also withstanding strong gusts of wind that often turn brollies inside out.
Bring more than one golf towel
Bringing an extra golf cart towel is always a great idea as you're definitely going to go through more than one when you are cleaning off all of the mud that will be caked onto your set of irons or wedges. Also, when it rains it's always handy to have a dry towel at hand, not one covered in mud, to dry off your grips before every shot.
Golf Balls
Having the right golf balls in your golf bag is a great idea during the winter months. Using high visibility golf balls during the colder winter months will be the best option for most golfers becayse they are so much easier to spot when playing golf in wet and sometimes snowy conditions when the likelihood of your ball being covered and camouflaged by mud is much more likely.
Also, in the colder weather there is a trick that you can use to make sure you can still create brilliant shots. Keeping your golf balls in the pockets of your golf jacket or golf trousers will help reduce the effect that cold weather has on the ball as long exposure can often lead to less ball speed, fewer yards on the carry and a reduction in spin.
Golf Carry Bags - Not Golf Trolleys
Carrying your golf bag is actually a great way to keep warm while walking around the golf course as being able to quickly make youre way around a course at pace will help to raise your heart rate and warm you up between each hole so that you feel looser and much more prepared for the next shot.
Also, the greenkeepers of the golf course will love you for carrying your stand bag around as it will create much less wear and tear on the wet ground that what it would if you use a heavy golf trolley or golf cart pulling on the turf. However, if you do need to keep using eiether your electric golf trolley or push trolley it would be wise to invest in a set of winter golf trolley wheels. These wheels help to reduce the impact the weight of golf golf trolley bag and clubs have on the turf of the course, with many golf courses now making these trolley wheels compulsory for the winter months - so check first.
