Meteorological Update (1/12/12): In light of last night’s precipitation, the extended golf season might be coming to a close.
In this bizarre, balmy winter of 2011-2012, I have played many “final rounds” of golf in central Massachusetts. At first, we were ecstatic to be playing in early December, certain our clubs would soon be packed away until April. By mid-December, we were still getting in those bonus last rounds of the season. I thought it was utterly crazy to play golf on Christmas Eve – until I played on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Last Saturday, when the temperature soared into the 50s, I played in shorts. And still there is no snow in sight.
While golf fans have become accustomed to the seemingly perpetual professional golf calendar, with no clearly discernible off-season, recreational golfers in New England don’t expect to be playing in December and January. However, a few courses have taken advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and remain open to accommodate the hardy souls who are determined to keep playing until the elements drive them off the course.
Jeff Bailey, PGA professional and general manager at Holden Hills Country Club, plans to remain open until snow precludes play, and is on the verge of breaking the course’s record for an extended season. “Six years ago we stayed open until January 12,” he recalled. “It was in the 40s and 50s almost every day.” Bailey said he had about 90 golfers on the course on New Year’s Day. (The winter rate is $25 for 18 holes with a cart.) This all translates to bonus revenue, particularly since no course maintenance is required in cold weather. “We have virtually no overhead,” he noted.
There are no temporary greens at Holden Hills. While some courses cover greens during the winter months, Bailey explained that once the greens freeze he has little concern about damage from foot traffic. (Thawing and re-freezing could present problems.) However, don’t expect to confront a variety of hole locations from week to week. “There’s no way we cut holes on those greens,” said Bailey.
Bedrock Golf Club in Rutland also remains open. Don Loomis, the assistant manager, said that, like Holden Hills, the club plans to remain open “until it snows.” Loomis said play was fairly slow in the latter part of December, but that “we’ve had some good days.” The fee is $15 with cart for nine holes.
Playing on a frozen course presents unique challenges, and is something of a double-edged sword. While balls roll much farther, adding distance to tee shots, shots even slightly off-line with a fade or draw can bounce wildly into problem areas, placing a premium on accuracy. In addition, distance control on approach shots can be precarious. Wedge shots that ordinarily would check up in the vicinity of the flagstick sometimes (but not always) bounce over the green as if they had skipped off asphalt. Playing from frozen sand in bunkers requires creativity, while watching a poor shot skip across an icy water hazard is an unexpected pleasure. The conditions demand a conservative “bump and run” style of play, somewhat like links golf but with a touch of unpredictability. The “rub of the ice,” perhaps.
It’s also a bit incongruous to finish a round of golf and linger in the clubhouse watching college bowl games and NFL playoff games. Some of the regulars at Holden Hills shared stories about playing winter golf over the years, which normally requires migrations to the Cape or Rhode Island in search of playable courses. Paul Jatrinski noted that “we’ll play as long as there’s no snow. You can’t putt on snow. We’ll meet in Sutton and keep driving until we find something open. We have no life.”
While playing in 30-degree weather seems extreme to me, some of the Holden Hills regulars push the envelope much further. Bill Bonreau recalled a frigid Presidents Day excursion to Montauk years ago. “It was minus 2 with a 30 mph wind. We were breaking ice off our faces. The people at the course felt so bad for us they let us drink for free and gave us a bowl of stew.” He added that he shot a 94.
Habitual winter golfers develop tricks of the trade. Chemical hand warmers carried in pockets can keep balls warm. It can be virtually impossible to insert a tee into a frozen teeing ground; before my round last weekend I scrounged through a bag to find some short tees that are more serviceable. Experienced winter golfers circumvent this problem by carrying rubber tees used on driving ranges that sit on the ground. Of course, winter golf gloves are essential.
Winter golf tends to reduce performance anxieties. When it’s below freezing, you’re wearing multiple layers of clothes and winter golf gloves, and your ball is resting on frozen turf that is about as forgiving as the Mass Pike, you really can’t expect to reproduce the full, fluid swings you see on the Golf Channel. Just making contact and keeping the ball in play is a challenge. And it’s really nice to hit those career tee shots with mediocre swings. Then again, maybe I need to get a life.
About Jack Ross
I write golf news, commentary and features, and am the editor of Ross' Rulings. I completed an intensive PGA/USGA rules workshop and have officiated at state amateur competitions. I also contribute to Kingdom Magazine and Arnold Palmer's Guide to the Majors, and am a co-author of "Mastering Golf's Toughest Shots: The World's Best Caddies Share Their Secrets of Success" (Sellers Publishing 2012). I serve as communications director for the Professional Caddies Association.
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