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A Glimpse Into The New Golf Season

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Almost golf season!
Almost golf season!

Well, we made it.  We went all of last week here in CT without a snowstorm.  That’s the first week without a snowstorm in, I believe, the past seven.  As a matter of fact, this past Saturday, the temps reached up into the low 50’s…golfing weather!  Unfortunately, we dipped back down on Sunday into the mid- to upper-30’s…so golfing is right back out the window again.  But it is a step in the right direction.

With the recent weather slowly giving a glimpse into the upcoming spring, for the first time this off-season, I’m starting to get the golfing itch back.  Slowly but surely, the weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer and I’m even starting to see some grass as the snow slowly melts away!  Even though they are talking about a little more snow for Tuesday, my optimism cannot be swayed.

The only problem with all of the snow we had now melting is that it’s going to over saturate the courses.  So even though the temperature had reached the 50’s on Saturday, I wouldn’t have played because stepping on the course would have been like playing in quicksand.  Every swing would spray mud fifteen yards out.  Tee boxes would be destroyed, balls would be plugged in the middle of the fairway and greens would have more dimples that the golf ball itself.  And even though I would love to get back out on the course, I still remain one of those golfers who really prefers to play in optimal conditions.  And having your golf cart stuck like you took it out mud-bogging is not what I would call optimal.

My point here is, the weather is improving, it’s light out for a longer period of time and the temperatures are rising.  This all points to the golf season getting closer and it won’t be long now before it’s in full swing (see what I did there).  And that is music to our ears.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Shoveling Snow Helps Your Golf Game.

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shovel-snowActually, I’m not really sure if it does or doesn’t help but this is more of turning a negative into a positive. Nobody I know likes to shovel snow but it’s inevitable living in the Northeast. At some point or other we will have to face these crystallized flakes of water and it sucks knowing I have to shovel water.

So where’s the positive? Well, it’s no secret it’s a physical activity that uses a majority of the muscles in our body. What it comes down to is us making the most of the situation and maximizing the benefits of the opportunity. Our good friend Jim over at thegratefulgolfer.com posted about this a couple months ago. He discusses the importance of your legs in a golf swing (and shoveling snow) and touches upon the use of arms too.

The important thing to keep in mind is moderation and performing within your limits. We golfers in the northern parts of the U.S. might slack off a bit during the winter months. Here’s a great chance to get outside and use those dormant golf muscles. Again, I can’t stress enough the importance of using proper technique and not over doing it.

The more I think about it the more I can see similarities between the two. Before we golf or shovel we should do a little stretching and warm up. We usually think before swinging, right? We have a general idea of where we want the ball to land. It usually doesn’t happen but when we shovel we also have an idea of where the snow is going to go. Tossing that crap around randomly gets us nowhere. Finally, we approach the task with a game plan of getting it done as efficiently and with the least amount of shovel-fulls (or strokes) as possible.

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Disclaimer: We are NOT trainers, doctors or in any way certified to give workout advice. Also, shoveling snow can be potentially dangerous. We do not condone shoveling snow and actually dislike it…a lot.

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightening…

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This is the view out my window as I pen this post on November 7th. Stupid Nor’easter. I was hoping that, along with the rest of the east coast, golf courses too would recover after Hurricane Sandy. And indeed I received emails this week from a few of them touting they were open again. But now, who knows?

You see, while I typically complete my 18-hole golf schedule by the end of October, November (and sometimes even December) usually means weekend 9-hole rounds with my dad. But if this mess keeps up, there’ll be no rounds to be had.

Last year, he and I were still playing on November 20th. Most years we play at least till (or just after) Thanksgiving. One year we even played in early December – a pretty amazing feat here in Connecticut.

My dad, now in his mid 70’s, doesn’t play most of the year. In fact, he looks forward to the cooler temps in the fall – he only plays 9, takes a cart and doesn’t worry about his swing or what his score is going to end up being – He’s out there to enjoy himself.

But this snow is threatening his entire season! Perhaps things will get better – Perhaps temps will get back up in the 40’s and 50’s (typical of this time of year); Perhaps the snow will melt; Perhaps the courses will re-open; and perhaps…just perhaps we’ll be able to get back out and play a few more holes in what’s left of 2012’s golf season.

Here’s an updated pic from this morning:

Hmmm – perhaps not.

Is Golf Still Fun When it’s Freezing Out?

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An early end to the golf season this year?
An early end to the golf season this year?

So it’s Halloween and as I pen this post, there’s 3 inches of snow outside. As some of you may know, the Northeast got hit with a pretty big snow storm Saturday (where I live, the snow drifts reached a whopping 5 inches)!

OK, so I realize that’s not a lot of snow for Connecticut. But for October, it’s a tremendous amount of snow. In fact, I don’t ever remember this much snow prior to Halloween…ever. Temps are supposed to rise a bit this week and my guess is the snow will be melted by tomorrow, but that’s too little too late for me.

If you follow this blog regularly, you’ll know (well, first that this is Stinky Golfer Chris’ day to post, but he’s still in the dark after major power outages swept the area due to the storm)…but you’ll also know my golf has been limited this season.

That being said, I actually had plans to play this weekend (albeit only 9-holes, but plans nonetheless). Needless-to-say those plans were squashed by the inclement weather. But all this snow got me thinking about golfing when it’s cold. I’ve always held the position that if I can’t get by with a Polo shirt over a thermal, then it’s too cold. In other words, if I have to wear some sort of coat (which may hinder my swing), then the game is no longer fun.

Stinky Golfer Chris takes it a step further – he flat out states he won’t play golf when the temp drops below 50 degrees (10 celsius). But don’t tell any of this to golf retailers. You see, it seems they think we can (and should) be playing till the temps sink below freezing!

Why else would I have received a Golf Galaxy mailer pushing winter garb for the course? Golf Galaxy is dead serious. So, apparently, is Footjoy, who is providing the WinterSof gloves on the guy at the far right. But at what point is all this pointless? Isn’t your game going to suffer with all the extra layers? How about our friends up north in Canada – are they even still playing when the temps are hovering around freezing? Or is this all a ploy to get golfers to spend more money?

Perhaps.

But perhaps I’m thinking about this all wrong. Maybe it doesn’t matter all that much if your score goes up. Maybe, if you’re playing on a brisk winter day, you shouldn’t even keep score. Maybe you should just enjoy the fact that you’re outdoors and playing the game you love. Canadians, am I right?

Wow – this is exciting! I believe my golf season just got longer! Now, if they only gave out those gloves tonight instead of candy…

Golfing In A Winter Wonderland

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Here's what you can do during the golf off-season... (photo by TimoHonkelaEnglish / CC BY-SA 3.0)
Here’s what you can do during the golf off-season… (photo by TimoHonkelaEnglish / CC BY-SA 3.0)

OK, so in the past I may have mentioned that I don’t play golf once the temperature drops below fifty degrees. But now that I’ve been introduced to the likes of Peter Masters and Annika Ostberg, I realize that I’m being a pansy.

Most people likely have no idea who Peter Masters and Annika Ostberg are. Neither did I until doing a bit of research. But these people are some of the best in the world, as well as the first two champions, in their sport. What sport is that you ask? Well, Snow Golf of course! Actually, for arguments sake, it was known as Ice Golf at the time.

Modern snow golf is actually credited to Tina Blomme, who created the game in 1996 and incorporated Snowgolf, Inc. in 1998. According to Wikipedia, “After developing all the products, rules and regulations, to support the sport…she [Ms. Blomme] designed and ran the first official snowgolf course next to the Ice Hotel in Quebec, Canada. Currently, she is setting up the 5 year Snow Golf Global Tour and 2020 Global Championships, in an effort to officialize the sport internationally.”

Meanwhile, there are recurring events like the Ice Golf World Championships, which have been played almost exclusively in Greenland (twice in Austria) since 1997 on the world’s northernmost golf course which is actually an ice shelf that gets reshaped every year by nature. So you may be playing the same course, but you’re never really playing the same course.

However, as cool as that may sound, the next fact may snap me back to reality. The fact has to do with where and when these tournaments are played. This year? The tournament was played earlier this month in Switzerland. Now, as desirable as a trip to Switzerland may be, whether for golf or not…, do I really want to be there in January? I’m having a hard enough time handling the snow and cold here in Connecticut! But Switzerland in January?!

I accept the fact that the people who play in these tournaments have a desire and, what I can only describe as, love for the sport. And these people make me feel like more of a pansy for not playing below fifty degrees. But I’ll tell you what…you can call me a pansy. At the end of the day, I’ll be the pansy in shorts and a polo.

Swing ’til you’re happy…as long as it’s warm enough!

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