Buzz
Golfers can indulge their passion regardless of the temperature with the following cold weather golfing hacks.
The biggest drawback of outdoor golfing is the reliance on weather conditions. Particularly on cold days, it's not the ideal time for a round of golf. However, equipped with the right cold weather golfing experience, harsh weather won't intimidate you anymore.
Playing golf in cold weather offers a fresh experience for golfers. Photo: PGA Tour
Essential Cold Weather Golfing Tips for Every Golfer
1. Keep Your Body Warm
Having an enjoyable round of golf is difficult when your body refuses to cooperate due to freezing temperatures. That's why one of the crucial experiences in cold weather golfing is keeping your body warm, especially your head and extremities. To achieve both warmth and comfort, golfers should layer up or wear thermal undergarments along with a thin wool sweater. This approach is far superior to wearing a bulky down jacket, a common mistake golfers make when traveling to cold regions. Layering clothing allows players to move comfortably and execute shots more effectively.
When playing golf in cold weather, golfers must always keep their bodies warm to avoid temperature shock. Photo: GOLF.com
Keeping the head warm is also a crucial note when playing golf in cold weather. Because when the head doesn't retain enough warmth, it directly affects blood circulation and brain function. In the long run, this condition can lead to undesirable consequences such as headaches and nervous tension.
Keeping the head warm is also essential for golfers. Photo: GOLF.com
The next body parts that golfers need to keep warm when playing golf in cold weather are the hands and feet. Before starting a round of golf, players should warm up to stretch their limbs and increase flexibility. Because if the hands and feet become numb from the cold, it can cause loss of sensation, making it difficult for golfers to execute precise and powerful shots.
Players should also remember to keep their hands and feet warm. Photo: GOLF.com
2. Fuel Up with Energy Before Hitting the Course
Before hitting the course, golfers should have a nutritious breakfast and eat 30 minutes before warming up. This is a cold weather golfing experience that many golfers often overlook. Eating a hearty meal will help the body produce more energy, resulting in more confident shots. In addition to a full breakfast, players need to supplement their energy with light snacks between golf rounds.
Before hitting the course, players should fuel themselves with adequate nutrition. Photo: Golf Discount
Supplementing nutrition on cold weather golf days is essential. In winter, our bodies will exert higher activity levels than usual during sports, so golfers need to pay more attention to their light meals.
Golfers can also replenish energy during the match with light snacks. Photo: Golf Monthly
3. Warm Up Your Body Before Playing
A light warm-up before playing will greatly benefit golfers in creating a perfect round. Golfers simply need to warm up, get their bodies moving, and stretch their muscles for 5 minutes before starting the match to awaken their energy. However, if golfers skip this step and jump straight into the match, it can lead to issues such as stiffness, cramps, or even unnecessary injuries. Therefore, taking advantage of the 5-minute pre-game chat to awaken the body is a very sensible thing to do.
Before the match, golfers should warm up to awaken their bodies. Photo: Golf Monthly
Many golfers often wonder how to warm up, but don't worry too much. Golfers can incorporate exercises, starting from easy to difficult, rotating the neck, wrists, ankles, followed by stretching and flexing muscles. Players should also take a short walk to get their bodies ready for golfing activities.
Simply taking a few laps before starting the game is also a decent warm-up idea. Photo: PGA Tour
4. Stay Hydrated
A common mistake when playing golf in cold weather is players not regularly hydrating themselves. Because they think that in winter, they don't need to drink much water. But in reality, golfers should replenish their bodies with enough water to avoid dehydration and energy depletion. When the body is adequately hydrated, golfers will have more energy and higher concentration levels during play.
Many golfers often mistakenly believe that they don't need to drink much water in winter. Photo: GOLF.com
5. Walk More
Many golfers feel that the weather is too cold and don't want to walk. But the advice from many experts on cold weather golfing experience is to walk more. This serves as both a warm-up exercise before the game and a way to heat up the body, transitioning it from a resting state to a more active and flexible state. Therefore, players should walk more and not hesitate to move when it's cold.
Take advantage of the walking time between golf holes to allow the body to move more. Photo: GOLF.com
6. Protect Your Equipment in Cold Weather Golfing
Venturing onto the course in winter not only affects the player's health but also has a significant impact on golf equipment. Typically, playing or practicing in cold weather can cause clubheads to easily break or fly off. The reason is that golf courses are less maintained during these days, so the sand traps are very hard and difficult to hit. Therefore, another cold weather golfing experience that golfers need to know is to clean their golf clubs before use to avoid breakage in low-temperature conditions. Also, note that this method does not apply to steel clubs as they are prone to rust.
Improper storage can easily damage golf clubs during winter play. Photo: GOLF.com
7. Don't Worry Too Much About the Score
Weather can be a friend but also a foe to beautiful, accurate shots. Playing golf in cold weather will indeed pose many obstacles and challenges for golfers. Instead, golfers should view it as a challenge to overcome oneself rather than just a game. So, the experience of playing golf in cold weather is not to focus too much on the score, but rather an opportunity for players to change their feelings and push their limits in a new space.
Consider playing golf in cold weather as a challenge with yourself, so don't be too disappointed with the score. Photo: Golf Monthly
Hoang Yen
According to Vietnam Sports Newspaper
Posted by: Tran Thi Kim Huyen
Keywords: Banish the fear of playing golf in cold weather with these following experiences
