As an avid golfer who lives in Buffalo, New York, I am all too familiar with the inability to get out on the course from November to April. It’s not an insanely long portion of the year that you can reliably play, but every so often during the winter, there gets to be a stretch of a few days in a row when the snow starts to melt, and you can see the grass outside again. Of course, the ground needs to dry, but once it has dried enough, you wonder about getting out on the course during the offseason.

Any die-hard golfer who lives in an area where it snows knows that getting out in the offseason is something to celebrate. Unfortunately, this type of opportunity doesn’t come around all the time, and it’s an absolute privilege to get out and get some swing in any time from November to April. However, these rounds, while rare and important to treasure, are not your average stroll down the fairway in mid-June. The conditions will be cold and damp; golfers need to prepare for the conditions and remain safe and warm while enjoying their chance to play in the winter.

Winter Golf Apparel Considerations

Apparel is the first and most important discussion regarding winter golf. My first tip is to keep all your nicest golf gear in the closet. Mud will likely cover anything you wear if the ground hasn't sufficiently dried after the snow melted. Even if the course isn’t soaked, there will likely be spots where you’ll get mud on your clothes. So make sure that the polo you bought for $100 at your golf retreat last year is safe and sound in your closet for next summer.

As tempting as it may be to wear whatever in the offseason, make sure you aren’t breaking any policies at the course. Sometimes, just making sure you have a shirt with a collar underneath your top layers can be important, depending on where you’re playing.

Suggested Winter Golf Apparel

A moisture-wicking shirt with some breathability is ideal, as you’ll likely be wearing a few layers, and the less heavy and congested your clothes feel, the freer and easier your swing will be.

It is a good idea to stock up on cold-weather golf gear to prepare for winter play. Examples include:

• A beanie or knit cap to keep your ears warm in colder conditions.
• Water-repellent golf pants, like a set of rain pants
• Underlayers for your upper and lower body
• A golf jacket that will keep you warm with minimal range of motion restriction.
• A water-resistant fabric in your spikes
• Wool socks to keep your feet warm
• A balaclava to keep your face warm if the air is particularly bitter.

Upper and Lower Body Layering Setup

I recommend at least three layers on both the upper and lower body. My general setup for extra warmth is long johns, slacks, and rain pants (or any waterproof trousers) on the bottom and a long sleeve base layer (my general go-to is Under Armour, but other brands will work), a polyester polo, and a pullover on top. My golf attire setup helps keep my body warm and loose for shots around the course while trying to restrict my swing motion as little as possible to keep flexibility in my golf swing. Of course, you can adjust your setup to fit your exact conditions.

Pack a Light Bag

It’s important to keep space in your bag to adjust layers. With so many clothes on, especially if you don’t play a lot of cold-weather golf, you’ll likely need to make some adjustments at the course to make sure you can both swing the club freely and stay warm. Pick light layers because you’ll have on more clothes than you typically are used to during a round, and carry them in your bag if you need to remove a layer during your round.

At least in the area I live, many courses aren’t technically open in the winter, so if you want to play and you have somewhere that doesn’t mind if you use their course in January, you’re likely going to be walking, and unable to take a golf cart. So not only is having enough space for extra layers in your bag important, but it could be worth your time to make your bag as lightweight as possible, especially if you don’t usually walk when you play golf.

Keep Your Hands Warm

Another area that may be challenging on cold days is the club's grip and trying to keep your hands warm and dry. I highly recommend rain gloves while you swing and winter gloves before and after you’ve had to take your turn. This is because your grip controls a lot of the outcome of your swing; keeping it as close to a typical round will only benefit your results.

Hand Warmers

Hand warmers can be a huge asset during a round and may be worth keeping an extra set of in the bag. You can purchase disposable hand warmers and nicer reusable ones that can be kept in your bag at all times without worrying about running out of disposables right before you decide to brave the conditions and get out on the course when it’s 40 degrees.

Winter Golf Gloves

There are also winter golf gloves that you can add to your stockpile of golf accessories that help keep your hands warm while functional. For example, Callaway makes thermal gloves and thermal mittens for such an occasion. Of course, the gloves will be more practical for swinging the club, but the mittens will help keep your hands toasty and warm between swings, which will take a while, as you’ll likely be walking the course.

Winter Warm-Ups

If you want to maximize your performance, do a warmup routine to engage your muscles before hitting the course. You can do this at home if you don’t live too far from where you’re playing; otherwise, the first tee box makes for a great location. Stretching before you play is always important, especially on a cold day. You don’t want to sustain an injury trying to do something fun in the winter!

In Conclusion

Remember to have fun on the course. It’s an absolute treat to get to a point in the winter with the weather allowing you to get out on the course. It’s even more of a treat that you get the weather you need and can make some spontaneous winter golf work with your busy life schedule. Don't stress too much about your score or any individual shot. It will be a treat of a day for you and whomever you enjoy going to hit the links with. Show up with no expectations, and you will find that your experience will be much more enjoyable and memorable.

Like always, reach out to my fellow Curated Experts or me if you want some help gearing up to get out on the course during some cold weather. We would be happy to give you our perspective on the best golf accessories, clothes, and practices to get out and enjoy the rare opportunity to hit the links during the cold winter months, especially in the northern part of the United States.