Jump to content
TESTERS WANTED! ×

Hey Northerners--rethink your FL vacation timing.


Recommended Posts

So, virtually everyone up north who vacation in Florida, or winter in Florida, travel down here sometime during the months of December, January, February and March.  Having lived down here for 11 years, and having vacationed down here for 30 years prior to that, I am now on a soap box for saying that really doesn't make any sense.  Here's my bullet point analysis of why that really is less than optimal.

 

-- Florida weather in those months, even in southern FL, really isn't all that awesome.  Sure it's far warmer than up north, but there are a high percentage of days in the 60s and below throughout the state, the Keys excepted perhaps.

 

--Winter up north is long and cold, but in December through March, its cold and supposed to be cold, so one is prepared and resigned to that.

 

--Because everyone in the brother comes to Florida in those months, its expensive and the traffic is terrible and the restaurants are full.

 

--Further to that, the golf is very expensive, the highest greens fees of the year.  Yet, for most of the state, you're dealing with dormant rough, slow growing fairways, and over seeded or less than optimum condition greens.

 

--You want to know when the absolute best weather of the year in Florida is?  April, May and June.  Great temperatures, low humidity, no hurricane risk and none of the late afternoon thunderstorms that predominate July through October.

 

--As I remember, the most depressing and frustrating months of the year up north were April and May.  It's supposed to be spring, you get a couple of days to tease you that spring is coming, things actually start to green up, BUT--most days are cloudy, cool (or cold), windy (even the rare warm days), wet, etc.  

 

--Translated to the golf course, you get some green grass, but lots of winterkill, lots of mud, no roll, and the aforementioned weather conditions in which to play.

 

--Once April arrives, the tourists and snowbirds leave, and guess what? Everything is much cheaper and more accessible here in Florida (I was in Venice, south of Sarasota, this week visiting mom.  Stayed in hotel my nephew had stayed in in February.  I payed $92 versus his $225 a night).  Greens fees also drop dramatically, we're playing 3 1/2 hour rounds versus 4 1/2 hour rounds, and the conditioning of the courses is great! 

 

--The Canadians and Europeans have figured this out.  They buy their vacation homes, condos and time shares and rent them out to the northerners during Dec-March to pay their bills for the year.  Then, come April, they come to enjoy the really good weather and conditions down here.

 

--Today prompted this post by me.  Glorious 86 degree, very low humidity, light breeze day here in Jacksonville.  Spent a perfect afternoon watching minor league baseball, Mississippi Braves playing the Jacksonville Suns.  Looked up Milwaukee weather today, 46 degrees, cloudy and drizzly.  

Nonchalant putts count the same as chalant putts.

In my Ogio Ozone XX Cart Stand Bag:

Ping G400 10.5 Deg Driver, stock Stiff shaft
TM Rocketballz 19 Deg 5 Wood, stock Matrix Osik Stiff shaft
TM Rocketballz Stage 2 21 Deg Tour 4 Hybrid, Rocketfuel 80h Stiff shaft 

Callaway Apex CF 16 Irons, 4-P, Stiff Shafts
 
Scor 48 and 55 degree wedges.  
Renegar 60 Deg Steel Shaft Lob Wedge

TM Ghost Spider Si 38" Counterbalanced Putter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with this, having spent Jan 31 - Feb 11 in Orlando and St. Augustine with a day trip to Tampa/St. Pete area to play golf with Rev and Foz.  The entire trip was cool, rainy, windy.  There were several days that the temperature was warmer back home in Washington.  

 

We usually head somewhere warm for a couple of weeks in the winter just to play in warmer weather.  Phoenix, Tucson, Palm Springs, and of course Hawaii are nice, but we hadn't been to Florida for awhile, so we thought we would try it.  I have been to Naples in January several times and it was always great, but I don't think I would make another trip to Orlando in the Jan/Feb timeframe.  

 

The problem with April, May, and June timeframe is that it is some of the best weather here at home; it has been in the 70's and 80's since mid-April and will hit 90 this next weekend.  Hard to justify going somewhere else to play during this time.  However, we are traveling to Central Oregon for 5 days of golf next week; since it is in the mountains, it will be a little cooler.

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My in-laws go to Bonita Springs every Feb-Mar so we go down in March...until we move down there.

In the bag:
Driver: :titelist-small: TSR2 Project X HZRDUS Black 5.5
Fairway: :callaway-small: Apex UW 19° & 21° Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Black 5.5

Irons: :mizuno-small: JPX 923 HMP 5-PW UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4
Wedges: :mizuno-small: T-22 Denim Copper 48°, 52° & 56° UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4
Putter :Sub70: Sycamore 005 Wide Blade
Bag: 
:Ogio: Alpha Convoy 514
Balls: :callaway-small: Chrome Soft X

Cart: :CaddyTek: CaddyLite ONE Ver. 8


God Bless America🇺🇸, God save the King🇬🇧, God defend New Zealand🇳🇿 and thank Christ for Australia🇦🇺!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup - cold, windy - kinda like April in Minnesota.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
Follow @golfspybarbajo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How is the first week of November?  We are planning on Disney trip with the kids.  I won't get to golf but we will be outside a lot.

Driver: :taylormade-small: SLDR w/ Fujikura Ventus Black

3w: :taylormade-small:'16 M2 hl w/ Diamana D+ 82

5w: :cleveland-small: Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Yellow

Hybrid: :cleveland-small: 22 deg. Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Black

Irons: :cleveland-small: 5i - gap Launcher CBX w/ Nippon Modus 3 125

Wedges: :cleveland-small: 54 CBX & 58 Zipcore w/ Nippon Modus 3 125

Putter: :odyssey-small: Red 7s

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How is the first week of November?  We are planning on Disney trip with the kids.  I won't get to golf but we will be outside a lot.

 

 

 

MONTH     Avg. High's    Avg. Low's   Avg. Rainfall

November           79              59                2.32

 

 

 

Driver: image.png.6ba1c8a254ad57aa05e527b74c2e04ba.png0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft

Fairways:  image.png.80321f01fc46450b6f428c7daf7b3471.png0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB  regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft

Hybrid: None in bag at the moment

IronsTitleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour

Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm).

Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or  ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707,   or Nike Method Core Drone  w/Evnroll Gravity Grip

Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). 

Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel

Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've always tried to follow the PGA tour. They have the weather pretty much nailed down. (except this past weekend in New Orleans). Seems to me they rarely have poor weather when holding tournaments. Ok, ok... there's always exceptions but think about it.

My Sun Mountain bag currently includes:   TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 771CSI 5i - PW and TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges

                                                                               :755178188_TourEdge: EXS 10.5*, TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 929-HS FW4 16.5* 

                                                                                :edel-golf-1: Willimette w/GolfPride Contour

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed with two important exceptions.

 

1.  Our weather is always good through Christmas at least if not until New Years.  So December is safe once you go far enough South.  Also its not cold and windy the entire time from January through March - the problem is that we always have a week or two where it is cold and windy and you have to book in advance.  For us its just a nuisance for you its a costly disaster if that's your vacation.

 

2.  Where I'm at the weather is normally great from mid-March until mid-May.  The problem is that many courses will use sometime in late April to change back over to summer grasses so you could come, have great weather only to find that the greens are being aerated. 

 

Beyond a doubt though the best times here are the shoulder season - mid-October through Christmas and mid-March to the start of May.  I'd expect that Jax is a week or so off of what we are in St Pete.

 

Hckymeyer you are totally safe in November - it and April are the two driest months of the year -

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been coming to the Naples area for the last 10+ yrs in October. Sometimes early, sometimes late. Weather there is usually GREAT at that time, and snow birds haven't arrived yet. Always a fantastic trip.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

"Where'd it go?"  "Right in the Lumberyard..."

126422322_PXGLogo_2.png.74a339363ba3931cc4fc226a253621f8.png Gen 2  0811 XF 10.5*  Graphite Design Tour AD DI-6x

126422322_PXGLogo_2.png.74a339363ba3931cc4fc226a253621f8.png Gen 2 0211 15* 3W Mitsubishi Tensei Raw Blue 65-S
:bridgestone-small:  Tour B JGR 15*   Fairway UST ProForce V2 7F5 76g X-Flex

(These two are gonna fight it out in early "24 to see who stays in the bag...)


:bridgestone-small:  Tour B JGR 19* & 22* Hybrid UST ProForce V2 90g X-Flex
:bridgestone-small:  Tour B JGR HF-2 irons (5i - PW)  KBS Tour 130x

:cleveland-small: CBX Wedges (50, 54, 58)  TT Dynamic Gold 115 Wedge Shaft
MATI  Mamo Putter 33"  Super Stroke Football League 3.0 Slim
MX21TOURYLW_NOCOLOR_FRT.jpg.79e37b9c329b3d3a644cb61d2746a057.jpg

:ping-small: Hoofer Camo Stand Bag

:918457628_PrecisionPro: Precision Pro Nexus Rangefinder

:PuttOut:FAN!

1711524086_TheGrintlogo_text_1.png.c1eb3f656b10191d1fc9a14a0fd77f95.png PRO Member

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would concur that October, November and most of December are equally as good.  Reason I excluded them is that there is the risk of tropical storms in October and November, which though infrequent, can really ruin a golf trip.

Nonchalant putts count the same as chalant putts.

In my Ogio Ozone XX Cart Stand Bag:

Ping G400 10.5 Deg Driver, stock Stiff shaft
TM Rocketballz 19 Deg 5 Wood, stock Matrix Osik Stiff shaft
TM Rocketballz Stage 2 21 Deg Tour 4 Hybrid, Rocketfuel 80h Stiff shaft 

Callaway Apex CF 16 Irons, 4-P, Stiff Shafts
 
Scor 48 and 55 degree wedges.  
Renegar 60 Deg Steel Shaft Lob Wedge

TM Ghost Spider Si 38" Counterbalanced Putter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, virtually everyone up north who vacation in Florida, or winter in Florida, travel down here sometime during the months of December, January, February and March.  Having lived down here for 11 years, and having vacationed down here for 30 years prior to that, I am now on a soap box for saying that really doesn't make any sense.  Here's my bullet point analysis of why that really is less than optimal.

 

-- Florida weather in those months, even in southern FL, really isn't all that awesome.  Sure it's far warmer than up north, but there are a high percentage of days in the 60s and below throughout the state, the Keys excepted perhaps.

 

--Winter up north is long and cold, but in December through March, its cold and supposed to be cold, so one is prepared and resigned to that.

 

--Because everyone in the brother comes to Florida in those months, its expensive and the traffic is terrible and the restaurants are full.

 

--Further to that, the golf is very expensive, the highest greens fees of the year.  Yet, for most of the state, you're dealing with dormant rough, slow growing fairways, and over seeded or less than optimum condition greens.

 

--You want to know when the absolute best weather of the year in Florida is?  April, May and June.  Great temperatures, low humidity, no hurricane risk and none of the late afternoon thunderstorms that predominate July through October.

 

--As I remember, the most depressing and frustrating months of the year up north were April and May.  It's supposed to be spring, you get a couple of days to tease you that spring is coming, things actually start to green up, BUT--most days are cloudy, cool (or cold), windy (even the rare warm days), wet, etc.  

 

--Translated to the golf course, you get some green grass, but lots of winterkill, lots of mud, no roll, and the aforementioned weather conditions in which to play.

 

--Once April arrives, the tourists and snowbirds leave, and guess what? Everything is much cheaper and more accessible here in Florida (I was in Venice, south of Sarasota, this week visiting mom.  Stayed in hotel my nephew had stayed in in February.  I payed $92 versus his $225 a night).  Greens fees also drop dramatically, we're playing 3 1/2 hour rounds versus 4 1/2 hour rounds, and the conditioning of the courses is great! 

 

--The Canadians and Europeans have figured this out.  They buy their vacation homes, condos and time shares and rent them out to the northerners during Dec-March to pay their bills for the year.  Then, come April, they come to enjoy the really good weather and conditions down here.

 

--Today prompted this post by me.  Glorious 86 degree, very low humidity, light breeze day here in Jacksonville.  Spent a perfect afternoon watching minor league baseball, Mississippi Braves playing the Jacksonville Suns.  Looked up Milwaukee weather today, 46 degrees, cloudy and drizzly.  

As a person who spent 3.5 years in Daytona I can attest to it. Florida can get cold on occasion, but if you're on vacation from the north 50 degrees and 30 mph winds are much more enjoyable than 30 degrees and 5 mph winds when golfing. Winter golf is expensive, but summer golf you deal with pop up thunderstorms that can ruin a round on the 3rd or 4th hole if it starts pouring and doesn't stop for an hour.

 

Best memories were in early fall and summer when the temperatures weren't awful and you can play 2-3 hour rounds. LPGA in Daytona was a steal then too. Something like 30-40 bucks and I could get on around 3 and be done by 5:15.

 Driver:   :callaway-small:  Epic Flash 12 Degree

Wood: :callaway-small:  GBB 3 Wood
Hybrid: :callaway-small: Razr 4 hybriid stiff stock shaft.
Irons: :callaway-small: X2 Hot 4 iron (pro version) 5 iron - Gap Wedge (non pro version).  KBS 120g Shaft stiff cut 1/2  inch bent 1°upright
Wedges: :vokey-small: 52° 56° and 60°.
All grips are Golf pride grips midsized
Putter (lefty):  Odyssey Metal-X #8 34", stock shaft bent 2° Superstroke grip
Golf Balls:   :titelist-small: 2018-9 Pro-V1x and Prov1s
Shoes:  :footjoy-small:  Dryjoy tours

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a person who spent 3.5 years in Daytona I can attest to it. Florida can get cold on occasion, but if you're on vacation from the north 50 degrees and 30 mph winds are much more enjoyable than 30 degrees and 5 mph winds when golfing. Winter golf is expensive, but summer golf you deal with pop up thunderstorms that can ruin a round on the 3rd or 4th hole if it starts pouring and doesn't stop for an hour.

 

Best memories were in early fall and summer when the temperatures weren't awful and you can play 2-3 hour rounds. LPGA in Daytona was a steal then too. Something like 30-40 bucks and I could get on around 3 and be done by 5:15.

My wife and I played LPGA in Daytona when we were in Orlando on February 5.  It was cold and windy.  They said it was cart path only and took our money.  What they didn't say was that it was casual water in the fairways... all of each fairway!  You could hit the ball in the middle of the fairway with a big splash.  If you moved your ball to the rough, it was drier but then you'd be hitting out of that dang Bermuda rough.  Personally, I wouldn't have let anyone on the course; they had a lot to repair after that round!

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After the crazy weather we've been having here in Milwaukee I almost did an impulse golf weekend in Orlando. I figured college tuition was probably more important.

 

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Callaway XR Pro 8* - Project X LZ 6.0
Callaway XR 15* - Project X LZ 6.0

Tour Issue Taylormade R15 19* - Motore Speeder 661 X
Cobra King Pro CB 4-PW - Project X 6.5
Callaway MD3 Black Shamrock LE - 50, 54, 58 - Tour Issue DG S200
Odyssey Works #7 CH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@TheLetterSee my house is college student friendly and we have lots of great golf around us if ever you want to come and play.

 

@Kenny - You and Martha were here at an exceptional time weather wise.  I've live here for 10 years.  While we typically experience the cold that you did on your trip it has never been close to that wet in the month of February in the time that I've lived here. 

 

A typical year for us includes a cold snap in a very dry month of January - that snap will last a week or two with days in the low 50's and nights in the mid 30's.  Feb. will be in the 60's and dry, March in the 70's and dry, April in the 80's and dry.  Mid to late May we will have a week of very heavy rain followed by a turn over to summer patterns that include lots of rain and very high temps (90's - high humidity many days with dangerous heat indexes).  This pattern continues into October when we have another week of heavy rain and then a descending pattern in November that mirrors the spring - 80's and dry, 70's and dry Mid-October until Christmas or the end of December.  There may be a grey few days in December where we have some rain.

 

Of course on any given week or any given year things may vary but that's the normal pattern.

 

Course costs drop significantly in the summer but it is very rare to have a total wash out - you plan your round for before or after the summer rain is all and its always going to be lush regardless - just don't hit the ball in the rough!

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To me it is all perspective. I have an office in Miami and to me it is never cold there. Heck I was there for a week and it was I the low 60's and people were freaking out. I wore short sleeves to the office everyday. That being said there is no way I could survive a summer in South Florida, I would melt.

 

The last time I did bike week in Daytona I rode most of the week in leathers since it was just flat out cold. It was actually a better ride through the the Carolinas than it was when I got to Daytona. Guess it all depends on the part of the state.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

WITB 2024

   Qi10 LS 9* HZRDUS RDX Smoke Blue 60g 6.5

   M5 15* Evenflow Black 75g 6.5

   Sim Ti 22* HZRDUS Red 75g 6.5

   Sim2 Rescue 22* Diamana Thump 100x

   X Forged CB 5 - PW MMT 105 TX 

   Jaws Raw 50*, 54* & 58* TTDG "OG" Spinner

   Toulon Madison BGT Fire 34.75"

   Z Star Diamond

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

To me it is all perspective. I have an office in Miami and to me it is never cold there. Heck I was there for a week and it was I the low 60's and people were freaking out. I wore short sleeves to the office everyday. That being said there is no way I could survive a summer in South Florida, I would melt.

 

The last time I did bike week in Daytona I rode most of the week in leathers since it was just flat out cold. It was actually a better ride through the the Carolinas than it was when I got to Daytona. Guess it all depends on the part of the state.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Not so much as if you hit THAT week. There is always a week or two in the winter when it is cold in Florida. Sometimes more than that in central Florida. When it's cold here it feels very cold because it's damp and buildings aren't built for it.

 

The original point is spot on, the best times to visit are fall or spring. This spring has been spectacular. Its mid May and still not overly hot. My course is in perfect shape.

 

Sent from my VS986 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not so much as if you hit THAT week. There is always a week or two in the winter when it is cold in Florida. Sometimes more than that in central Florida. When it's cold here it feels very cold because it's damp and buildings aren't built for it.

 

The original point is spot on, the best times to visit are fall or spring. This spring has been spectacular. Its mid May and still not overly hot. My course is in perfect shape.

 

Sent from my VS986 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

don't forget 50 degrees may be cold for you, but in Boston during December, if it hits 50 degrees the students would go lie down outside in short sleeves. 

 

For me 75 is perfect for me, but out here 75 is really cool for a lot of folks. 

 Driver:   :callaway-small:  Epic Flash 12 Degree

Wood: :callaway-small:  GBB 3 Wood
Hybrid: :callaway-small: Razr 4 hybriid stiff stock shaft.
Irons: :callaway-small: X2 Hot 4 iron (pro version) 5 iron - Gap Wedge (non pro version).  KBS 120g Shaft stiff cut 1/2  inch bent 1°upright
Wedges: :vokey-small: 52° 56° and 60°.
All grips are Golf pride grips midsized
Putter (lefty):  Odyssey Metal-X #8 34", stock shaft bent 2° Superstroke grip
Golf Balls:   :titelist-small: 2018-9 Pro-V1x and Prov1s
Shoes:  :footjoy-small:  Dryjoy tours

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...