Cold weather golf – a one club difference?

[tony@CIC]

Reading an article from Golf Digest yesterday on the results of how cold weather affects one’s golf game, I’m wondering if everyone’s results are similar.

Playing in the high 40’s my results were worse than what’s posted in the article. The article claims (as a starting point), that golf ball carry distance degrades 1 yd for every 10*. And you should add potentially ½ club and if fully bundled 1 club.

When I’m playing in the mid to high 40’s and low 50’s, I’m wearing a long sleeve polo with a medium weight sleeveless vest. My results are a 1 -2 club difference. Perhaps this is more a function of age?

How does it affect your golf game?

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/proven-by-science-do-colder-golf-balls-lose-distance-and-does-leaving-golf-clubs-in-the-cold-affect-their-performance

[NMNM]

Cold weather golf was much more than a one club difference for me.

I'd be out there wishing that I were someplace else.

The only time I ever played in bad weather was to fulfill league obligations.

Otherwise, I'd rather stay in the clubhouse, drink coffee, and read, play cards, or just shoot the s*** with the guys.

 

[NM01]

It varies for me. From around 55-65* it’s about one club, below 55* it’s between 1-2 clubs. 

[Mr. 82]

Well, there are multiple factors involved in cold weather golf.  When the weather turns colder in November it just doesn't drop the temperature.  With the change in temperature it usually involves a cold front, which brings all sorts of nastiness with it.  I'll just give you Saturday's insanity as an example.  It having been about 78 degrees on Friday and overcast, we come to Saturday morning at 8:00 with 55 degrees and a bunch of mud, because it had rained the previous two days.  Along with that 55 degrees was a 15 mph wind right in my face on the first tee.  So forget the fact that it's 25 degrees colder, just factor in a wind that basically swats your ball out of mid air in mid flight and drops it about 30-40 yards shorter than any tee ball you hit.  And heaven forbid you aren't spot on with your direction.  Draw it just enough or cut it just enough and the wind just exaggerates the direction your ball is heading in.  So what is normally maybe 5-10 yards off center, is not 20-30 yards off center.  Oh, would you look at that sucker hooking right into the trees, never to be found again.  What is that?  It's OB over there.  Son of a bee, I guess I'm reteeing and hitting 3 now.  So I finally put the next one in play, and when I arrive at the ball, all that mud says hi, and decides to have a party on my golf ball.  What, we're not playing lift clean and cheat today?  Gotta play it down.  Oh fantastic!  So not only is it covered in mud, but it's half embedded in it's divot mark in what is left of the fairway.  Oh yeah, I only hit that drive about 210, so this 419 yard par 4 with trees on both sides of the fairway, now leaves me hitting 4 from about 209.  Well, since my drive only went 210, I can't imagine I can even reach this hole now.  But wait, the wind is now swirling, and I have no idea what it's going to do to this shot, so we'll just take a hybrid and do our best to aim this in the vicinity of the green, which by the way, is about the size of my living room, so yeah, good luck with that.  Dang, missed it right, and oh crap, I caught a mud ball flyer out of that half embedded lie, and that sucks is on a line for the water to the right behind the green.  Oh good, it stopped just short of that, but the bermuda isn't dormant yet, and I don't think they've cut the rough around the green in about 2 months.  Hey David, did you see where the heck I hit that, I can't find it anywhere in this ankle deep crap over here.  And it's covered in mud anyway, so good luck finding that camouflaged nugget.  Ah, here it is.  Thank goodness I'm playing a yellow ball, or I would have never found it.  Pull out the lob wedge and try and land this semi-flop shot right on the collar of this tiny, massively sloped back to front green that is only about 15 paces across.  Dang, left it just short, but I can putt the ball from the collar.  Whoops, the mud on my ball pushed it way left of the pin, and now I've got a nasty 8 foot left to right slider coming back for my 7.  Ah well, I missed that one, but at least I can tap in for that fantastic 8.

That was how I started my round on Saturday morning.  Rinse, wash and repeat for 18 holes, just like that.  I managed to par the par three 2nd hole.  Bogey was a good hole for everything after that.

Sorry, I digress.  The temps aren't your only variable in cold weather golf.  When you factor in the wind, rain/snow, and always wet conditions, you ball doesn't go anywhere, and it often hits the muddy fairway and just stops, meaning you get no roll.  Even here in Florida, you deal with a massive change in conditions.  My handicap usually goes up by about 2 or 3 strokes in the winter because of this.  You have no distance off the tee, you have no idea how far your irons will go, and you have no idea how the ball will react hitting into greens with a 5 iron.  Courses that are 6,500 yards feel like you are playing 7,000 yards in colder weather.  And that's being conservative.

[cnosil]

I think it is about 1 club for me when it gets down in the 40s. I think the wind picks up a bit in the winter which may add another club or as others have mentioned the additional layers.

[TheWahoo]

To me, it seems that colder temperatures, at the minimum, makes about a one club difference.   While I don't know if it is accurate, but I have also heard that the golf ball does not perform the same in colder temperatures.   Personally, I find it a bit more difficult to swing wearing six inches of clothes.   It also makes it more difficult to pee.

[NM01]

16 minutes ago, cnosil said:

I think it is about 1 club for me when it gets down in the 40s. I think the wind picks up a bit in the winter which may add another club or as others have mentioned the additional layers.

When it’s windy even just a slight one it plays havoc on my club selection. When I think it’s about 1 club it turns out to be 2 and sometimes going to two isn’t enough 

[JAGolfore]

For me it is 1-2 clubs. Factor in more clothing and the swing is not as free. It’s about solid contact when the temperature drops.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[GB13]

My rule is 3 yards for every 10° below 70°. I read the article and they are only focusing on equipment. Equipment maybe 1 yard, my jacket might be 1 yard, and the fact that my muscules aren't as loose is 1 yard. For me, a 7 iron at 70° is 160, at 60° is 157, etc. 

[txgolfjunkie]

In my humble opinion, 1 club difference for every 10* below 60*. Take away another 0.5 club for every layer of clothing you're wearing. Vests don't count. 

A formula I created when my insane golfing buddies want to go golf in the 'winter time'. Anything below 60* is starting to get on the chilly side, especially if it's cloudy and there will be some wind. 

(60* - projected high for the day) - (% chance of precipitation) + (20 for sun, 10 for partly cloudy skies, 0 for cloudy skies) - (max winds for the day) + (course rating on golf advisor x 4) = _____

If your number is around or above 0 - Tee it up

If your number is between -15 and 0 - Give it a second thought

Anything below -20 - So uh, are there any football games on today? 

So for example, if it was going to be 50* with a 30% chance of rain, partly cloudy skies, 5 mph winds and a course rating of 3.5, I'd tee it up (final score -1). However, if one of those variables changed significantly, I'd probably sit it out. 

Dumb? Over the top? Ridiculous? You betcha!

[tony@CIC]

18 minutes ago, txgolfjunkie said:

In my humble opinion, 1 club difference for every 10* below 60*. Take away another 0.5 club for every layer of clothing you're wearing. Vests don't count. 

A formula I created when my insane golfing buddies want to go golf in the 'winter time'. Anything below 60* is starting to get on the chilly side, especially if it's cloudy and there will be some wind. 

(60* - projected high for the day) - (% chance of precipitation) + (20 for sun, 10 for partly cloudy skies, 0 for cloudy skies) - (max winds for the day) + (course rating on golf advisor x 4) = _____

If your number is around or above 0 - Tee it up

If your number is between -15 and 0 - Give it a second thought

Anything below -20 - So uh, are there any football games on today? 

So for example, if it was going to be 50* with a 30% chance of rain, partly cloudy skies, 5 mph winds and a course rating of 3.5, I'd tee it up (final score -1). However, if one of those variables changed significantly, I'd probably sit it out. 

Dumb? Over the top? Ridiculous? You betcha!

That's funny! However, for us in the Midwest your formula would probably reduce our annual golf season  by 4-6 weeks. 

[Kenny B]

I played nine holes on Monday, my usual day with the guys, but they wussed out... all of them.  It was 36º cloudy but no wind.  The first tee was open and I was walking.  A single in a cart joined me on the tee on #2 (he yelled at me from the fairway near the #1 green, and I waited for him).  

I hit all the same clubs that I would usually hit, from the same places that I am usually at.  I only had two changes from a normal walking round: I was wearing a pair of Merrell boots instead of golf shoes (because they are warm), and I was playing a two-piece soft ball instead of a urethane tour ball.  

Yes, it's colder; yes, I was wearing one extra layer, and the humidity was high because the fog had just lifted.  However, we have very firm fairways and greens normally, and when it gets cold, they get firmer.  I get more carry and more bounce and roll with the softer, two-piece ball under these conditions.  A well-struck PV1 will bounce and release on our greens, so it makes no sense to play a tour ball.  All approach shots have to land short of the green or I will be putting from the back of every green.

How'd I do?  I shot my best 9-hole round of the year!  36... -1 on the par 37 front nine.  I hit every fairway and 6 of 9 GIR.  I almost eagled the par 4 #3 hole, the #1 handicap hole, and had a tap-in birdie; then I chipped in for birdie on #4.  The only blemish was a bogey on #9 after a good drive, but a very poor second shot.

So, I play the same yardages as normal.  Just call me AB Normal.  

[tony@CIC]

4 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

I played nine holes on Monday, my usual day with the guys, but they wussed out... all of them.  It was 36º cloudy but no wind.  The first tee was open and I was walking.  A single in a cart joined me on the tee on #2 (he yelled at me from the fairway near the #1 green, and I waited for him).  

I hit all the same clubs that I would usually hit, from the same places that I am usually at.  I only had two changes from a normal walking round: I was wearing a pair of Merrell boots instead of golf shoes (because they are warm), and I was playing a two-piece soft ball instead of a urethane tour ball.  

Yes, it's colder; yes, I was wearing one extra layer, and the humidity was high because the fog had just lifted.  However, we have very firm fairways and greens normally, and when it gets cold, they get firmer.  I get more carry and more bounce and roll with the softer, two-piece ball under these conditions.  A well-struck PV1 will bounce and release on our greens, so it makes no sense to play a tour ball.  All approach shots have to land short of the green or I will be putting from the back of every green.

How'd I do?  I shot my best 9-hole round of the year!  36... -1 on the par 37 front nine.  I hit every fairway and 6 of 9 GIR.  I almost eagled the par 4 #3 hole, the #1 handicap hole, and had a tap-in birdie; then I chipped in for birdie on #4.  The only blemish was a bogey on #9 after a good drive, but a very poor second shot.

So, I play the same yardages as normal.  Just call me AB Normal.  

Holy cow  - maybe you should only be playing in 36* weather 

[Kenny B]

1 minute ago, tony@CIC said:

Holy cow  - maybe you should only be playing in 36* weather 

Yeah, I thought about it.  Wonder if I should cancel my 2 week trip to Phoenix in January...  NAW!!

[hckymeyer]

I have that MyYardage app from a thread a while back.  I have my yardages set as a baseline for a 70-75 degree day.  It's currently 38 degree's outside and it auto updates what my expected yardages would be.  Mid to long clubs lose 10-11 yards today.  Wedges it's 5-7 yds.

So that's the other thing to keep in mind, longer clubs are going to be more affected by yardage than shorter clubs (percentage wise it's about the same, but my 6i loses 11 yards while my 58 degree loses 5 yds)

So you might be two clubs different on a longer iron but only 1 club different on a shorter approach.  This also doesn't factor in clothing and swing speed due to cold and layers.  So I can easily see 2 clubs difference playing in colder weather vs playing in warm wearing shorts and a polo.

[PlaidJacket]

2 hours ago, Kenny B said:

How'd I do?  I shot my best 9-hole round of the year!  36... -1 on the par 37 front nine

Hmmm... sounds familiar. I don't think I'll be playing with ole Kenny-boy this winter. I mean who the hell bundles up, wears boots and shoots 1 under? I'd be lucky to to shoot 10 over! Maybe I need boots? LOL

 

[LeftyHawk]

For my 2 cents worth, the ambient temperature is only 1 of many factors. With colder temps muscles are not a flexible which restricts your swing , layered cloths restrict movement, I always go to a softer ball and try to keep it warm between holes. On the other side adding 2 clubs and not swinging as hard my fairway % is higher but my GIR suffers a bit due to distance loss. All in all I still shoot about the same score, I just have to make adjustments in course management to compensate for the added variables. Still, a cold day on the course beats a warm day at work !!!!!

 

Chris

[Kenny B]

1 hour ago, LeftyHawk said:

For my 2 cents worth, the ambient temperature is only 1 of many factors. With colder temps muscles are not a flexible which restricts your swing , layered cloths restrict movement, I always go to a softer ball and try to keep it warm between holes. On the other side adding 2 clubs and not swinging as hard my fairway % is higher but my GIR suffers a bit due to distance loss. All in all I still shoot about the same score, I just have to make adjustments in course management to compensate for the added variables. Still, a cold day on the course beats a warm day at work !!!!!

 

Chris

Maybe this is why I don't see a drop in distance!!  My muscles are old and not flexible even at warmer temps.  

I agree about the softer ball, and I always rotate in warmer balls on every hole.  That makes a huge difference for me, but with it comes a different game.  When I was younger, about 45, I played with a lot of guys that were my age now, about 70.  I was always trying to fly the ball onto the green; they never did!!  Now I know why.  The difference is that they played that way ALL year long.  It's a different game that takes practice to play well.

[GB13]

5 hours ago, Kenny B said:

I played nine holes on Monday, my usual day with the guys, but they wussed out... all of them.  It was 36º cloudy but no wind.  The first tee was open and I was walking.  A single in a cart joined me on the tee on #2 (he yelled at me from the fairway near the #1 green, and I waited for him).  

I hit all the same clubs that I would usually hit, from the same places that I am usually at.  I only had two changes from a normal walking round: I was wearing a pair of Merrell boots instead of golf shoes (because they are warm), and I was playing a two-piece soft ball instead of a urethane tour ball.  

Yes, it's colder; yes, I was wearing one extra layer, and the humidity was high because the fog had just lifted.  However, we have very firm fairways and greens normally, and when it gets cold, they get firmer.  I get more carry and more bounce and roll with the softer, two-piece ball under these conditions.  A well-struck PV1 will bounce and release on our greens, so it makes no sense to play a tour ball.  All approach shots have to land short of the green or I will be putting from the back of every green.

How'd I do?  I shot my best 9-hole round of the year!  36... -1 on the par 37 front nine.  I hit every fairway and 6 of 9 GIR.  I almost eagled the par 4 #3 hole, the #1 handicap hole, and had a tap-in birdie; then I chipped in for birdie on #4.  The only blemish was a bogey on #9 after a good drive, but a very poor second shot.

So, I play the same yardages as normal.  Just call me AB Normal.  

If you can shoot 36 in 36° weather, you need to play in 27° weather next time.

[Kenny B]

I probably will next month!!  Once the temps get below freezing and are forecasted to not get above freezing during the day, the course will be open for play.  It's pretty dry here so we can play most all year.  I've played when temps are in the teens, as long as it's not windy.  I don't see a lower score in the future with lower temps though.  

[golfguide]

It appears that colder temperatures, at the base, has around a one club effect. While I don't know whether it is precise, yet I have additionally heard that the best golf club brands ball does not play out the equivalent in colder temperatures. By and by, I discover it harder to swing wearing six crawls of garments.