Summer v/s Winter scores

fistfullofbeer

Akshay ("Ak" + "Shay")
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I play in the Pacific NW where our winters are fairly wet and cold. As a result of that, I have seen that my scores raise considerably from hitting in the low 90s over the summer to high 90's and low 100's in the winter. The roll is gone and there is considerable loss in distance on shots in general.

As someone who has only recently become a golf regular, is this to be expected? I am honestly not sure what to make of this. I feel like I am playing at a very similar level (as summer) but my scores are just not matching what I was getting in the summer.
 
My index is typically 1 or 2 points higher in the colder months than the summer.
 
That's pretty common really whether it's wet and soggy conditions or just colder temperatures you're looking at some longer approach shots into greens and that's gonna raise your scores. You've got a couple options, you can adjust your expectations and live with higher scores while practicing hitting longer irons into greens. Second would be to adjust the yardages you're playing, move up to the set of tees that will let you hit you're normal approach yardages into greens and score similarly to what you're used to.

It all kind of boils down to what you want to work on the most through those months. Personally, I would move up a set of tees since you haven't been playing all that long. I think it will benefit you more in the long run by learning how to score better.
 
I’m finding the hardest thing is putting. Some of the greens are either in poor shape, bumpy from aeration, or the lip of the holes are raised making everything break away from the hole.
 
If it is cold and wet I play worse but if it just wet and I am playing lcp then my scores are slightly lower assuming the course isn't really long. This is assuming I have been golfing a good amount which is almost never in winter.
 
I play in the Pacific NW where our winters are fairly wet and cold. As a result of that, I have seen that my scores raise considerably from hitting in the low 90s over the summer to high 90's and low 100's in the winter. The roll is gone and there is considerable loss in distance on shots in general.

As someone who has only recently become a golf regular, is this to be expected? I am honestly not sure what to make of this. I feel like I am playing at a very similar level (as summer) but my scores are just not matching what I was getting in the summer.

I am seeing the same thing but luckily we have a course down in Lacey that is considered the driest course in Western WA, Capitol City. Their drainage is phenomenal, I've played in the rain there and rarely see the fairways soggy. You still get reduced roll on drives, bunkers are junk or half full of water and the greens are very inconsistent from hole to hole but considering how wet our winters are, it's pretty good. I played 9 at another course last Wed and lost 3 balls that I saw land a foot or two off the fairway and just buried in the "swamp".
 
That's pretty common really whether it's wet and soggy conditions or just colder temperatures you're looking at some longer approach shots into greens and that's gonna raise your scores. You've got a couple options, you can adjust your expectations and live with higher scores while practicing hitting longer irons into greens. Second would be to adjust the yardages you're playing, move up to the set of tees that will let you hit you're normal approach yardages into greens and score similarly to what you're used to.

It all kind of boils down to what you want to work on the most through those months. Personally, I would move up a set of tees since you haven't been playing all that long. I think it will benefit you more in the long run by learning how to score better.

So-ill speaks truth. Adjusting the yardages makes the most sense to me as well.

Looking at something like the Longleaf Tee system (bear with me here) the goal is to have similar approach shots for player who hit different lengths off the tee. Not similar distances, but similar shots. So everyone should be hitting a short iron in the short par 4's (for example), whether a player is hitting a short iron shot that 170 yards or 60 yards, everyone should be hitting a similar club into each green.

Taking that to winter/summer, on a short par 4, you want to be hitting an 8 iron (for example) on your approach shot. If you're losing 20 yards of distance on your driver from adding extra layers, and not getting any roll on the ball, move up a tee box or so, that way you're continuing to hit an 8 iron into the green, and you can continue to hone your approach shot game, and continue to learn how to score. If you're now having to hit a 5 or 6 iron into that green you're adding difficulty to an already difficult part of the game and it can certainly be frustrating having your approaches go from 8/9 iron to 5/6 iron. Also, on the longer par 4's your going from hitting 5/6 iron to 3/4 hybrids which just adds more frustration. Courses are designed to have easier and harder holes. Losing that much distance suddenly gives you hard and harder holes.
 
I play the same tees in the winter and the course definitely plays about 300+ yards longer in the winter. I don’t play many rounds in the winter but it the 10 that I will play this year will raise my index about a stroke.
 
In the winter time I play forward one tee box. As someone said above it generally keeps you at the same approach distances.
 
It's normal.
The ball doesn't fly anywhere, the ground is saturated, the bunkers are trash, and the greens are not smooth enough to roll and make good putts. I find the bumpy greens to be the main reason scores go up...just can't make 5 footers consistently with the ball lurching around.
 
In Charleston, I actually play a tad better from October to January than I do from April to July haha. It’s weird as conditions are similar in those months unless it has been a wet fall/early winter. Although, could be due to the dormant Bermuda rough haha. Easier to get out of than thick summer Bermuda around here


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In Charleston, I actually play a tad better from October to January than I do from April to July haha. It’s weird as conditions are similar in those months unless it has been a wet fall/early winter. Although, could be due to the dormant Bermuda rough haha. Easier to get out of than thick summer Bermuda around here


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I definitely feel that the rough plays easier around here in the winter... but I also find that it's tougher when it comes to short game shots. If I'm in the fairway 30 yards from the green or something... it's really tough to nip the ball properly every time because of how bare the fairways are. Overall... I've noticed my index raises about 2 strokes in the winter. Whether it's because of extra layers... tougher lies... wetter courses or whatever, I just seem to play a little worse in the winter than I do in the summer.
 
Its totally normal, colder temps the ball doesn't travel as far, course conditions especially the greens are more difficult, wearing multiple layers doesn't help....here in the Northeast there is a beginning and end to the season. Since the scores can no longer can be posted I use the winter as practice only...the only time I keep score is when we are playing a money match (it will be skins not stroke, so i don't pay attention to score)
 
Its totally normal, colder temps the ball doesn't travel as far, course conditions especially the greens are more difficult, wearing multiple layers doesn't help....here in the Northeast there is a beginning and end to the season. Since the scores can no longer can be posted ....

For all the reasons you mention my index goes up about 3 strokes or more over the winter months as there is no "season" in North Texas and all scores still get posted.
 
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