I played golf on the front nine at my local country club the other day. The temp was in the mid-40’s and though the weatherman promised it would get up into the mid 50’s by mid afternoon, the thermometer never budged. My three companions were equally addicted and they played all played equally well. I did not. Happily, they told me that the GHIN system to record your handicap was turned off at the club the other day. Apparently, any round played in the cold is not taken too seriously. Frozen fairways and frosty greens cause the ball to behave quite strangely and counting the score of a cold round of golf just would not be fair.

These are the in-between days. Summer is gone, the early days of fall with those golden sunsets are over and now, with standard time back, playing a round of afternoon golf starts early, ends early, and is usually a battle with cold and wind. I’ve got all the right clothes, the hat, the long underwear, the wool socks, the winter gloves, one for each hand. And I don’t mind the cold so much as my inability to successfully hit the ball. It’s impossible to get a good swing going when you’ve got so many layers on.

Is it worth the effort? I think so. I have to admit that I must be addicted to the game. As long as the temp is above 42 degrees, I’m willing to take my chances. I won’t play in the snow, however. Even with a colored ball it must be tough sloshing along, kicking drifts and swinging through high winds.

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