Avoid Hibernation And Play Winter Golf!
By Ina Zajac
Many northwest golfers are content spending the winter comfortably at home — their clubs tucked away, clean and dry, resting in hibernation mode until springtime.
Then there are winter golfers. Some say they are enthusiasts while others swear they must be masochists. Eager to get their clubs muddy, they are ready and willing to put their bodies, their pride and their beloved handicaps on the line.
Northwest native Jake Iwen plays golf year-round in his role as a tournament sales rep for Oki Golf, and says he is proud to be a winter golfer. “You must be willing to accept higher scores and a wounded ego for the love of the game,” Iwen says. “My most memorable rounds were cold-weather outings I was just happy to survive, let alone shoot a good score.”
Iwen says he will always remember the round from arctic hell he played a few Januarys ago. “It was just above freezing and it started hailing halfway through the round,” he says. “It was a miserable day in terms of comfort, but every time I see those two buddies we always talk about it and laugh.”
Iwen says it all comes down to expectations. “Your hands are cold and all feeling has gone out the window, so you have to just relax and take what comes.”
Rikki Rothenberg-Klein is president of the Northwest Ladies Golf Association and says she is just one of the many women golfers undeterred by rain, wind and even snow. She played about 90 rounds in 2008 and says less forgiving conditions force winter golfers to step up and adapt their game, which ultimately makes them better ball strikers.
“With damp conditions, you need to bump and run with 7 and 8 irons rather than chip and pitch with wedges,” she says. “The greens are slower which means you really have to strike the putt.”
There are some perks that take the sting out of those frigid, high-scoring rounds. Local courses offer lower winter rates. Oki Golf offers off-season packages and reduced daily rates at its eight northwest courses. Winter golfers are also rewarded with fewer crowds and less waiting.
Rothenberg-Klein says playing winter golf also puts ideal summer weather into perspective. “Our winter scores may be higher, but it truly makes us really appreciate summer play,” she says.
Ina Zajac is an experienced Northwest golf writer and principal of Tactual Communications. She can be reached at ina@tactualcom.com or call 206-819-8835.
