The nights are drawing in, the temperatures have plummeted, and some of you may have already packed away your golf clubs. Yes, winter is here, and playing at this time of the year can be an acquired taste, but it can still be a rewarding experience if you know where to visit.
We’ve all likely walked off the course feeling somewhat miserable due to sodden underfoot conditions, or wondered if there was really any point to playing a proper round of golf in wintertime, but there are places that offer respite, both at home and abroad, that you should consider discovering to enjoy a positively memorable winter outing.
What type of golf courses are perfect to play in winter?
Everywhere is different, so it would be unfair to overly generalise things, but when searching for ideal courses to play in winter, you’re probably going to start with somewhere that has proven drainage, meaning that the sandy soil found at the seaside on a links or further inland on heathland are a great place to begin exploring.
Links courses also have the added benefit of – usually – not having a significant number of trees, so you won’t have to tackle the frustration of losing a golf ball under a sea of fallen leaves.
Playing on the coast can undeniably be a little rough during the winter, but these characteristics of firm, fast-drying fairways make them suitable for play 12 months of the year, and the same can be said of heathland layouts and some moorland venues too.
We know that links golf is a treasured niche within the game, especially when it comes to the most premium names, but several of these can be accessed for considerably less money than they would during the peak season. That is definitely something to think about if there is a bucket list course you’ve long been keen to play.
And it doesn’t just have to be those destinations with the grandest reputations, either, as there are numerous lesser-known links courses that are worth playing too.
While you can find some parklands in winter that benefit from their geographic location or exceptional drainage systems that have been created, it would be prudent to venture to the coastline or a magical heathland to secure a truly worthwhile winter golf experience.
Which golf courses do other golfers recommend to you in winter?
Every golfer who has played in winter has both positive and negative experiences to report. But looking at the good ones, let’s start with Golfshake Ambassador Matt Holbrook, who recalls: “I went to play at Royal West Norfolk in February one year. It was a perfect winter day for golf. The sun was shining, golf by the sea, gorgeous golf course, hardly a drop of wind and you could have placed me anywhere in the world and I would have wanted to be where I was.
“There is clearly a theme here for me. I play in some winter events run locally to me at Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club – Highly Recommended on Golfshake – and we have had some spectacular days over there with the sunrise and sun setting. You play in four balls as pairs so you get golf with your mates, by the sea, and a perfect fish and chips after.”
Returning to Felixstowe, in Suffolk, Matt chronicled in detail just why this venue is one of the best golf courses you could play in winter. Why not make the journey to this corner of England during the coming months?
Continuing that links theme, Formby in Merseyside was another recommendation that we can personally offer, but turning the question over to a wider spectrum of golfers, we asked the Golfshake Community on Facebook to suggest some winter courses to us and the response was fabulous.
Positioned near Worksop in Nottinghamshire, College Pines is a course that has been repeatedly cited as being a jewel of winter golf, and it’s a reputation that has been deservedly earned.
As our reviewer said: “I loved my experience at College Pines. You could not hope for much more in terms of the course condition and it represents terrific value for money. All 18 holes were in good shape, and we did not have to worry about saturated ground or having to hit off a mat, which is common elsewhere in the UK over winter.”
The revered West Lancashire Golf Club – one of the finest links courses on the planet – was a standout too, while those on the south coast may fancy travelling to Hayling Golf Club.
Especially commended for its greens, Alnmouth Village is the oldest nine-hole links in England and a must play for anyone in the north east of the country, while heading down the coast, Seaton Carew was another venue that came recommended to us.
But it’s not just about links. Bedfordshire’s Dunstable Downs was suggested, which benefits from chalky soil for drainage, while East Anglia’s Thetford is one of the great courses to play, no matter the month.
Golfers pointed us in the direction of Yorkshire’s Baildon Golf Club, while Druids Heath in the West Midlands was another to ponder, as was Elsham in Lincolnshire, which was both rated highly for the quality of its course and the condition of its layout in winter.
You will no doubt have your own thoughts, but these recommendations underline that throughout England, specifically, there are many wonderful places to experience at this time of the year.
How about a winter sun golf break?
There is much to be commended about the courses above, but let’s be honest, even the best conditioned courses can be a chore to play on a freezing winter day.
You might instead be looking for a warmer climate to enjoy and that’s where our travel partners Golfbreaks have much to offer you.
Covering places like mainland Spain, Portugal, Turkey, and the Canary Islands, we can suggest to you a range of perfect winter destinations that combine pleasant weather, superbly manicured courses, and delectable hospitality that would complete a dream golf holiday that can provide you with a welcome and rewarding alternative to those dark, cold days back home.
Winter golf isn’t for everyone, but that needn’t be the case, as whether you’re looking to play at home or abroad, there are many possibilities out there to keep you engaged with golf and to enliven your spirits at a time of year when it’s easy to feel a little downcast.
Kieran Clark is the Digital Editor of Golfshake. He oversees editorial content, community engagement, forums, and social media channels. A lifelong golfer from the Isle of Bute in Scotland who has now lived in St Andrews for a decade, he began playing at the age of five and maintains a passion for exploring courses, with a particular affection for historic layouts. Kieran regularly contributes in-depth opinion pieces and features, drawing on his enthusiasm for the game and its culture.
