Winter Golf Survival Tips
By Greg Johnson
The Gaylord Golf Mecca, a paradise for golfers and America’s favorite summer golf destination, switches to a winter wonderland of skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling and more in the winter.
But this doesn’t leave golfers out in the cold.
You can stay connected to golf and the Gaylord Golf Mecca in four easy ways. Here are the Gaylord Golf Mecca’s Winter Golf Survival Tips:
There’s no replacement for real grass, but do your best.
KEEP PRACTICING PUTTING
Not to belabor the point, but putting the ball is just as important as driving the ball. It’s not as much fun to practice as pounding shots with the big club, but all strokes count and three-putts and four-putts are miserable ways to spend your life golfing. In the winter, putt inside. It’s that simple. Use your carpet in the house, office, and if you have all hardwood floors, purchase a carpet remnant or even a putting mat. You can find inexpensive solutions that will work, and then put in the work. Putt on lunch breaks. Putt for 30 minutes a few nights each week. Work on straight lines or hitting things you aim at, like overturned drinking glasses, other balls, any object really. The better you get at hitting what you aim at will improve your golf game.
Indoor and outdoor simulators create hours of fun!
KEEP SWINGING SOMEHOW
This might require a trip to an indoor heated range, or maybe just shovel and back the car out of the garage for some room. Swing your clubs. Keep those big muscles that you trained for golf all summer in shape. Hitting nets can be purchased inexpensively. Hit plastic balls in the garage. Do swing improvement drills. You can find them online from some of the best teachers in the world. Golf simulators are great, too. It’s like bowling night, only with golf. Invite golf friends. Various facilities and even bars and restaurants can be found with simulators in almost every community and in the Mecca, too. Play simulated Pebble Beach even. Just keep swinging.
Winter is the best time to curl up with a good book.
THINK, READ, PREPARE
Curl up by the fire with a good book. In this case, a golf book or sports psychology book. It’s amazing what you can learn from reading about Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. It’s also amazing what you can learn about your mental game from sports psychology books. You can find ways to combat going negative on the golf course after a poor shot or multiple poor shots. Work on your mind a bit. Golf is a mind game, relentlessly hard but why beat yourself up mentally, too? Improve your mental game by reading, learning and preparing a way to survive a mentally taxing game.
There’s no better reason to take a vacation.
TAKE A TRIP
While we strongly endorse taking the time to book a trip to the Gaylord Golf Mecca well before spring arrives so you can pick your favorite courses and favorite times, we suggest a golf getaway this winter. If you have the means and the time, take a little January or February trip to one of those places in the south like Florida, the Carolinas, Texas, Arizona or Southern California. A lot of Texas golfers come to the Mecca in the summer because it’s too hot to play there in the summer months and there are direct flights to Traverse City. Reverse the situation. Head down south during our winter months. Play some actual golf if only for a few days.
In review, putt in the living room, swing in the garage or find a simulator, take a trip and read a good book like Golf Is Not A Game of Perfect by Dr. Bob Rotella with Bob Cullen.
Don’t get left out in the cold because the Gaylord Golf Mecca is serving those who love snow for a few months. See you in the spring and remember it’s never too early to plan your next visit to the Mecca at gaylordgolfmecca.com.
