What Makes Spring a Special Time of Year For Golfers

Put away your waterproofs as we look towards the most magical season on the golfing calendar!

After a cold and often wet winter in the UK, there’s nothing like the anticipation of spring to get us golfers excited. Everyone will have their own marker for the start of spring golf, whether it’s the clocks changing, The Masters, or that first after-work knock. Join us as we take a look at some of the reasons that make this season so magical for golfers.

The Weather

Where else could we start? After months of playing in baselayers, polos, sweaters, jackets, and gilets, it’s finally time to shed some of your outer layers and feel the warmth of the spring sunshine on your skin. That feeling of checking the weather forecast to see temperatures for your next round expected to be in the high-teens is butterfly-inducing, as the frantic search for your favourite baseball cap and the only pair of sunglasses you can play golf in begins. It may not ever reach the dizzy heights of midsummer, but finally getting to play a round without a woolly hat is simply joyous.

The Masters

For many, The Masters will always signal the start of the season. The first men's major of the year can be the first time we really care about the golf on TV, using it as inspiration to dust off our own clubs. Seeing the azaleas in bloom is both heartwarming and nostalgic in equal measure, as we recall our own Masters memories from yesteryear; Nicklaus in ’86, Norman’s meltdown, Tiger’s chip-in at 16, Bubba’s sweeping hook in the playoff - the list could go on and on. With the immaculate conditioning at Augusta National we also look forward to our own courses coming into peak form, leaving us looking for a new reason to blame for missing that straightforward 4-footer…

The Course Conditions

Speaking of the course, spring can be a double-edged sword for golfers dependent on the philosophy of your greenstaff. With grass not growing throughout most of the winter, teams often use this period to do their first maintenance week of the year, punching holes in greens to get them ready for the full golfing season. However, once this work has been done, you can look forward to months of uninterrupted play, with greens generally getting better week-by-week until the middle of summer. It’s also unbelievably rewarding to see our tee shots getting some bounce and roll again, and that 2-iron might get dragged out of the cupboard for the first time since October.

The Flora & Fauna

Like us golfers, many of the flowers and wildlife around the courses also come out of hibernation in spring. Whilst we might not have the azaleas of Augusta at our own course, it’s reinvigorating to see the leaves returning to trees, and flowerbeds beginning to wake up. Moreover, with birds adorning our courses and even the odd deer or pheasant patrolling the fairways, spring provides a joyous reminder of how we share these outdoor spaces with more than just our fellow golfers.

Evening Golf

Another spring marker for many is that first round of golf after work. With the clocks changing at the end of March, April can be go-time for golfers looking to get their season off to a strong start. Whether you use the time to sneak in 9 (or even 18) holes, or just spend it practicing your short game - something we should all probably do more - there’s a real feeling of accomplishment to putting in some practice on your own game after a day in the office. Many clubs also begin to play interclub matches in the late-afternoon from spring onwards, meaning it could also be time to start getting your competitive juices flowing…

Catching Up With Friends

Dependent on the regularity of your winter golf, spring may also be the first time you’ve caught up properly with your golfing pals. Even if you’ve managed to see them every other week or so, spring is likely to be the first time you’re catching up with regularity, as your usual Saturday morning fourball time gets locked in. The comradery of the sport is one of the main reasons people play, and after the last few years it’s become more imperative than ever to make time to stay connected with those whose company we most enjoy. What better way for a catch up, than for 4-hours a week on the course!

Post-Round Pints On The Terrace

OK, we can think of one other place for a good catch up! Following your round, there’s simply nothing that rivals that first outdoor drink in the sunshine. Whether it’s on the clubhouse terrace or garden, or even with glass in hand as you watch your friends coming up the 18th, the ability to have a post-round sip in the sunshine is simply magical, and one million times more enjoyable than in the dark corner of the clubhouse bar in the depths of winter!

Related Content

5 Ways to Get Ready For The Golf Season