Are You Ready For The New Golf Season

The new golf season is just around the corner. For those of us who have suffered through the winter it means we can start to look forward to shedding all the winter clothing and begin to feel a bit of warmth on our backs.

It means no more rounds of golf on courses frozen solid by sub-zero temperatures. Hopefully, it also means no more golf played on courses that have been more like swamps as a result of all the rain we have experienced these past few months.

For many, it is The Masters that signals the start of the golf year. And it is hardly surprising. Anybody who spends four days watching the action from Augusta National would want to get out there and play after witnessing all the drama and seeing all those fabulous colours.

But the question is: are you ready for the new season? We have a few tips.

Annual Subscription

You will have had your annual subscription demand by now. If not, you will certainly have had it by April 1. 

If it has increased, you might want to ask yourself if you still want to be member of this club. It might be worth shopping around to see what other clubs in the area can offer. 

And if you have friends who are also questioning the latest subscription demand, you might want to approach other local clubs and see what they can offer if you all join as a group. I have had experience of this when a club of which I was captain was closed because the owners thought there was more money to be made by building luxury accommodation on what was a fine golf course. One of our local clubs told me that if I could bring at least 20 new members with me they would be prepared to welcome us for what amounted to half the price the rest of their members were paying, for the first year only. 

If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Warming Up

Whatever else you do, make sure that you get your body ready for a new season, especially if you have been physically inactive during the winter. Stretching exercises are a must, and you should also work on your flexibility before you start hitting golf balls again. If you have any doubts about the sort of exercise regime you should be following you can either speak to a fitness instructor at your local gym or health club or simply go online - this is a time when Google can be your friend.

Clubs

If you have not played for several months, get the clubs out of the cupboard, shed or wherever you have stored them and check their condition. The chances are that at the very least your irons will need to be washed and cleaned, that the grooves will be blocked with dried dirt from the last round you played. You have no chance of hitting a decent iron shot if your grooves are not clean. You may even want to invest in a groove sharpener - you will be amazed at the difference this makes to the performance of your clubs. 

While you are at it, get rid of those old balls you picked up while searching in the forest for your shiny new Titleist ProV1 - you are never going to use them. It’s also a good time to check out your shoes - are they still fit for purpose?

Preparation

Don’t go straight back out on to the course without first making a few trips to the driving range. This is something you should be doing before the season gets under way. The bays will be under cover so it really doesn’t matter if it is raining. And many of them now have Trackman facilities. 

We have written plenty about driving ranges but it is worth repeating that any session should have a purpose. Don’t just stand there and aimlessly beat golf balls.

Check It Out

If you haven’t been near your course for four or five months, pop in and have a word with the professional and ask about any changes that have been made during the winter. It is also worth having a quick chat with the head greenkeeper - nobody knows the course better than they do.

High Society

If you were a member of a golf society in 2023 get in touch with the organiser to see what’s planned for 2024.

It is a good time to get some trips in the diary and if you can’t make up your mind where to go, you could do an awful lot worse than checking out Golfbreaks - here, you will find details of courses and accommodation throughout the UK and further afield. If you have never had a golf trip abroad, why not speak to some of your golfing buddies and see if anybody is interested in going with you? There are some great deals to be had in Spain, Portugal, France and many other parts of continental Europe.

Be Prepared

If you are a nomadic golfer, now might be a good time to get in touch with the courses you frequented last season, if for no other reason than to find out if their green fees have increased. If they have, check out other courses in your area. Try to visit courses with groups of people, and you may find that you get better deals if you also include food.

Shop Around

With a new season almost upon us, you may feel it is the perfect time to invest in some new equipment, whether it be clubs, clothing, balls, a new bag or trolley. Get online and shop around - somebody will always have a sale on. And think about buying last year’s model - they will be far cheaper than if you had bought them 12 months ago.

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