How to Get Back Into Golf After a Winter Break

In almost all things, preparation is everything. You wouldn’t go on a driving holiday without first ensuring that your car was ready for the trip. You wouldn’t cook a meal without ensuring you have all the correct ingredients and a recipe to follow.

However, golfers are notorious for not preparing properly. And what about those of you who have taken the winter off and are thinking about returning to the course as spring approaches? Will you simply haul out the clubs and head for the course? Or will you do it properly?

Here are a few tips we believe you might want to follow if you are emerging from hibernation...

Clear Out Your Bag

If you finished playing during the autumn and dumped your golf bag in a cupboard or garage, the chances are that you didn’t clear it out properly. Before you put your bag in the boot of the car have a look inside. Is there a stale chocolate bar? Is there a mouldy apple? Did you forget to empty your water bottle? Were your waterproofs damp when you put them back in your bag? 

Cleaning Up

Did you clean your clubs when you last used them? Get yourself a bucket or basin full of warm, soapy water and get all that dried mud out of the grooves in your irons. If you own a pair of golf shoes and they started off life being white, I am willing to wager a sizeable sum that you didn’t clean them either before putting them away. Clean them too - or replace them!

Time For Change

Is all your equipment still fit for purpose? First things first, take a look in your ball pouch and get rid of all those old golf balls you have been saving for the practice bag you don’t own and never will.

Get Your Body in Shape

If you have spent the winter sitting in front of a nice warm TV then you should be thinking about getting your body ready for your return to the golf course. I am no keep-fit expert but I do know that each and every one of us will benefit from loosening up and doing a few stretching exercises. You don’t need me to tell you what exercises you should be doing. And please, loosen up before hitting any shots in anger at either the course or at the driving range. 

Take a Lesson

You haven’t hit a golf ball for months. If you were slicing the ball the last time you played then the chances are that when you next hit a shot then that slice will not have magically disappeared. So here’s a thought - if you want to get a bit more from your game in 2025, why not consider booking a refresher lesson? Get a teaching pro to take a look at your swing and see if he or she can point you in the right direction.

Head to The Practice Ground

Whether or not you opt to have a lesson or two, head to the range for a few sessions before you reacquaint yourself with the course. And don’t just hit drivers. Go through the whole bag - and swing within yourself. Keep it slow and easy until you rediscover your natural rhythm.

Short And Sweet

When was the last time you hit a putt or a chip shot? You know in your heart of hearts, without anybody having to tell you, that you need to work on your short game. It is where you make or break your score.

Nomad or Membership?

I suppose the big decision you have to make is whether you want to join a golf club, rejoin a golf club or spend the spring and summer as a nomadic golfer, picking and choosing the courses you want to play.

And now you are ready to go! Happy golfing in 2025!

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