As a past PGA Tour Canada player, I’ve had to keep my game sharp in between seasons. This can be made a little more difficult living in Canada when your “home club” shuts down for the winter. That being said, here are some tips I’ve found helpful to keep my game in shape during the off season; I hope this helps you, too.

#1 – If it’s doable for you, take a trip down south to a warm climate such as Phoenix, Palm Springs, Florida, etc. For competitive golf pros, it’s ideal to spend a few weeks there to practice and play. Even if you’re not a pro but have the fortune and opportunity to do so - do it! Aim for later in the off season so when you return, your “home club” will be open or opening soon.

#2 – If heading south in the winter isn’t in the cards, the next best thing would be to visit an indoor facility where you can play and practice on a 

 This way you’re still swinging and putting in those much-needed reps to keep your swing fresh and strong in the winter. If you’re working with a coach or instructor, now is also a good time to make changes to your swing.

#3 – Should you not have an indoor facility in your town, I would focus on putting. Whether it’s on your carpet, linoleum or on an actual putting mat, this is one of the most important elements of your game. This is where you take the most shots in a round no matter your skill level. If we can keep this part of our game sharp then we can come out of the winter with an edge on fellow golfers. There are lots of putting 

#4 – The winter is a great time to work on improving your biggest asset – your body. Strength and flexibility are very important for the game. During the season it’s easy to forget about this critical element and just go play with your buddies. But in the winter there are no excuses, the course is closed, so off to the gym you go. Fitness has become a huge part of golf (see Tiger, Bryson DeChambeau, etc) and there are lots of effective, golf-specific exercises you can do throughout the winter that will have positive impacts on your power, yardage and more.

Whether you’re headed south to practice in the sun or putting into a jar in your kitchen, even a little practice in the off-season can go a long way.

How to Keep Your Golf Game Sharp in the Off Season 

We can all agree it’s frustrating when there’s a frost delay, but let’s look at why we need to hold back on carts or use temporary greens when it's a wee bit nippy in the mornings.

Most of the time golf turf is resilient to traffic damage but when frost hits, the plants become brittle and vulnerable. Walking and driving on frost-covered turf causes the rupture of the plant’s cells which results in dead turf grass. It can take more than a month for the plant to recover and that’s a long time in a seasonal sport!

From the window of your home, it may not look like there’s frost on the ground but that doesn’t mean there’s not a frost delay at your club. This is because colder microclimates can hold the frost long after most areas are clear. Low-lying areas, shaded areas and north-facing slopes all can prevent the frost from “letting go”. At Shadow Ridge Golf Club, we update our website constantly with frost delay warnings and approximate wait times.

Frost can occur on any part of the golf course but it poses the greatest risk for damage on the greens as they see the largest amount of concentrated traffic. A typical foursome steps approximately 300 times on each putting green; if there’s frost present all these steps are the making of potentially catastrophic damage to the green.

There may be no sign of frost at the clubhouse, practice area or even at the first tee but that doesn’t mean it’s “all clear.” Frost is occasionally unavoidable during the early time time slots and your superintendent will have to keep the course closed until he/she is confident the frost will have lifted before the first group hits the course.

Shaded areas can keep a course closed for longer times than wanted. One way to reduce the chances of frost delay is by pruning and/or removing trees that keep primary areas shaded. This is especially true for holes early in the round. The shade from even a few trees can keep a course closed for an extended period of time and on some days keep the course closed for the day!

How your turf team deals with frost delays:

The course’s superintendent (or senior staff) is typically the most unpopular person on frost delay days as they make the tough call! As the season opens - and closes - keep in mind that frost delays will be a reality. Your superintendent may get creative and re-route your play or have temporary greens ready for you. Know that when they make this difficult call, they’re protecting the turf, the quality and health of the greens and ensuring your long-term play. We want you to have the best possible course conditions as long as the season will have us!

How to Keep Your Golf Game Sharp in the Off Season

5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT FROST DELAYS

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