In these parts, Chicago and the midwest and many other northern climates, winter golf is in full swing. The fairways are damp, the greens are beat-up and long, and traps are mud and the tee boxes are wornout and ragged.

What a great game!

Learning to love winter golf is worth every turtleneck, every glove, every tossel cap, every hot chocolate at the turn. Certainly it’s about loving the game, but it’s also about the spirit of it all. The walks are brisker, the wind is more stinging, and an occasional snow flake is not out of the question.

For those in the warmer lattitudes…well, in a way I feel sorry for you not experiencing winter golf when only those who truly love this game come out to play. In December, you can have your lush, green fairways and comfortable temperatures. I’ll take Chicago’s hawkish wind and steel gray skies any time.

I was out for a quick nine on Sunday - a 43 degree day. It took just one hour to play and I shot 1-over - some 3-4 strokes better than my usual.

I’ll say it again, what a great game!

Dave Berner, associate editor
http://www.travelgolf.org/departments/blogs/berner/