Things to consider while playing in drought and cold

Drought conditions accompanied by occasional colder weather are beginning to dictate changes for golfers and golf courses in southwest Florida. Now that the dry season is here, and cold mornings greet those hardy enough to wake with the sun, golfers need to consider several things before they tee off.

Muscles stiffen more quickly in cold weather, making you more prone to injury. Make sure you have plenty of time to warm up before your round. Consider stretching between holes, especially before teeing off early in the round. If you use a cart, you may want to use a blanket to cover up between holes.

Shorts and golf shirt attire are a fixture on southwest Florida courses, but when temperatures dip into the 50's aided by a hard to ignore wind-chill factor, you've got to relent and dress properly to deal with the cooler temperatures. Golfers refusing the use of some type of outerwear will quickly loose the fine motor skills needed to play the game, while slowing play for others on the course as they look for lost balls.

Rule of thumb; if you dread riding in the cart because of the wind-chill, you're not properly dressed. Wear loose fitting layers or outerwear that will keep you warm without restricting your mobility, and remove it as the temperature warms. Additionally, remember your feet by making sure your socks are made of materials that wick moisture away and ensure your golf shoes are waterproof.

COURTESY PHOTO Maintaining a good grip is important if you expect a good stroke, so you need to keep your hands from stiffening. Your regular leather golf glove provides some protection against the cold, but you may consider wearing gloves on both hands. Some people use hand warmers, but remember it's against the rules of golf to use any artificial means to keep your ball warm.

Why would you want to keep your golf ball warm? Balls kept at body temperature remain more elastic and responsive to compression in cold weather, allowing additional distance off the tee. However, I know from experience that the distance is negligible enough not to justify placing cold urethane covers against the skin.

Cold air is heavier than warm air, causing more resistance for the flight of golf balls. When the air is colder and heavier, golfers tend to swing harder and typically more recklessly to gain distance. Consider choosing a longer club while employing a shorter, more compact swing to maintain better control of the ball.

Golf courses in southwest Florida are now under water restrictions due to drought conditions, and water use will become more severe in the coming months. This combined with cooling temperatures and less humidity, causes the course to become firmer and harder. Golfers should anticipate this to affect the ball upon impact.

As fairways and greens harden, aim to land your ball in front of the green on your approach rather than aiming directly for the green or pin. You'll need to adjust for more bounce and roll on your ball, especially on the greens. Additionally, as grass dries in the areas where courses don't water, primarily the rough, expect less club head resistance from grass on approach shots.

You may want to consider spending more time on the practice green prior to your round than on the driving range. With drier and harder greens in our future, expect your putts to roll like marbles on concrete, but you'll need to verify it on the practice green.

Finally, I suppose you could schedule your round later in the day to avoid the occasional cold conditions in the morning. But hey, what's the fun in that? ¦