Some people wake up a little groggy on New Year's Day and spend the morning in pajamas, clutching a cup of coffee. Others wake up a little groggy, see the sun shining on a 45-degree day, and spend the rest of the morning on the golf course, clutching irons and hand warmers.
Golf on a January morning might seem like a bizarre concept to those in the pajama group, but for the ones scanning the 24-hour forecast on their weather apps as the ball gets set to drop on New Year's Eve, it's just another day in Long Island's winter golf season.
There's no official start date to winter golf season -- some might say Thanksgiving, others might argue it begins with the first frost delay. By late December all of Long Island's seasonal golf courses are closed, leaving the year-round courses with Christmas through mid-March all to themselves. From a player perspective, if you can handle cold, biting wind and ground conditions that get soggier and sloppier as the offseason progresses, there's no reason to stay home and let your golf clubs and new holiday-gift gear collect dust.
So far the 2022-23 winter has been OK despite the cold snap that temporarily froze everything shut. We've seen blizzards wreck offseasons before Christmas, so a snow-free Long Island into the new year is always a win.
Some things have changed about winter golf in recent seasons. Golf On Long Island used to post notable winter-rate specials that were available at local courses, but there's no longer any need. The days of heavy discounts -- or even moderate price breaks -- appear to be gone. Courses now keep their winter rates much closer to peak prices than the $35-45 rounds with cart (and sometimes a free breakfast or lunch) from just a few years ago.
Note that some courses are still offering trimmed-down pandemic-era amenities, so check in advance if you want your winter round to include food and drink options or access to the pro shop.
There's also more competition from modern indoor facilities like X-Golf in Commack, Birdies in Patchogue and the semi-enclosed TopGolf in Holtsville. All offer enjoyable high-tech golf experiences combined with the social attraction (and warmth) of a sports bar and grill. Another X-Golf is on the way this year in Westbury, and Simplay remains an indoor stalwart in Hauppauge.
Golf On Long Island posts relevant course information as necessary throughout the offseason. Be sure to follow local courses on social media for the latest on weather closures, frost delays and more.
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