Sep 25, 2025; Bethpage, New York, USA; A view of a European team bag on the ninth green during a practice round of the Ryder Cup golf tournament at Bethpage Black. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
This winter sucked! I think I can say this without any pushback from folks living in the Philadelphia area. From December until early April, as I write this, this winter has been a beast unlike any other. It was not the “worst” of anything, rather an unrelenting collection of everything that makes winter miserable.
Most days were brutally cold, or there was cold and snow, or there was a ton of snow that became ice, and there was barely any sun. I can’t remember a winter where I can count on one hand the amount of days where I said to myself, “I kind of like winter, it ain’t so bad.” And just when you thought the grips of winter were over and we hit a 70 degree day, it would be followed by rain, grey and 40 degrees. March was the tease of all teases.
But this column isn’t about winter, it's about golf. However, when you live in the mid-Atlantic region hibernating in the wintertime is a part of the golf experience. We take a pause from our golf game. We throw our clubs into the garage (sometimes in disgust) so they can discuss their owners' quirks and perhaps sneak a beer out of the beer fridge.
“Do you believe that idiot used me out of the rough all summer,” says an exasperated 3-wood. “You think that’s bad, what about when he tried to use me from 150 out and ended up 40 yards short…what a puss,” laughs Pitching Wedge.
“I don’t know if I can handle another season of this guy,” the 4 iron explains. “I’d rather end up in the used iron section at the local muni. Pass the Schlitz 5-wood”.
That is exactly what is happening with your clubs over the winter, trust me.
There are some of us lucky enough to take a winter golf trip to warmer climates. I was even able to do this back in November (column to come). Some of you live down in these warm places during the winter. If you are one of those lucky people I’m happy for you. But enduring the harsh cold weather, the hibernation, and the longing makes you a better golfer.
Ok, maybe not better, but more passionate.
Some would argue that a passionate golfer finds a way to play year-round. Nope. The passionate golfer is like a seed waiting to burst in the springtime. Perennials are no fun, always the same, dull. But an annual, now those are the cool flowers. Colorful, odiferous, unique and sold on the roadside during Easter. The true golf nut lays dormant most of the winter dreaming of green fairways and blue skies.
I did manage to find a two-hour window of golf opportunity in late March. It was a glorious Thursday afternoon. I was released from my employment prison while in Harrisburg to sneak in as many holes as I could play.
We’re coming for ya, Philly. 🏆#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/cpxIBrUn0q
I teed up at Deer Valley Golf Course in Dauphin County. After 4 o’clock it is $25 for as much as you can squeeze in before dark. This incentive pushes one to play “speed golf.” That combined with not hitting a ball in over 4 months is not a good combination. Kind of like taking Adderall and cooking dinner for the family when you haven’t cooked in 4 months. What could go wrong?
Deer Valley is a relatively short and easier course. Only 5,500 yards from the tips and not many penalty areas. It was actually the perfect course to putz around and figure out if I miraculously got better at this game by doing nothing all winter long. Long story short: I didn’t get any better.
As you may have guessed, the course was packed with golfers with the same idea as myself. The great thing about rolling solo is that starters can improvise like Miles Davis.
In my case I was told to just grab a cart and head out to 10 and play with whoever is ahead of me if I catch up with them. I didn’t catch up to “them” but rather another solo guy who lived just 2 miles from the course and played in a weekly league there.
The three holes before I reached my new golf partner were a total debacle you would expect from zero warm up, not playing for months, and being a non-athlete. But once I reached my new partner things started to come back to me and it was basically bogey golf with a par or a double here and there. He was a nice fellow, pretty good golfer, but a scrapper nonetheless. We played until the sun set and the addiction returned.
And thus, another winter was behind me and a new season of golf was born. I look forward to the warmth, the soft green hues, the birds chirping and flowers blooming. At the same time I am a pragmatist and also look forward to the futility, wormburners, 20-minute waits between holes, and the flaming hole draining my wallet to play this game. Yup, Can’t wait for another year of golf!
Ed Levine writes regularly about golf for the Fideri News Network, including OnPattison.com, primarily at the local level, but also muses about the national events and the pro tours.
