5 Cold Weather Golf Gear Suggestions

Passionate golfers resemble workaholics in a way – they’re always the first ones in and the last to leave.  In the golfers’ case, it means that we’re the first bunch outdoors when the frost starts to melt in the spring and the last ones to pack it in when the snow begins to fall again come winter time.

Of course, this passion leads to teeing it up in some pretty chilly conditions so if you want to keep the game going and prevent yourself from freezing out there we highly suggest checking out these five cold weather golf gear suggestions.

Insulated Golf Gloves / Cart Mitts

Here’s something every golfer knows; cold hands equal bad golf.  Needless to say, it’s extremely important to keep your hands warm, if anything just to stay comfortable out on the course. That said, there are two types of cold weather gloves used for golf, a pair that is worn while swinging the club and a pair of mittens used to warm up while traveling from hole to hole.

An example of winter golf gloves made by FootJoy

A good set of winter playing gloves should combine internal insulation with external grips.  These gloves should be heavy enough to keep your hands warm while at the same time being thin and nimble enough to allow you to adequately grip and control the golf club.  Keep in mind that these gloves are usually sold in pairs an designed to be worn on both hands as opposed to traditional golf clubs which are only worn on the leading hand.

Cold weather mitts (or Cart Mitts) are a different type of glove altogether.  These heavy and super-warm mittens are designed to keep your hands warm as you travel from shot to shot.  They feature plenty of insulation and a soft inner lining and are not designed to be worn during play.

Propane Golf Cart Heater

There is a big difference between simply protecting yourself from the cold and actively warming yourself up.  Small propane golf cart heaters accomplish the latter as they supply up to 5,000 BTUs of much needed heat to warm you up on even the coldest fall mornings.

Golf cart heaters are designed to fit easily into a cup holder.

The design of most propane heaters includes a holder that attaches to the fuel tank but has an adapter to fit into the cup holder of the golf cart, allowing easy transportation and convenient warmth.  Fire one of these bad boys up and you may just notice a few of your golf buddies trying to steal your warm seat!

Knit Cap

Playing golf without a hat on a chilly day is essentially like heating your home without having a roof installed.  You’ve heard it 1,000 times that body heat escapes through your dome and those proclaimers were not just blowing hot air.  Knit hats are a great way to keep all that body heat in, thus allowing you to focus on your swing instead of trying to calm your chattering teeth.

Most of the major golf brands make winter hats so don’t worry about looking silly out there on the course.  With options made by everyone from Nike to Under Armour there are plenty of selections to fit your style.

Thermal Clothing / Base Layer

It’s a very slippery slope when it comes to staying warm on the golf course.  On the one hand, you want to wear enough clothing to actually create a buffer between you and the cold.  On the other side of the spectrum you don’t want to layer up so much that you can’t swing a club, or worse, break a sweat in the cold.

Under Armour Moisture Wicking “Base” Layer

Moisture-wicking base layers are the best for keeping sweat off the body and not soaking it in like cotton would.  A good rule of thumb is that your base layer protects your body, the middle layer provides warmth, and the external layer keeps you dry from rain and snow.

Single Use Hand and Feet Warmers

Your fingers and toes will get colder before almost any other part of your body and that tends to have a trickle-through effect on your mind.  Single use hand and feet warmers do an excellent job of combating heat by providing (not just retaining) warmth, something that even the thickest wool socks can’t do.

Disposable hand warmers are great to keep in your golf bag for unexpected chills.

The best part about these single-use warmers is that they don’t actually heat-up until you trigger them by breaking open the package.  That means you can keep a handful of these warmers in your golf bag just so if the temperature dips unexpectedly you’ll be ready.  Most of these types of “chemical” heat products last a good 3-4 hours meaning you’ll be warm enough to play a full 18!

Hopefully these golf weather golf gear suggestions have given you the tools an inspiration you need to keep playing well into the coldest months of the year.  As long as snow is off the ground and the ball can still be found, there’s no reason golfers shouldn’t enjoy a cold weather round or two!