Strategic approach

Am I the only one who’s thoroughly enjoying taking on the cold-weather conditions? In the past, I’ve shied away from playing much during the winter – as much as I love golf, getting out of bed at 7am on a Saturday and putting five layers on wasn’t something that was ever going to happen. However, after much ear chewing, I played with a friend the other day and loved it.

I came to realise that one of the things I enjoy most about the game is challenging myself in different conditions. Most of us can put a good score together when the fairways are running, it’s sunny and there isn’t much rough, but it’s a completely different game in near-freezing conditions. I found myself thinking much more about shot placement and strategy, rather than reaching for a driver automatically off every tee and trying to reach every single par 4 in two strokes.

Instead of hitting a 3-wood from 220 yards and trying to force one onto the front edge of a par 4, I found myself thinking about the best lay-up areas and how I could make par from there. Yes, we all like having a gung-ho approach from time to time, but there’s a lot to be said for the satisfaction gained by adopting a more pragmatic approach and thinking your way round. Tim Ellington, Stratford