The clocks have gone back and UK courses are changing fast. Here's what to expect this winter, how to keep your game going, and why a last-minute escape to the sun could be the best golf you play before spring.
The season turns
There's a moment every autumn when golfers know the game has changed. The clocks went back on Sunday 25th October, and with them went those long evenings when nine holes after work felt like a birthright. Now most look forward to one precious round at the weekend, if the weather allows.
And the weather has plenty to say. Over the coming months, the first tee may stay shut until the frost lifts, and many clubs will move to temporary greens and tees, with mats on the fairways. Preferred lies come into play as the ground softens, buggies and trolleys are restricted, and heavy rain, frost or snow can close a course altogether. By December, the sun will have set before 4pm across much of the UK, leaving little daylight after a mid-morning start.
None of that is a reason to hang up the clubs. It's simply a reason to play a little smarter.
Keeping your game going at home
Start with the ground beneath your feet. Links and sandy heathland courses shrug off rain far better than parkland layouts, and they're often open when their neighbours are closed. Ganton, set on sand at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds, is a fine example on our own doorstep.
Check the course status before you set off; it saves a wasted journey. Once you're there, take one more club than you think: cold, heavy air and soft ground both rob you of distance, and a lower-compression ball helps. Dress in layers, with a thermal base, good waterproofs, winter gloves and a warm hat, and tuck a spare glove in the bag. And if the forecast says frost, book a later tee time. A late-morning slot is far more likely to be played on full greens.
Or follow the sun
Of course, there's another answer to the British winter: leave it behind. While our courses are at their softest, the fairways of southern Europe are green, firm and running, and most are under five hours from a UK airport.
Closest to home are Portugal and Spain. In the Algarve, Vilamoura's pine-lined Old Course and Pinhal are joined by Ombria, one of the region's newest courses, tucked into the hills above Loulé. The Costa del Sol remains a winter favourite, with dozens of courses between Málaga and Sotogrande and as much to enjoy off the course as on it.
Further south, Gran Canaria is the warmest choice of all, and home to Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas, Spain's oldest golf club, laid out on the rim of a volcanic crater. In Morocco, Marrakech offers dry, bright winter days on palm-lined courses beneath the Atlas Mountains, with the souks and riads waiting when the round is done.
Head east, and the Mediterranean delivers two of our favourite resorts. Costa Navarino, in Greece's Peloponnese, has four courses, including The Dunes by Bernhard Langer, The Bay by Robert Trent Jones II, and the newer Navarino Hills courses by José María Olazábal. And at Minthis, in the hills above Paphos in Cyprus, the course winds through olive groves and vineyards beside a 12th-century monastery, and features the only island green in the country.
Or go further
For a bigger winter adventure, trade the British winter for summer in the southern hemisphere, or for sunshine in the Caribbean. Mauritius pairs Indian Ocean beaches with coastal golf, including Île aux Cerfs, a Bernhard Langer design on its own island. In South Africa it's high summer, perfect for combining the Cape winelands and the Garden Route, or for adding a safari to your golf. And in the Dominican Republic, Pete Dye's celebrated Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo is reason enough to make the trip.
Long-haul trips are best planned a few months ahead, so talk to us early about flights and timing.
It's not too late
If all this has you reaching for your passport, there's still time. Short golf breaks before Christmas, or a January reset after it, can still be arranged at short notice, subject to availability. Tell us your dates, how many are going and roughly what you'd like to spend, and we'll take care of the rest: flights, hotel, tee times and transfers.
Looking ahead to spring
February to April is peak season in Spain and Portugal, and the best tee times and hotels are snapped up early. If you're organising a society, a group of friends or a corporate trip for spring 2027, now is the moment to start.
Ready to swap frost for fairways? Reply to this email, call us on 01756 691762 or visit dreamgolfholidays.com.
Yours in Golf,
The Dream Golf Holidays team
Next edition, Friday 13th November: give the gift of golf this Christmas.
