How Much Distance Are You Losing In the Cold? + The 5th Longest Course on Earth!

TIPS & DRILLS
Cold Weather Hack to Achieve Maximum Distance in Freezing Temperatures!
How your golf gear is affected by cold weather and what to do about it

cmccormickgolf

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To Recap…

Golfers are a crazy breed - we will do whatever it takes to get that round in, and Mother Nature has very little to say about it! When it gets cold, the ball doesn’t travel as far for a number of reasons - turns out, it’s not just because you yourself are stiff… golf clubs don’t like the cold weather AT ALL, especially the shaft. But here’s a quick way to keep that equipment warm so it doesn’t feel like you are swinging a frozen metal pipe:

-STEP 1: Grab the grip and stick the club shaft underneath your armpit. Pull it back and forth 10-15 times quickly to warm the shaft up. Make sure that you are pulling it for most of the length of the shaft, from grip to club head, to ensure that the entire shaft gets warmed up.
STEP 2: Make sure that you do this right before your shot so that the shaft doesn’t have the time to cool down and freeze again. As soon as you warm it up, get over the ball and hit your shot!

Note: The reason this is important is because the proper shaft flex has a direct influence on ball flight. If your club shaft can’t flex properly at impact, it will result in a loss of distance and height. Warming up the club’s shaft helps it “kick” at impact and allows the ball to fly higher with max distance!

PRO TIP: If you do try this trick, take note of your distances with each club. When it gets really cold, adjusting total distances is vital to ensure you are hitting the right numbers into greens. More on distance loss below in our Stat of the day… but regardless - winter time is not likely the optimal time to challenge your buddies to a long drive contest!

COURSES
The 5th Longest Golf Course On the Planet - Ross Bridge on the RTJ Trail
What sets Ross Bridge Golf Course apart from the rest of the Trail?

Ross Bridge - RTJ Trail
Hoover, AL

In light of the recent winter storms that have swept across the southern portion of the United States (the biggest snowstorm in Alabama since 1993!), we figured it would be a great time to talk about one of the most iconic golf course chains in the nation that currently sits under a foot of snow. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is a series of golf courses that stretch across the entire state of Alabama, each of them giving a different test in their own right.

Ross Bridge Golf Course, sits in the Shannon Valley just outside of Birmingham and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. Ranked 11th on the Best Courses in Alabama list by Golf Digest, Ross Bridge offers a blend of resort amenities and picturesque golf to appeal to a wide variety of golfers.

Don’t let the comfortable resort atmosphere fool you - Ross Bridge is not to be taken lightly in terms of difficulty. The course plays at 8,191 yards from the back tees, making it the 5th longest golf courses on the planet! Both the fairways and greens are massive throughout the entirety of the layout, but strategic positioning is still key. Fortunately, there are six different tee options to accommodate to all player abilities, so don’t stress if you aren’t up to the ultimate test from the back tees.

Some additional highlights include- an 80 foot waterfall connecting the lakes along the 9th & 18th greens and a daily bagpiper performance at dusk, adding a touch of old-world charm to your stay. As one reviewer wrote, “There are nearly 40 public, private and municipal courses within a 20-mile radius of downtown Birmingham, including the infamous Shoal Creek Club, designed by Jack Nicklaus which has hosted a couple PGA Championship… Arguably, none are as fine as Ross Bridge.” Combine it with Oxmoor Valley and perhaps either Capitol Hill or Grand National, and you’ve got the makings of a fantastic buddy trip.

Rates: Greens fees range between $80-$120, dependent upon day of the week

Check out this overhead video from @rtjgolftrail

rtjgolftrail

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STATISTICS
Stat of the Day: How Much Shorter Do You Hit in the Cold?
presented by…

The Stat: According to a study done at Keiser University College of Golf, a golf ball flies about 2 yards shorter for every 10 degrees of temperature decrease (on average). Cold air is denser than warm air, so it takes more speed for a ball to fly through colder air.

The Takeaway: When you finally convince yourself that it is a good idea to call up your go-to foursome in January and hit the links, remember that your distance numbers are going to be very different than your numbers from July! Don’t get worried when you aren’t hitting it as far as you normally would - it’s not quite time for you to renew that gym membership yet (though it can’t hurt). Just club up until March/April, and your numbers will be back to normal when the flowers start to bloom.

Pro Tip: Playing within your abilities in the cold will help your game far more than trying to simply swing harder. You can get into far more trouble swinging harder than playing a 3/4 shot with a longer club. Bogey avoidance is the key to better scores as we always say!

TODAY’S TRIVIA
Answer to Win a GolfForever Swing Trainer Plus Bundle + 1 Year Membership Subscription
(1 winner chosen on 1/31/25 across all January trivia entries, 1,000 correct respondents minimum)

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