What Truly Signals The Start of The Golf Season

By: Kieran Clark | Tue 18 Apr 2023

It's that most wonderful time of the year - following a long winter, Jon Rahm has just been triumphant at the Masters, those dewy spring mornings are here and the lighter evenings have returned, so if you haven't yet dusted off the clubs and played a round or two, what are you waiting for?

Indeed, for many among us, the season never really stops, that desire to improve and remain active is unshakable. However, there is no doubt that a significant number of the Golfshake Community bide their time through winter and wait for the perfect opportunity to play - but when exactly is that, what truly signals the start of the golf season?

The Masters

It was a little different during the surreal November Masters of 2020, but generally speaking the first major of the year has been a landmark moment for generations confirming that the new season has arrived. The beautifully immaculate setting of Augusta National and the captivating battle for the Green Jacket would stir even the most dormant of golfing souls.

Who doesn't watch the Masters and immediately feels the desire to venture down to the nearest golf course?

Clocks Springing Forward

Just prior to the Masters, the clocks sprung forward in the UK, instantly ushering back the possibility of evening golf after work, something that dramatically adds to the regular golf population. A lack of time is no longer an excuse as the opportunity to chase the fading sunlight is one of the truly magical pleasures afforded by this game.

Without the prospect of twilight golf, the whole experience seems compromised, so its reappearance is surely an indication that the season is here?

Return of Competitions

For those who play competitively, winter medals have been your diet for months, but once springtime comes round, the standard medals are back, the early rounds of club championships are drawn, and your calendar can start being filled up with dates for opens dotted across the local county and further afield.

It seems obvious to state that a regular schedule of competitions points to the fact that a new campaign has been introduced.

Golf in Spring

Course Conditions

Some golfers simply don't like playing during winter because of the weather and the conditions of courses themselves, which typically undergo necessary maintainence. However, the arrival of April doesn't automatically gaurantee that things will be looking at their sharpest as the climate over previous months can often slow progress as we reach spring.

Despite the best efforts of greenkeepers, it's just a fact of life that conditions may not be at their best until May or early summer, so that is probably not the most accurate factor in determining when the season is here.

What a Keen Golfer Thinks

Golfshake Ambassador and Podcast Co-Host, Matt Holbrook is the keenest golfer that we know, so it made sense to ask him for his thoughts on what he considers to be the true start of the golf season.

"I'm like a PGA Tour pro me, wrap-around season, etc. Playing winter series events on some of the heathland and links courses that we have here in the East of England.

"But in all seriousness, the 1st of April was the first medal of the year - normally around the weekend of the Masters too. Driving ranges are busy, extra daylight, you actually can't get in to see your pro as he is so busy with pre-season lessons.

"I would never gauge the season starting on course conditions as in years gone by they vary massively, this year some of the fairways are still struggling from the dry summer of last year.

"I have my first 36 hole county scratch event in May and when that's done the next five or six of those come round every few weeks so that's also when the competition really ramps up."

So, there you have it, whether you think the golf season begins in April or May, we are ultimately in that period of the year now, meaning that it's time for you to get back on the course, regularly visit the driving range, and prepare for a busy summer ahead to ensure that you Play More & Play Better in 2023!