Snow Discing Potential Peril/Merit

[Geer_Boggles]

Just curious who out there snow discs and was wondering how easy it is to lose discs/is it more difficult? I've been curious as I always thought of snow season as a non-disc season but I hear about it a lot more lately and a lot of courses around me stay open through winter.

What are your opinions?

 

[CrowLegs]

I don't mind playing as long as the snow is relatively shallow (3" or less). Once it gets deep, it's hard to find discs. A lot of people use ribbons, but I've not had good luck with them staying on. When the snow is not deep, you can usually find discs pretty easily.

Winter is by far my favorite time to play. The courses are empty, the undergrowth is gone, there are no ticks. The biggest benefit is that your summertime bad throw will often get through in the winter, as if you planned it that way....

 

[swhite]

I live in Massachusetts, and it snows here. I play all year round, but play somewhat less during the winter due to more difficult conditions. It is very easy to lose a disc that gets buried under snow. I have spent quite a lot of time kicking through snow in an effort to find a disc that could be 2 feet away but invisible under snow. Because of this, I disc down to slower discs, and often deliberately throw shorter distances so that I hopefully can follow the discs more easily. I also tape very thin ribbon to the tops of my discs because often even if the disc itself is fully buried some of the ribbon may be above the snow. Ribbons are not a perfect solution in my opinion. First, they affect the flight of the discs somewhat, slowing them down faster. Also, it still can be difficult finding discs with ribbons, because the ribbons can also become completely buried. Hope this helps.

 

[Future_Primitive]

Just need to be careful in the thicker, powder snow as that is usually the hardest to find discs in. Pay good attention to your throw and visually mark the spot you think it landed. Walk slowly and with purpose when you get near the area it landed and keep an eye out for the slit in the snow.

As Crowlegs mentioned the courses are usually empty of casuals, no bugs and winter lines open up through the trees and bushes. Bring a shovel and clean up teepads before using them so you don't ruin them with iced up foot prints. Trade in your cart for a sled you can pull behind you for your bag. Try to walk single file down the middle of the fairway as a group to keep the other snow clean and easier to find discs in.

 

[scarpfish]

Obviously helpful hint. Don't use white discs.

 

[Major Tomahawk]

Throw Yetis.

 

[art_vandelay]

I love snow rounds for all the reasons people are saying. We don't get all that much snow here in STL so it's cool to see the courses you are used to with snow and ice....it really changes everything and you feel like you are playing a brand new course. It's a good time to play courses with water hazards if they are all frozen solid. I've seen people skip discs off frozen lakes to their advantage. Really fun to see. The best time is when you get a thin layer of ice on top the snow, especially in the morning. That 500 foot hole is no problem when you can slide it right up there like a hockey puck. I've also walked up to my disc and it was still spinning on ice. Had to see it to believe it.

 

[JC17393]

No such thing as the off-season in disc golf. I see you're in Maine. Not only do courses here stay open in the winter, but many will groom as well. Tees get shoveled and fairways/paths get packed down for easier walking and less disc burial.

Ribbons can be helpful but they're not as necessary if the snow is packed down well. White discs are a definite no-no because they still blend in even on the surface. Still have to be extra vigilant watching throws because even with all kinds of efforts, it is still easier to lose a disc in the snow than it is with bare ground.

 

[The Last DJ]

Get out and throw! Disc golf has no off-season. You may have to settle for just playing nine or throwing short tees but it's definitely worth the effort: No crowds, no insects, no poison ivy...no leaves even! If the snow is deep, tape some ribbon to the bottom of your disc. Consider bagging you more grippy and flexible plastics. My favorites are G* and Pro from Innova, ESP and Z-FLX from Discraft, and Organic and RFF from Gateway. Keep us posted on your progress and happy hucking!

 

[dysmike]

Obviously helpful hint. Don't use white discs.

I never liked black or dark blue ones either... for the same reasons.

 

[Shamis]

I play in the snow fairly frequently. If it's fresh snow you shouldn't have too much trouble finding discs. But once a couple parties have been through you'll need ribbons taped to your discs if you want to have any hope of finding them (assuming the snow is more than a couple inches).

 

[Broken Shoulder]

Ribbons are a pain so snow rounds for me are just Zephyrs and putters. Zephyrs just land on top of the snow and spin, so no searching.

 

[IHearChains]

A few things I've learned from years of Iowa winter golf:

Bring a shovel!! Don't walk on unshoveled teepads because the packed snow eventually turns to ice when the sun hits it, and it ruins the course for everyone else. Make it fun...for example, loser on each hole clears the next tee and carries the shovel.

Minimize footprints because they make it harder to see where the disc entered the snow. Groups should walk single file in the existing tracks whenever possible.

Store your discs in the cold before the round, that way they don't stick to the snow or get wet from melting snow.

I think early morning rounds when the temp is below 20 degrees are a blast. Those conditions are great for golf because nothing (feet, discs, bag, gloves, etc) gets wet in the powdery dry snow, and if you're one of the first to play after a snow, it is easy to find discs. If you keep moving (and shoveling) the cold is no problem, you'll end up taking off layers.

 

[Geer_Boggles]

Thanks all! I really appreciate the feedback/etiquette advice. I think I'm gonna give it a whirl this year, there are a couple pretty big courses around me that may groom, I'll have to call and ask so I know to bring a shovel or not.

I didn't get to play much this year so I'm hoping to make up for it with a few rounds in the snow. I'll keep everyone posted on how many discs survive my first round.

 

[kenjiac]

Couple key notes to winter golfing.
-No White Discs
-Don't use unshoveld tee pads. Either shovel them or tees off from the sides. Don't walk on them if you are not going to shovel them.
- Ribbons for fluffy snow. Put them on warm discs or the tape will not stick well.
- Don't throw warm discs make sure your discs get acclimated to the cold or they will get little ice crystals on them.
- Learn to read the snow. Discs make a distinctive mark where they enter. Walking around kicking the snow makes it harder to see these marks. Walk up to where you saw the disc enter the snow and look for those marks before walking all over.
-Hand warmers help your grip. I like to warm up the spot my thumb goes by holding a hand warmer against it before I throw.
Have fun its winter golf you wont be as competitive as in the summer with the extra layers and snowy conditions. Work on stand and deliver shots.

 

[roggenb3]

Colored chalk is better than ribbons. Then there's a color mark wherever your disc hit the ground, and you don't have to worry about the ribbon coming off or getting in your way or being buried.

But I rarely use anything for finding discs. I just avoid playing for a couple days after it snows more than a couple inches (unless I can be the very first person to play - fresh powder is awesome because you can always find your entry mark). Even with a foot of snow, if you give it a couple days here, it's cold enough that the snow freezes and gets hard enough that discs very rarely get totally buried. I play most weekends in winter and I don't think I lost a single disc last year.

 

[Dire Wolfy]

Just curious who out there snow discs and was wondering how easy it is to lose discs/is it more difficult? I've been curious as I always thought of snow season as a non-disc season but I hear about it a lot more lately and a lot of courses around me stay open through winter.

What are your opinions?

Watch where it lands, look at a landmark it landed near and when you go searching look around that landmark.

 

[Badger45]

Colored chalk is better than ribbons. Then there's a color mark wherever your disc hit the ground, and you don't have to worry about the ribbon coming off or getting in your way or being buried.

But I rarely use anything for finding discs. I just avoid playing for a couple days after it snows more than a couple inches (unless I can be the very first person to play - fresh powder is awesome because you can always find your entry mark). Even with a foot of snow, if you give it a couple days here, it's cold enough that the snow freezes and gets hard enough that discs very rarely get totally buried. I play most weekends in winter and I don't think I lost a single disc last year.

I've had no problems with ribbons in the past, but chalk sounds interesting. Do you apply it on every throw? On the rim?

 

[BlueMonk]

If there's more than a couple inches of snow on the ground, I attach ribbons. I tend to use fewer discs, just because I don't feel like attaching ribbons to 20 discs.

For me, the downsides are that wind is typically much stronger, footwork gets a bit more difficult and, let's face it, sometimes suiting up for a round in single-digits is not as pleasant as playing in shorts on a 72-degree day. But living in Michigan, those things won't stop me from doing something I love. The short days are a real problem, though; it's really hard to get a round in during the work week.

There are quite a few upsides. I love the isolation the snow provides. There tend to be fewer people on the course and being in the woods with a foot of snow on the ground is really peaceful; it feels like you're a world away from real-life. No bugs, no worries about poison ivy, less underbrush. And your sight-lines all open up.

My first experience playing was in the winter, so I think that has something to do with why I kind of like it.

 

[The Last DJ]

Snow rounds for me are just Zephyrs and putters. Zephyrs just land on top of the snow and spin, so no searching.

Superclassy rounds, eh? I like that idea! Should have noted to OP that players generally limit the amount of discs they bring. Keeping the bag setup simple allows you to focus on your go-to molds so they are ready for spring time. This could be the time of year to disc down, learn a new mid-range, and practice stand-still drives.