What this Floridian learned about playing golf in Massachusetts cold

QUINCY, Mass. — A large bouquet of steel and carbon fiber still sits neglected in a corner of my apartment.

It’s been about six months since I moved to New England from Florida’s so-called “golf capital” in Palm Beach County.

It’s home to golf professionals, active and retired, from Tiger Woods to Brooks Koepka to Jack Nicklaus. Conditions for golf are sublime for most of the year, save the risk of a random sunshower in the summer. The only other hazard you might have to watch out for besides bunkers and ponds are invasive green iguanas that enjoy sunning their scales on a warm day.

But my golf clubs continue to collect dust rather than pars – OK, I’ll be more realistic: double bogeys. Since relocating 1,500 miles north, I had gotten distracted by exploring Greater Boston and soaking in the final dregs of summer, then taking advantage of a true autumn with leaf-peeping and cider-drinking. Before I knew it, winter had arrived.

This time of year in South Florida, I golfed less frequently, awaiting the return of hotter temperatures that meant fewer snowbirds and cheaper rounds of golf.

But driving past a snow-blanketed course recently, I wondered whether winter golfing was even a thing here. The thought alone made me shiver.

So I did what any journalist would do: I asked the experts. Four South Shore golf pros clued me in on the golf scene and gave me some much-needed advice. Here’s what they said.

Do Massachusetts golf courses close for the winter?

Yes and no, as it turns out. Finding out involves a bit of research.

“Places on the South Shore and closer to the Cape are the ones most likely to stay open,” said Bobby Iannarone, co-head golf professional at Granite Links Golf Club in Quincy, which closes for the winter season.

Kayden Serkiz putts at Harmon Golf in Rockland, Massachusetts. (Photo: Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger)

The courses that close for the winter do so for various reasons, like fewer staff or protecting the turf from damage. This time off allows some country clubs the opportunity to plan events for the upcoming season, noted Alec Vozzella, head golf professional at the private Marshfield Country Club. Some courses even become ideal sledding spots.

It’s also a good time for courses to conduct much-needed maintenance that couldn’t be done otherwise while packed full of golfers, like cart path refurbishment, tee-box painting or tuning up machinery, said Chris Riley, head golf professional at South Shore Country Club…