Winter Golf at Westwood Plateau

Welcome to the Thunderdome (But Wetter)

Ah, winter in the Pacific Northwest – that magical time when the rain taps out a relentless Morse code on your umbrella, the wind whispers sweet nothings about calling it quits, and your golf ball looks at you like, "Really? Now?" The temperature hovers somewhere between "brisk" and "why do I live here," and every weather app on your phone is basically screaming at you to stay inside and bake cookies like a normal person.

But for us die-hards, there's no off-season. No surrender. No retreat. Just the stubborn, beautiful madness of teeing it up when everyone else is safely tucked into their climate-controlled living rooms, watching other people play golf in places where the sun actually exists.

Enter Westwood Plateau Golf Course in Coquitlam, BC: the ultimate playground for those who believe that a little liquid sunshine just adds flavor to your fairway fantasies. Perched high on Eagle Mountain like some kind of golf-obsessed monastery, this gem boasts an 18-hole championship Sky Course with panoramic views that make you forget you're basically hiking a mountain in spikes, plus a snappy 9-hole executive Fine Course for when you want glory without the full-day commitment or the quad workout.

And the best part? They straight-up declare, "Play anytime, rain or shine – golf season never ends." Who needs Florida when you've got fog-shrouded fairways and the thrill of dodging puddles like it's an extreme sport? Those snowbirds heading south for the winter can keep their perfect conditions and manicured lawns. We've got character. We've got grit. We've got... is that a duck crossing the fairway? Yep. That's winter golf, baby.

Meet Your Spirit Animals: The Holy Trinity of Soggy Golf

Now, let's talk about the real MVPs of this wet-weather wonderland: John Heisler, Jordan Jorgenson, and Mark Foreman. These three seasoned veterans are the grizzled guardians of winter golf, the kind of guys who show up in hoodies layered like onion dip and laugh in the face of a forecast that screams "indoor mini-golf." They're the ones you see in the parking lot at 7 AM when the mist is so thick you can barely see your own cart, grinning like they've just won the lottery.

Why do they do it? Simple: it's cheap. Twilight rates dip lower than your divot after a fat wedge shot, and with cart paths-only rules when things get soppy (smart move to keep those rolling fairways intact), you can squeeze in a round without breaking the bank or your back. We're talking green fees that won't make your spouse give you The Look™ when the credit card bill arrives.

Weather? Pfft. "Rain's just free ball washers," John quips, adjusting his waterproof beanie for the thousandth time. Jordan – the southpaw single-digit handicapper of the group who sees the game through a completely different lens than his high-handicap buddies – is dialed in on the range, working on his trademark butter-smooth draw that somehow looks effortless even in three layers. Meanwhile, Mark, the eternal optimist with a laugh that could warm you up better than any thermos of coffee, swears the cold sharpens his focus: "Nothing like numb fingers to make you grip it and rip it... or at least grip it. Maybe just grip it and hope for the best, honestly."

These lads embody the true spirit of budget buccaneers – teeing off when lesser mortals are binge-watching The Bear, all for the love of the game and the glory of green fees under $50. They've mastered the art of the winter round: quick pace (well, Jordan keeps it quick – John and Mark are still looking for their drives), low expectations (except Jordan, who's still disappointed with anything over par), high entertainment value, and absolutely zero shame about celebrating a bogey like it's a major championship (again, that's the high-handicap contingent).

The Equipment Revolution: Why Your Summer Clubs Are Sabotaging Your Winter Game

Here's where things get serious, folks. You can have the heart of a champion and the determination of our three heroes, but if you're rolling up to Westwood in December with the same setup you use in July, you're bringing a knife to a gunfight. Or more accurately, you're bringing a 3-iron to a mud fight, which is somehow even worse.

The Cold Hard Truth About Physics (And Your Golf Ball)

Let's start with the most fundamental piece of equipment: the golf ball itself. When that temperature drops below 10°C (50°F for you holdouts), your ball doesn't just get cold – it gets mean. The core compresses less efficiently, the cover stiffens up like your shoulders on the first tee, and suddenly that beautifully engineered piece of technology is performing like a rock wrapped in duct tape.

Here's the science that'll hurt your feelings: for every 10-degree drop in temperature, you lose approximately 2-3 yards of carry distance. Do the math on a 20-degree swing from summer to winter, and you're looking at 5-10 yards evaporated into thin air (or thick, moist air, as is more often the case). That 250-yard bomb you crushed in August? It's limping to 240 in January, and that's before we account for the soggy turf sucking up all your roll.

This is why our winter warriors never – and I mean never – bring their premium balls to a winter round. "I'm not donating $5 Pro V1s to the water hazard fund," John declares, and he's absolutely right. Instead, stock up on budget beauties that perform way above their weight class.

The Maxfli Tour S is your winter weapon of choice – it's like the Pro V1's frugal cousin who still went to a good college. You get tour-level spin (crucial for holding those elevated greens when they're slicker than a bobsled track), impressive distance retention even when cold, and a price point that won't make you cry when you blade one into the blackberry bushes: just $90 for a 48-pack, which works out to under $2.30 a dozen. Mark bought five boxes last November and still has three left, which tells you everything about both his game and his shopping strategy.

For those with higher handicaps who need a softer feel to help with greenside control, the Srixon Soft Feel is your friend. It compresses easier in cold conditions, meaning you'll actually feel like you're hitting a golf ball instead of a frozen grapefruit, and it only runs about $20 a dozen. Jordan swears by these: "They're like marshmallows, but they fly straight. Well, straighter. Nothing's straight with my swing."

And if you want that perfect middle ground between distance and feel without the premium price tag, grab the Wilson Triad. It offers balanced flight characteristics, a satisfying "thwack" off the clubface that reminds you that yes, you did actually make contact, and it costs about as much as a decent burger. Stock up, lose a few to the Plateau's wildlife (those panoramic views come with nosy eagles who apparently have expensive taste in golf balls), and keep your scorecard honest without the financial heartbreak.

Club Selection: Why Your Long Irons Are Staying in the Bag

Now let's talk about the clubs themselves, because this is where winter golf separates the prepared from the pretenders. In the chill, your swing speed drops faster than the mercury in a thermometer during a cold snap. All those layers you're wearing? They're restricting your shoulder turn. Those numb fingers? They're robbing you of clubhead speed. That wet, heavy ball? It needs all the help it can get.

This means it's time to kiss those long irons goodbye and cozy up to your hybrids like they're the last source of warmth in a frozen wasteland. Because honestly, they might be.

Hybrids are your winter salvation. They're forgiving launch machines that punch through the damp air like a hot knife through butter, giving you that extra pop when the ball's feeling as sluggish as you are after a post-round Tim Hortons run. The wider sole helps them glide through wet, thicker rough without getting stuck. The lower center of gravity launches the ball higher and easier, even on mis-hits (and let's be honest, there will be mis-hits). And the larger face gives you a sweet spot roughly the size of a dinner plate, which your cold, stiff hands desperately need.

John's going full send on the hybrid revolution – he's in the process of swapping out every long and mid iron in his bag for hybrids. "I'm done pretending I can hit a 5-iron pure when it's 6 degrees and drizzling," he declares. "Give me that hybrid forgiveness all day." And his fairway wood game? It's gotten serious. After winning a brand new Srixon ZXi 4 Wood at a September Best Ball tournament (yes, that actually happened – he's still riding that high), and picking up a Cobra LTDx Max 5 Wood back in the spring, John's basically abandoned anything longer than his 6-hybrid. "Why would I hit a 3-iron that goes 180 yards when I hate myself, when I can hit a 5-wood that goes 200 and makes me feel like a PGA Tour pro?"

The Srixon ZXi is a revelation for high-handicappers like John and Mark – that Rebound Frame technology generates ridiculous ball speed even on off-center hits, and the adjustable hosel lets you dial in your preferred ball flight. The Cobra LTDx Max? It's basically a cheat code for distance. The oversized head inspires confidence, the draw-biased weighting helps John keep it in play (most of the time), and on those rare winter days when he catches one flush, it absolutely bombs.

Jordan, the talented lefty, watches this equipment transformation with bemused amusement. "I mean, I'll stick with my irons, thanks," he says, casually striping a butter-smooth 4-iron 210 yards into the wind like it's nothing. "But yeah, for you guys? Hybrids and woods all the way. Different games, different tools." It's easy for him to say when he's working with a single-digit handicap and a swing that looks like it was assembled in a laboratory. For us mere mortals in the high-handicap trenches, those hybrids and fairway woods aren't just helpful – they're survival equipment.

Speaking of distance – or the sad lack thereof – brace yourself for this brutal reality: cold temps mean your bombs turn into pop flies. That driver that carries 250 yards in July? It'll be lucky to kiss 220 in December's deep freeze. Club up one club for every 10 degrees below 20°C (68°F), and embrace the "less is more" mindset. It's all about precision over power – think surgical strikes on those elevated greens that make Westwood's layout such a rollercoaster delight.

The Secret Weapon: Ball and Club Warmers

Here's a pro tip that Mark learned the hard way after a particularly frigid round where nothing went more than 150 yards: keep your gear warm. Seriously. This isn't some marginal gain for tour pros – this is legitimate, measurable performance improvement for regular folks like us.

Ball warmers aren't just gimmicks. Stick a few golf balls in those chemical hand warmers, tuck them in your pocket, and rotate them through your round. A ball that's 20 degrees warmer than ambient temperature will fly noticeably farther and feel softer on contact. Jordan uses a neoprene pouch with a heating element that plugs into his cart – "It's like a golf ball spa," he says proudly. "They come out ready to perform."

Some diehards even use club warmers – insulated head covers specifically designed to retain heat. Keep them on between shots, and your driver face stays warm enough to maintain ball speed. Does it make a huge difference? Maybe 3-5 yards. Does 3-5 yards matter when you're trying to carry that front bunker on the 14th? Absolutely it does.

Grips: The Most Overlooked Equipment Change

Let's talk about something nobody thinks about until it's too late: your grips. Standard rubber grips in winter weather become slippery death traps. They're cold, they're wet, they might as well be coated in butter for all the traction they provide.

Swap to all-weather or winter grips. Golf Pride's CP2 Pro or Lamkin's Crossline grips with their deeper patterns provide better traction in wet conditions. Or go full nuclear and install corded grips, which maintain texture even when soaked. "I switched to corded grips in October," John explains, "and it's like going from racing slicks to snow tires. Suddenly I can actually hold onto the club without death-gripping it like I'm dangling off a cliff."

That death grip is killing your game, by the way. When you're squeezing the club like it's trying to escape, you're creating tension that travels up your forearms, into your shoulders, and murders your swing speed. Good grips eliminate that problem entirely.

Waterproof Everything: Bags, Gloves, and Your Dignity

Your equipment choices extend beyond clubs and balls. Your golf bag needs to be either fully waterproof or equipped with a rain hood that actually works (not that decorative thing you got with the bag that rips off in a stiff breeze). Jordan learned this lesson when his towel, scorecard, and phone all ended up soaked mid-round: "I looked like I'd gone swimming with my bag. Definitely not my finest hour."

Rain gloves are non-negotiable. FootJoy's StaSof and Rain-Ready gloves actually provide better grip when wet, which seems like witchcraft but is actually just good engineering. Buy several pairs and rotate them throughout your round. When one pair gets too saturated, switch them out. Your hands will thank you, and your scores will improve when you stop losing the club on your follow-through.

And speaking of keeping things dry – invest in a good rangefinder or GPS watch. When it's misty and visibility is trash, knowing that the flag is exactly 147 yards (not "somewhere around 150-ish") can save you multiple strokes. Mark uses a Garmin watch that's survived two winters of abuse: "It's like having a caddie who never complains and always knows the yardage. Best investment I've made besides my hybrids."

Footwear: Traction is Everything

We need to talk about your feet. If you're slipping during your swing, everything else is irrelevant. Those soft-spike shoes you love in summer? They're ice skates in winter.

Winter golf shoes or boots with aggressive tread patterns are essential. Brands like FootJoy, ECCO, and Adidas make fully waterproof models with deeper, more aggressive spike patterns designed for wet conditions. The difference is night and day. "I used to finish every winter round with soaked feet and a swing that looked like I was standing on a frozen pond," Mark admits. "Got proper winter boots two years ago, and suddenly I could actually rotate through my shots without worrying about eating turf."

Advanced Winter Strategy: Playing Smart When Conditions Get Stupid

Equipment alone won't save you – you need strategy too. But with the right equipment, your strategy actually has a chance of working.

The Art of Club Selection in Winter

Remember how we talked about clubbing up? Here's where it gets tactical. On that 150-yard approach shot in summer, you'd grab your 7-iron and fire away. In winter? That's a 6-iron, maybe even a 5-iron depending on wind and wetness. But here's the key: swing smooth, not hard.

Your cold muscles can't generate the same speed anyway, so trying to muscle it will just make you look silly and produce a weak slice. Instead, take one more club and swing at 80%. You'll make better contact, maintain your tempo, and the ball will go farther than if you'd tried to kill your normal club.

"I used to try to swing harder to make up for distance loss," Mark confesses. "All I got was sore and embarrassed. Now I just grab an extra club and let physics do its thing. Works way better, plus I don't throw my back out before the 10th hole."

Jordan, naturally, has a different approach because of course he does. "I just adjust my ball flight and work the wind," he says casually, like that's something normal humans can do. "If it's cold and into the breeze, I'll flight it down a bit, maybe hit a little cut to hold it in the wind." Meanwhile, John and Mark are over here just trying to make contact and keep it somewhere in the same postal code as the fairway. But that's the beauty of their trio – Jordan's low-handicap perspective keeps things interesting, even if his advice sometimes sounds like it's coming from a different planet.

Course Management When Everything's Wet

Westwood's elevated greens are gorgeous in summer and terrifying in winter. When the ground is soft and receptive, that's one thing. But when it's soaked and your ball isn't spinning because it's cold and wet? Good luck holding those putting surfaces.

This is where your equipment choices pay off again. Those hybrids we talked about? They produce a higher ball flight that lands more softly. Your budget balls with decent spin rates? They'll at least give you a fighting chance to hold the green instead of watching your ball skitter into the back bunker like it's on a mission.

Play for the fat of the green rather than chasing pins. If the hole is cut front-right behind a bunker, aim center-left and give yourself a longer putt rather than risking disaster. Mark's philosophy: "Bogey golf with an occasional par is a great score in winter. I'm trying to break 95 out here, not set course records."

John nods in agreement: "That's why I'm loading up on the fairway woods and hybrids. I'd rather be hitting my fourth shot from the middle of the green than my fifth from the bunker."

Jordan, being Jordan, has slightly different goals. "I'm still trying to shoot my number," he admits. "But yeah, even for me, winter golf is about accepting that you're going to lose a few strokes to conditions. If I shoot 78 instead of 74, that's just how it goes." The rest of us would gladly trade our retirement accounts for a 78 in winter, but that's the perspective gap between single-digit and high-handicap golf.

The Mental Game: Embracing the Chaos

Here's the thing about winter golf at Westwood Plateau: it's going to be messy. You're going to hit great shots that plug in the fairway. You're going to chunk wedges. You're going to three-putt from eight feet because the greens are slower than you thought. And if you let that ruin your day, you're missing the entire point.

"Winter golf is about the journey, not the destination," John says, which sounds like something from a fortune cookie but is actually profound when you're standing in a light drizzle on the 16th tee, two over your handicap, with no feeling in your toes but somehow still smiling.

The right equipment helps you embrace that chaos. When you're not worried about losing expensive balls, you play freer. When your hybrids actually work in these conditions, you trust your game more. When your gloves grip even when wet, you can focus on the shot instead of your equipment failing you.

The Westwood Winter Experience: Why It's Worth Every Soggy Moment

Despite everything – the cold, the wet, the distance loss, the occasional existential crisis about why you chose this hobby – winter golf at Westwood Plateau is glorious. Those panoramic views of the Tri-Cities and beyond? They're somehow more dramatic when wrapped in mist. The course itself? Less crowded than summer, meaning you can play at your own pace without feeling rushed.

And the camaraderie? There's something special about the knowing nod you exchange with other winter warriors in the parking lot. You're all a little bit crazy, and you all know it, and you all love it anyway.

"Summer golf is easy," Jordan declares, toweling off his clubs after a particularly wet round. "Anybody can play when it's sunny and 25 degrees. But winter golf? Winter golf builds character. Plus, when April rolls around and we get that first nice day, we're already in mid-season form while everyone else is remembering which end of the club to hold."

Your Winter Golf Checklist: The Gear That Matters

Before you head to Westwood this winter, make sure you've got:

Essential Equipment:

• Hybrids (4, 5, 6) replacing your long irons

• Budget balls (Maxfli Tour S, Srixon Soft Feel, or Wilson Triad) – buy in bulk

• All-weather or corded grips

• Rain gloves (multiple pairs)

• Waterproof golf bag or quality rain hood

• Proper winter golf shoes with aggressive tread

Highly Recommended:

• Ball warmers or hand warmers for your pocket

• Club head covers to retain warmth

• Rangefinder or GPS watch

• Extra towels (you'll need them)

• Waterproof pants (seriously, don't skip these)

Pro-Level Additions:

• Heated insoles for your shoes

• Heated hand warmer pouch that clips to your bag

• Umbrella with a vented canopy (won't flip inside-out in wind)

• High-vis colored balls (easier to find in low light and fog)

The Bottom Line: Gear Up and Get Out There

Winter golf at Westwood Plateau isn't for the faint of heart, but with the right equipment, it's absolutely doable and genuinely fun. The difference between a miserable slog and an enjoyable round often comes down to proper preparation.

Your summer clubs won't cut it. Your summer balls are overpriced for winter conditions. Your summer mindset needs adjustment. But when you show up with hybrids in the bag, budget balls in your pocket, rain gloves on your hands, and the acceptance that par is a victory? That's when winter golf becomes something special.

So channel your inner Heisler, Jorgenson, or Foreman. Layer up like you're storming the beaches of Normandy (but with better GPS carts and heated cup holders). Pack your equipment thoughtfully. And hit the links with the knowledge that you're properly equipped to handle whatever Mother Nature throws at you.

Who knows? You might just find that the rain makes every birdie taste sweeter, that the cold sharpens your focus, and that there's something deeply satisfying about conquering a course in conditions that would send most golfers running for the clubhouse.

The Plateau awaits, puddles and all. And this time, you're ready for it.

Fore-ward march!