It wasn’t too long ago that on a 40-degree day in January, only a few stragglers would be seen trudging around pale-green fairways, swinging irons from beneath four layers of winter gear and a wool hat.
That’s no longer the case in 2026. In fact, 40 degrees is “high” enough to draw full groups out for late-morning and afternoon rounds. Fifty degrees is essentially tropical. Getting stuck behind a bunch of waiting groups is not something confined to peak season. We’ve walked off after 12 holes due to long waits in the meat of the winter. Offseason play used to be a golf hack for those who could withstand frigid winds and soggy feet. Now it’s mainstream.
Before we get to the things you can expect from winter golf on Long Island, here are a few things that are no longer part of the offseason. Some of these are for the best from a player perspective; some are benefits that unfortunately are part of history:
- Temporary greens: Once upon a time, if you had 150 yards to the pin in the middle of January, your next shot would be aimed at a small chalk circle at the end of the fairway. Why? Because the green was closed — roped off to heal for the next playing season. Sometime in March, when it started to feel like spring was just around the corner, you’d call the course and get a message that tees and greens were still closed. Week by week, the ropes would come down and real golf would resume.
- Winter rates: Before winter golf was cool, year-round courses had to coax people to the frozen first (temporary) tee any way they could. So green fees were cut down by half to say, $35 with cart, and some courses would even throw in breakfast or lunch. (This isn’t ancient history; GOLI used to run posts every December and January listing the currently available winter-rate specials.) Now, consider yourself lucky if you get $10 off the peak rate. And don’t expect a hot dog.
- Thin crowds: As described above, the tolerance for cold-weather golf is much higher and more widespread than 10-plus years ago. Players are out there when the sun is out and the temps are above freezing. The rare 60-degree winter day might as well be Memorial Day weekend.
Now here’s what you can expect during Long Island’s golf offseason. Many courses shut down before the holidays — these are Long Island’s seasonal courses, and they will remain closed until around St. Patrick’s Day. (Later for Bethpage Red and Black, and usually Eisenhower Red.) The rest of them stay open year-round and welcome everyone provided there’s no snow to shovel or a downpour to run from.
Until major snow hits and sticks on the ground for a prolonged period (like it already has), conditions remain decent. The more snow cover, the sloppier the conditions for the rest of the season. It only takes a couple of snowstorms and rainy days to turn the entire winter golf season to mush.
Frost delays remain a constant and necessary nuisance for early risers. If it’s going to be 25 degrees overnight, don’t make an 8:30 tee time for the next morning.
The 2025-26 winter season so far: not a very good one. We got a lot of snow early, which is a bad sign, followed by some nasty cold. Even though a few recent days have been “warm,” there’s biting cold ahead. We’re one heavy snow from sadly counting down to bright mid-March mornings.
The best news is that Long Island’s indoor-golf scene continues to boom. X-Golf in Commack and Westbury, Birdies in Patchogue, Golfzon in Westbury and Long Beach Coffee & Tee are all popular spots for beginners and serious golfers. And they’ve inspired a new wave of small studios, members-only hitting bays and large chain venues like Golf Lounge 18 in Lake Grove. Indoor golf on Long Island is highlighted in our Long Island Golf Guide, published last spring.
Golf On Long Island posts relevant course information as necessary throughout the offseason. Be sure to follow local courses on social media for the latest on weather closures, frost delays and more.