Looking to move to Florida for golf. Best places for someone in their 20s?

[fsutanker]

I have never not played golf in Jax due to cold weather. I have more golf pants than days to wear them. I think I wore pants once so far this year and regretted it as soon as the sun got over the trees. 

[thegolfguy96]

44 minutes ago, Abh159 said:

 

Dude... Where the heck are you from where you would consider 66 and 69 degrees cold?

 

FYI Jacksonville is on average 10-15 degrees warmer than Atlanta from November - March. 

 

 

 

Dude... I don't consider 60s cold. I was looking at the lows. I think I don't want the low to dip below 58, then I know it is pretty much warm all the time. Per weatherspark (below), it looks like the lows go into the 40s.

 

[Abh159]

5 minutes ago, thegolfguy96 said:

Dude... I don't consider 60s cold. I was looking at the lows. I think I don't want the low to dip below 58, then I know it is pretty much warm all the time. Per weatherspark (below), it looks like the lows go into the 40s.

 

I don't know why the low temps would be of major concern as it relates to golf considering those temps are typically occurring after the sun sets and before it rises. I've never once thought "Oh man it's going to be 46* at 2 am so I guess it's too cold for golf even though it will be 65* during the day."

 

Either way if you want the lows to never get below 58* then you already have your answer according to your chart - Palm Beach or south of there. But as others have mentioned the further south you get the older the demographics become (which you stated was not something you wanted).

[caniac6]

32 minutes ago, thegolfguy96 said:

Dude... I don't consider 60s cold. I was looking at the lows. I think I don't want the low to dip below 58, then I know it is pretty much warm all the time. Per weatherspark (below), it looks like the lows go into the 40s.

 

I hope you never get an early tee time after a frost delay during your pursuit of "competitive" golf. Sometimes, the wind will blow, and it might even rain. You are a fragile little flower.

[StudentGolfer4]

@thegolfguy96

Instead of moving have you ever considered investing in some cold weather golf gear? Temps in the 50s are far from cold and you will be fine with a decent pair of golf pants, base layer(if you think it’s needed), polo, and pullover. 
 

FJ and Titleist make nice cart mitts and winter golf gloves. Hand warmer pouches are even heated electrically these days! 

“ I think I don't want the low to dip below 58, then I know it is pretty much warm all the time.” 
 

For real though. If you are afraid of lows below 58 you are going to need to go pretty far south.   Even palm beach shows average lows at 56 and 58 two months. Miami may be warm enough but you will still get a couple days in the 50s there. 
 

If you are that concerned about weather in the 50s I would look into Cabo or Casa Del Campo. Both have some excellent golf courses and weather never gets below 60!  Good luck in your search for weather that doesn’t, “dip below 58”

[Cousin]

This is such an odd thread. Still haven’t heard an answer on how you can’t play golf 4-5 months out of the year in Atlanta…

[GolfCarl]

It's not the winter weather I would be worried about in the Southeast but the summer weather.  Anything above 80 in that humidity can be miserable.  The ideal weather is SoCal.  If you can't swing that and don't mind humidity go FL winter and north in the summer.

[philsRHman]

This reminds me of friends who play 2-3x a year. If I’m going to get them out, temp needs to be warmer than 63 but not hotter than 78. Obviously no rain. Tee time can’t be earlier than 1030, but if it’s after 1130 “it’ll eat up the entire day.” 
 

They laugh at me when I’m out in the rain (no crowds), and winter. I find if there’s no wind, walking in anything above 20 degrees is doable. If at any time it touches 40 on the hourly forecast, I don’t care how low it gets, overnight. 
 

Give OP credit, he’s good enough to pursue a life of competitive golf playing 8 months a year. 

[me05501]

You can play in Atlanta in January or February, but it’s on dormant Bermuda that stays muddy all winter. It’s often rainy and windy from December thru March. 
 

We have the same conditions here. If I was trying to play professionally I’d want better year-round weather too. 

[thegolfguy96]

22 minutes ago, me05501 said:

You can play in Atlanta in January or February, but it’s on dormant Bermuda that stays muddy all winter. It’s often rainy and windy from December thru March. 
 

We have the same conditions here. If I was trying to play professionally I’d want better year-round weather too. 

Amen! Thank you!

[Mookieb10]

2 hours ago, Cousin said:

This is such an odd thread. Still haven’t heard an answer on how you can’t play golf 4-5 months out of the year in Atlanta…

So so odd. The basic question about where to move to in Fla is valid, but the underlying reasoning is a bit head scratching. I’ve seen a Master’s in mid November. I’ve seen every other Master in early April. I’ve seen a number of pga guys living on Sea Island. Unless the time between Nov-April is completely unplayable, I don’t get it. 

[StudentGolfer4]

If you are trying to play golf competitively and that is the reason for a move I would recommend finding a coach and then moving to where your coach is. 
 

I will say after several visits to Pinehurst dormant burmuda very well may be my favorite playing surface. 

[caniac6]

You do know that a course with good practice facilities, and good teachers will be expensive, right? Also, housing in an area like that will also be expensive. Are you talking mini tour, or just money games at the club? Mini tour life is very tough. Very few guys ever get beyond that level, and course conditions, at that level, are usually not any better than a regular day at the club. Unless you are kicking butt around the Atlanta area, your chances of making a living playing tournament golf are very slim. I worked at a course that used to host mini tour tournaments, and one guy, one, made it through Q School, and he only lasted one year on tour. Most of the guys were just wasting time, and throwing money away. 

[me05501]

8 hours ago, Mookieb10 said:

So so odd. The basic question about where to move to in Fla is valid, but the underlying reasoning is a bit head scratching. I’ve seen a Master’s in mid November. I’ve seen every other Master in early April. I’ve seen a number of pga guys living on Sea Island. Unless the time between Nov-April is completely unplayable, I don’t get it. 

 

The closer you get to the Atlantic the milder the winters tend to be because of the warm Gulf Stream current that moves up the coast. 

 

Sea Island is much milder than Atlanta in the depths of winter. For every pro who lives there there are probably a five in the Ponte Vedra area and at least dozen in Orlando. 

[me05501]

Honestly it seems like there may be some unacknowledged jealousy of the kid bubbling up here. 

 

He's in his 20's. He wants a change. He has the freedom to move to Florida and try to pursue a golf career. It's like all of our middle-aged wildest dreams come true.

 

So we tell him he's silly to worry over the weather and that he's not going to make it anyway so why try? 

 

Is that advice or envy? 

 

If I could convince my teenage sons of one thing, it would be not to get roped into growing up too fast. There's plenty of time for a boring adult life later. 

[sittingbull]

Whats the issue with cold weather we are playing today.

 

 

inside ofcourse 

Edited January 11, 2022 by sittingbull

[Marty86]

We have may 2-4 months of non-golfable weather in NYC and this guy is saying Atlanta is 4-5 months. Damn, sign me up for 60s and 50s degree golf.

[me05501]

3 hours ago, Marty86 said:

We have may 2-4 months of non-golfable weather in NYC and this guy is saying Atlanta is 4-5 months. Damn, sign me up for 60s and 50s degree golf.

 

I think there's a difference between "play a winter-rules round with buddies" weather and "stay on the practice tee for three hours and putt for two more hours" weather.  

 

I will play in winter but I rarely practice then. The ranges are all on mats, it's wet and windy, and I'm learning anything about my swing under those conditions. 

[me05501]

Quick: name five professional golfers who live in the Atlanta area. 

 

1. Stewart Cink? 

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

 

[mallrat]

9 hours ago, me05501 said:

Quick: name five professional golfers who live in the Atlanta area. 

 

1. Stewart Cink? 

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

 

What does that have to do with anything? Seriously There are PGA tour guys who live in places with snow 4 - 5 months a year, Steve Stricker being pretty good. 
 

Not sure why you think people are jealous or envious, there have been a lot of very helpful answers. But there still are a lot of questions that the OP hasn’t addressed. 
 

One thing I would add about Florida and the pros is how much time they are gone. In the winter when they are practicing it may be great, however in the summer when he would be grinding away in 85 degrees and 85% humidity the pros are nowhere to be scene. That’s why they are touring pros. 
 

If he wants to play professional golf, good for him, I wish him all the best and hope he makes it. But what is the reality? If he’s in his 20’s and is not a name coming out of college that is getting sponsor exemptions then he’s either going to have to Monday qualify, which if you aren’t capable of putting up a 61 or 62 every time out, good luck. Or qualify for the McKenzie or Latin American tour and that takes some coin. 

[Abh159]

18 hours ago, me05501 said:

Quick: name five professional golfers who live in the Atlanta area. 

 

1. Stewart Cink? 

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

 

 

Matt Fitzpatrick and Kuchar both lived in Atlanta.

 

Snedeker lives in Nashville, Shane Lowry lives in Virginia beach, and Stricker lives in Wisconsin. All noticeably colder in the winter compared to Atlanta.

 

As @mallrat pointed out... No one here is jealous of the OP, we just can't understand his train of thought. He wants to play "competitive golf" (which he still hasn't clarified what he means by that) yet he never wants to encounter temperatures below 60*??? I guess he plans on only playing in tournaments that are located in south Florida or Hawaii 🤣

 

[Jace_bkr]

On 1/11/2022 at 7:28 AM, me05501 said:

If I could convince my teenage sons of one thing, it would be not to get roped into growing up too fast. There's plenty of time for a boring adult life later. 

 

Amen..... 

 

 

[caniac6]

I believe Billy Andrade lives in Atlanta. I'm pretty sure several pros, including Webb Simpson, live in Charlotte. 

[ncgolfer1234]

2 hours ago, caniac6 said:

I believe Billy Andrade lives in Atlanta. I'm pretty sure several pros, including Webb Simpson, live in Charlotte. 

Webb Simpson, Johnson Wagner, Mackenzie Hughes and a ton of KFT guys are in Charlotte.  

[caniac6]

2 hours ago, ncgolfer1234 said:

Webb Simpson, Johnson Wagner, Mackenzie Hughes and a ton of KFT guys are in Charlotte.  

Doesn’t Harold Varner live in Gastonia?

[BNGL]

Jason Day used to hang around Columbus Ohio. Granted he could easily travel to warmer climates 

[ncgolfer1234]

On 1/12/2022 at 3:00 PM, caniac6 said:

Doesn’t Harold Varner live in Gastonia?

Actually lives in Charlotte these days

[Eric49er]

Lots of good feedback here.  I have lived around the Orlando area for almost 20 years, and have really started playing a lot of golf in the past 5 years or so.  There are a ton of courses, and most people are correct that a lot of the best ones are on the west side and south side. 

 

I would recommend Orlando over other places in Florida...

 

over Tampa because it feels safer and there are more courses in a concentrated area

over Jacksonville because it is warmer in Orlando, but Jacksonville does have World Golf Village and Sawgrass

over Miami because Orlando is cheaper than Miami, and the traffic is not as bad

 

also, there is a good topic on WRX about Orlando golf: 

 

[ronnbee]

Sarasota

[rblmp32]

You can't beat the Champions Gate area of Orlando.  I used to live 5 min from the club which has two courses and played it many times.  It's busy though.  Lots of tourists.  5 min away from Champions Gate is Reunion, which has 3 courses.  Same deal as CG, lots of tourists playing so its often busy.  Great courses though.  The only downside to this area is the nightlife.  You are a solid 40 min from downtown Orlando if that interests you.  

 

15 min away are the Disney courses, along with Celebration Golf Club.  Another 15 from there is Orange County National, which is top notch.  And this is just scratching the surface.  You can pretty much play every day in Orlando, occasionally you might get a low temp of 40 or even in the high 30's (last week or so) and honestly in my 4 years living there the lowest temp we had was 44, but the high will still be in the 50's or even 60's on those days.