Best Winter Golf Gear: Everything you need to play your best golf in the cold
With the temperatures plummeting, we round up everything you need to take to the course in comfort and play your best.
Whether you like it or not, unless you live in an area blessed with year-round sunshine, golf for the next few months to come will be wet, windy and cold.
The typical reaction for many golfers in this scenario is to stash their clubs away in the garage until the sun comes out again in March or April. However with more and more technical gear releasing every year promising to keep both yourself and your equipment warm, dry and ready to swing in the worst conditions, an increasing number of golfers are taking to the course throughout the winter months.
There is, of course, a good deal of benefit to be had playing winter golf. Green fees at better courses are lower, making it more affordable to play some truly special tracks. Winter golf is also harder, with wet fairways, muddy lies and harsh winds all adding to the battle between man and nature that defines golf at its purest. Getting good at golf in the winter means you'll likely play better in the summer when conditions are at their most ideal.
At its most basic form, however, golf in the winter can be both fun and productive, with atmospheric courses taking on a new charm in the wind, the dark and the rain and making shooting a great score all the more rewarding.
In order for it to be all of those things, though, you do need to come prepared. Waiting to hit your shot on the teebox can be a miserable experience if you haven't layered up enough, while getting overly wet and cold can very quickly pull your game to pieces.
Having a fair amount of experience with rain-soaked rounds between the team here at GolfMagic, we do know a thing or two about how best to prepare for the most brutal stretch of the golfing calendar, so we've put together our list of winter golf essentials so you can play your best golf possible, no matter the weather.
Best Winter Golf Gear
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A waterproof golf bag
A waterproof golf bag is an absolutely vital piece of equipment for any round of winter golf.
Not only will the waterproof covering protect your valuables from perishing in a watery grave, but it will also keep your clubs and particularly grips protected from the elements.
Playing golf with wet grips is almost impossible, and it's the fastest way to ruin any game of golf.
The bag will also provide an ideal place to stash extra layers and hopefully an umbrella, too, so you can rest assured you're prepared for whatever mother nature can throw at you.
A number of brands make both water-resistant and waterproof golf bags, the latter of which add an extra layer of protection in particularly heavy rain. A few models we can heartily recommend for this purpose are Sun Mountain's H2NO Lite stand bag, OGIO's All Elements Hybrid bag, and for a more luxurious option, Vessel's Player V.
Check out our full guide to the best golf stand bags, including our favourite waterproof and water-resistant models.
A good waterproof golf jacket
While it's critical to protect your clubs and valuables, keeping yourself warm and dry should also be at the top of your priority list when you step out onto the course.
In order to do that, a quality waterproof jacket is vital. Purchasing a jacket offers full wind and waterproof protection is the quickest and easiest way to ensure the elements don't ruin your winter.
Winter weather can be unpredictable, so ensuring you have a jacket that can quickly stash away at a moment's notice will ensure you don't get caught short.
Golf jacket technology is constantly evolving year on year, with the biggest sportswear brands developing new materials that set new standards for waterproofing, wind proofing, breathability and stretch. This year, we're particularly loving the lightweight protection and warmth provided by Adidas's new Ultimate365 Tour CLIMAPROOF+ collection.
Other advanced materials like Japanese Pertex fabric are starting to make their way into the game in models like Galvin Green's Concept Argus Jacket and Manors Golf's Pertex Jacket, offering incredible water protection with added stretch and a softer, more luxurious feel to the touch.
Check out our full guide to the best golf waterproof jackets.
A Warm Mid-layer
Keeping dry is only one part of the equation when it comes to warmth, and if you've ever tried to brave the chill layering a waterproof over a simple t-shirt, you'll know that it'll end in you getting cold pretty quickly. This is where a good golf mid-layer comes in, providing that essential insulation that helps your body retain heat.
Staying warm is as much important for function as it is comfort. Ensuring your core doesn't get too cold, allows you to retain a full range of movement through the golf swing, while having the correct mid layer on will not only keep you warm, but also provide breathability, so that any sweat doesn't get trapped and is able to move away from the skin.
We recommend having a couple of mid-layers in your golf wardrobe, ranging from more breathable options for easy layering to more insulated pieces that really deliver the warmth when the conditions turn icy.
Rain Trousers
Often available to form a matching set with some of the best golf jackets out there, rain pants aren't always the most popular everyday option for golfers but are nonetheless vital when the weather turns especially bad.
Most conventional golf trousers tend to prioritise stretch and breathability over warmth, meaning they can get quickly get cold and wet in bad conditions. As such, having a pair of wind and rain proof pants is vital for staying warm and comfortable if the wind and rain set in.
Rain pants tend to be looser and baggier than standard golf trousers, keeping water away from your shoes and offering the freedom to slip over your standard golf pants if required. Winter-ready golf brands like Galvin Green, J.Lindeberg, FootJoy and Manors Golf all make outstanding rain pants that look as good as they perform.
Check out our full guide to the best golf rain pants
Waterproof Spiked Golf Shoes
In order to keep yourself warm and dry from head to toe, we would highly recommend investing in a good pair of spiked waterproof golf shoes.
Not only will the waterproof protection offered by a pair of good golf shoes prevent your feet from getting wet, but the addition of spikes on the outsole will also ensure you have dependable traction when swinging on wet and muddy ground.
There are plenty of different styles of golf shoe designed to provide the utmost traction and protection in wet conditions, from golf sneakers designed for more fashion-conscious players right through to the hardiest winter golf boots. A good middle ground is to take inspiration from the pros and invest in an waterproof spiked golf shoe you can comfortably wear year-round, with ECCO's BIOM H5 and Adidas's Tour360 particular favourites of ours right now.
Check out our full guide to the best golf shoes
Winter Golf Gloves
No, they're not considered particularly cool (unless Aaron Rai is wearing a pair), but the simple fact is that waterproof winter golf gloves are a game changer in winter months. They take a little getting used to due to their slightly thicker design, but as anyone who's tried to brave a full 18 with numb hands will tell you, the payoff is huge.
When your hands get wet and cold, you not only lose grip on your clubs, but you also begin to lose dexterity, which will have an instant impact on your performance. And if you've ever hit a particularly thin shot with cold hands, you'll know that it's a pain you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.
With a good set of winter golf gloves, you will not only be able to grip your clubs better, but your fingers will also stay considerably warmer, allowing you to maintain the touch and control you want when playing shots.
Most golf glove manufacturers make great rain and wind-resistant options, ranging from thinner gloves designed just to keep out the rain to fully padded mitts for ultimate warmth. We like the middle ground of a pair of gloves that offer a balance between warmth and grip, with FootJoy's StaSof an excellent option thanks to its insulated backhand and full leather palm.
Check out our full guide to the best winter golf gloves
Winter golf balls
With the snow and the frost beginning to descend on certain parts of the UK and the US, high-visibility winter golf balls can be an easy and effective way of reducing lost balls and ensuring optimum performance when playing on icy surfaces.
All the best golf balls now come in a range of high-visbility options, from classic yellow and orange models to those with more visually striking patterns aimed at improving contrast and increasing visibility even further on wintery surfaces. Some high-visibility patterns also double as effective alignment aids, like in the case of one of our favourite affordable golf balls, the TaylorMade Tour Response Stripe.
Check out our full guide to the best winter golf balls
A good umbrella
While umbrellas can often be cumbersome things to carry when also trying to lug your bag around the course, there comes a time when a little extra protection from the elements simply can't be avoided.
Not all umbrellas are made equal, however, and a well-engineered golf umbrella can make a massive difference to your experience in the driving range.
We recommend looking for a golf umbrella with a large dual canopy, which offers comprehensive protection as well as an outlet for wind to pass through without catching the fabric and blowing it away, as well as a well-engineered frame to prevent breakages when the conditions are at their worst. Brands like Weatherman and Blunt make outstanding golf umbrellas, but you really can't go wrong picking up an umbrella from any of the major brands.
Check out our full guide to the best golf umbrellas
A golf towel
Wet equipment is an absolute killer on the golf course and one that often goes overlooked as we try to power through our rounds and get back to the clubhouse. However taking the time to dry your clubs, grips and ball between shots has a massive impact on performance, helping maintain contact, spin and control throughout the swing. As such, a good golf towel is particularly important to have on hand throughout the winter.
While cotton towels are the traditional option here, microfibre towels are coming increasingly into vogue thanks to their more absorbent, quick-drying properties, ensuring better drying performance throughout your round.
Check out our full guide to the best golf towels
Brad Nash is Reviews Editor at GolfMagic, having joined the team in June 2025 to look after all things reviews, soft goods testing and equipment alongside Equipment Editor Tom. Primarily a writer, you may see him pop up in videos or on the GolfMagic socials from time to time.
