Today, the Snow Golf Days are an integral part of the “Amusements on the Lake” concept and delight winter golfers between the first and second weekend of the White Turf horse races.
How snow golf is played
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The principle of the game remains largely the same: the aim is to get the ball into the hole (in the ice) with as few strokes as possible. Accurate play is even more important than in normal golf due to the hard ice-snow surface.
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Whites instead of greens: As the name suggests, the game is played on specially prepared snow courses instead of on greens. The greens are replaced by so-called “whites” and the holes on them have a larger diameter to the delight of the golfers.
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Just one tee box: for once, the ladies have to hit the same distance as the men. Thanks to the manageable length of the holes (all par 3), the ladies are not at a disadvantage.
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Colorful golf balls: To make the balls more visible in the snow, bright colors such as red, orange or yellow are used. Plastic “vulcans” are used as tees, which are attached to a stick with a string.
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Winter-proof clothing: golfers swap polo shirts and shorts for warm outdoor clothing and a hat.
The History of Snow Golf
The origins of snow golf can be traced back to the 13th century. The first references can be found in a poem by Jacob von Maerlant, which describes a game with clubs, balls and holes on the ice.
The sport became popular in the 17th century, especially in the Netherlands, where the game was played on frozen canals. The British writer and Nobel Prize winner Rudyard Kipling is often cited as the founder of modern snow golf when, during a stay in wintry New England at the turn of the century, even the snow did not stop him from playing his beloved game of golf.
