The glove that buys you two extra months of golf
Every Canadian golf season has the same sad ending: the golf is still there in late October, but your hands give up before the course does. Cold fingers don't just hurt — they kill feel, and once feel goes, so does every short shot you own. I've used the FootJoy WinterSof for years, through my playing and teaching career and long after, and it's the pair I reach for when the temperature drops. Here's my professional evaluation of why it works — and why mine spend as much time off the course as on it.
Who this is for
Any golfer who plays into the fall (or starts early in the spring) and refuses to surrender the shoulder season to the cold. Also — and this is the part nobody tells you — anyone who works or plays outside in the cold and needs their fingers to still work: dog walkers, anglers, anyone doing outdoor jobs with cold hands.
What I like
- Dexterity. This is the headline. Most "warm" gloves are mittens with ambition — thick, padded, useless for anything finer than holding a shovel. The WinterSof is warm and thin enough to feel what your fingers are doing. On the course that means real feedback on chips and putts. Off the course it means I can clip a leash, tie a fishing knot, work a zipper or a phone — the stuff that normally has you ripping a glove off with your teeth every two minutes.
- Cold-weather grip that doesn't quit. The Sure-Grip Autosuede knit palm is water-resistant and stays secure when it's cold and damp — exactly when a regular leather glove goes slick and a bare hand goes numb. It feels consistent from the first tee to the last, which is more than I can say for most winter gear.
- Warmth where it counts. The back of the glove is a waterproof structured nylon with Weather-Shield foam fleece, and the extended knit cuff seals the gap between glove and jacket sleeve — the leak point every other glove ignores. Between shots, hands in the cart, riding into the wind: they stay functional. If you've ever tried to grip a club with fingers that have stopped reporting for duty, you know functional is everything.
- Sold as a pair, because winter is a two-hand problem. Your summer glove covers one hand and leaves the other to freeze on the cart rail or the steering wheel. A pair means both hands stay warm between shots, so your feel is the same on the 1st hole and the 18th.
- Value. CA$40 for a pair that lasts for years of falls, winters, and springs. Mine have done golf seasons, fishing trips, and daily winter dog walks with Zibi — my 35-pound English field gun dog, who does not care what the thermometer says — and they're still going. Cost per use rounds to zero.
What I do not
- It's not a summer glove. This is not the cabretta-leather, second-skin feel of a premium warm-weather glove like the StaSof. In July, put these away. They're built for the cold end of the calendar, and judged there, nothing else in my bag touches them.
- It's not a rain glove. The palm handles damp and drizzle well, but for a true downpour you want FootJoy's RainGrip, which is designed to get grippier the wetter it gets.
- The fleece back has limits. This is a dexterity-first winter glove, not an arctic expedition mitt. For a Canadian fall round, a frosty morning, or a windy December dog walk, it's plenty. For hours standing still at -25°, layer up with something heavier over top.
How it compares
vs. FootJoy StaSof (~CA$38, single glove): Different tools for different halves of the year. The StaSof is the feel glove — premium leather for warm-weather play. The WinterSof is what replaces it when the temperature drops below what leather can handle. If you play a full Canadian season, you honestly want both, and together they cost less than one round at a premium course.
vs. FootJoy RainGrip (pair): The RainGrip wins in genuine rain. The WinterSof wins on warmth, wind, and everyday versatility — and it's the one you'll actually wear off the course.
vs. generic winter work gloves: Cheaper, warmer sometimes, and completely hopeless for feel. The WinterSof is what you buy when your fingers have a job to do in the cold, whether that job is a 40-yard pitch, a fishing line, or a leash clip.
Verdict
Buy it if: you play fall or early-spring golf, you ride a cart in cold weather (hands on the rail, wind in your face — this is the exact use case), or you spend your winters outside with a dog, a fishing rod, or tools in your hands and need warmth that doesn't cost you dexterity. At CA$40 for a pair, it's one of the best-value pieces of gear I own. I've relied on these for years; they have never once been the reason a round — or a walk — got cut short.
Skip it if: you only play in warm weather (get the StaSof), you need a glove for heavy rain (get the RainGrip), or you need extreme-cold protection for standing still outdoors (get a dedicated insulated work mitt).
Sizing note: WinterSof is sold in pairs in a regular fit and runs true to size — measure once, order your normal golf glove size, and expect a snug, dexterous fit rather than a bulky one.
Related reviews: FootJoy StaSof for everyday rounds · FootJoy RainGrip for wet ones.