I miss golf. I can’t express just how true that statement is.

The clubs went into the basement in what is every year’s toughest goodbye. The course membership card came out of my wallet to make room for all of the sub cards, gift cards, business cards and other junk I keep in my wallet for some reason. The Callaway hat was moved behind the Green Bay Packers hat. My golf season is over.

How many of you are in the same boat? I feel your pain.

But don’t fret. Last week, I began a list of activities to get you through these otherwise pointless golf-less months. I recommended watching golf movies, playing golf video games, setting up a putting green in your basement, simply swinging clubs in the yard and even watching the pros on TV (which admittedly, I don’t do myself). This week, I have a few more suggestions. Hopefully they’ll at least momentarily scratch that golf itch.

HEAD UP TO THE GOLF DOME — The Paddock Chevrolet Golf Dome is on Brompton Road in Tonawanda. Every year I tell myself that I’m going to make it up there, but I’ve yet to make that happen. Let me tell you, though, the pictures look amazing. If you want to hit some real golf balls during the winter, this is the place to go. They even have what looks like an amazing miniature golf course if you want to take the family and make a day of it. The reviews online are almost universally positive, praising the staff, facility, food and prices.

GO SOUTH, YOUNG MAN — While this might be the most expensive of the options, I certainly know people who make annual golf trips with their regular foursomes. I played golf in February down in North Carolina a few years ago. What a treat that was. This is another one in which you can involve the family. You’re going to take a family vacation anyway, right? You might as well make it an excuse to play some new courses while the weather up here is rubbish.

CHECK OUT LOCAL PRO SHOPS — A lot of pro shops have some of last year’s equipment on heavy discount this time of year as they try to make room for new inventory. It’s a great time to pick up a new pair of golf shoes and that new wedge you’ve had your eye on. Or maybe you want to put some new grips on your irons. You might as well have it done in the offseason so you’re ready to go as soon as possible come April. Not only will you be able to pick up great clubs, polos, shoes, etc., but shopping local is always a plus, too.

WATCH TIPS ON YOUTUBE — When I first started golfing, I spent a ton of time on YouTube just watching advice on how to fix my many, many deficiencies on the golf course. I try to impress upon new players just how much that helped me. There’s just so much that goes into a golf swing. What should I be doing with my lower half? How do I get better at chipping? How on Earth do I cure this slice? There are some amazing videos on YouTube made by incredibly knowledgeable golf professionals. Taking an actual lesson would obviously be a better way to fix your specific issues, but trust me when I say you can learn an awful lot just from watching others. It might be hard to implement this new-found wisdom right away, but I still highly recommend it.

PLAY BOARD GAMES — As perhaps the biggest board game geek you’ll ever meet, I could write a weekly “Board Gamer’s Diary” in addition to this one, but I usually sum it up like this: You know that video games have evolved from the early days of Pacman, Space Invaders and Burger Time into things like Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed and Madden. Well, board games have undergone a similar transformation. There are games out there that would blow your mind. Forget about the 7,000 Monopoly variants. Put aside Clue, Life and Sorry. I’ll quickly recommend Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, Splendor and Dixit. If you’re interested in more, please let me know. If (and that’s a big “if”) I love a hobby more than golf, it’s board games, so I’d be happy to talk about either one.

There you have it. There are some golf and non-golf related activities to keep you occupied until Western New York warms back up. What kinds of things do you do in the winter? Cook? Read? Let me know. Maybe I’ll be able to put together a reader-submitted Part III.

Until next time, golf is great. Go get some.

Stefan Gestwicki is an OBSERVER contributing writer. Comments on this article can be sent to golfersdiary@gmail.com.