You’ve been planning a golf outing with your buddies for some time now; it’s hard to get everyone together with hectic work and family schedules, and so this particular date has been circled for months. The tee time has been set for weeks. The night before you get your clubs all cleaned and your best golf outfit selected. You dream of birdies and sunshine that night.
When you wake up, it’s raining.
Is your round ruined? Maybe you should try to reschedule for another mutually convenient date, perhaps next year?
Heck, no. You aren’t going to let a few raindrops spoil your outing, are you?
Not a chance.
So long as there aren’t thunderstorms in the forecast, there is no reason the rain should impair your ability to enjoy yourself on the golf course.
The most important tip with regards to playing in inclement weather is to be heedful of the clouds; if lighting threatens while you are on the course, take shelter immediately. Preferably, you should be hip to the forecast or have an eagle eye on the incoming clouds, and you can make arrangements to be back at the clubhouse. If, for whatever reason, this isn’t possible and lighting is striking overhead, keep away from the trees and crouch in an open space. And get rid of your clubs.
With that particular piece of common sense out of the way, there are a few other tips and tricks that you can utilize to ensure your rainy golf outing doesn’t turn into a miserable, wet mess.
Most of these are related to having the right gear, so it is important to be prepared ahead of time in the event that wet weather coincides with your tee time:
- You don’t want to be drenched to the bone or you won’t play very well nor have a fun time, so the right clothing is essential. In my experience a Gore-Tex suit or similar will deflect the raindrops while also allowing your skin to breathe. Choosing the right rain gear can be tricky, because on one hand, you need to be comfortable and loose in order to have a full range of motions – but on the other hand, you’ve got to insulate yourself from the weather. Fortunately there is rain gear manufactured specifically for golfers in mind, so shop accordingly.
- Bring extra towels. Have plenty of things handy that you can use to wipe your hands (gloves) off before you shoot. The one towel on your bag might not be enough, so it pays to have some spares. One of the biggest issues with rainy-day golf is that you can’t properly grip your clubs, and not only does that lead to errant shots and bound rounds, but it is also a bit of a safety hazard, as a club is much more likely to go flying into someone’s dome if the hands aren’t sufficiently attached to the club.
- Keeping with the “grip” theme, you’ll want to have two all-weather synthetic gloves handy
- Drive safely in your cart.
Carry at least two all-weather synthetic gloves. These gloves will allow you to keep your grip tight even when the gloves get slightly wet. If one set of gloves gets soaked, slip on your extra pair. And, while waterproof shoes are not a necessity, wearing them sure makes a round in the rain a lot more pleasant.
Use a plastic windshield on your golf cart. Rain is one thing, but wind and rain together are hard to conquer. Using the windshield will help keep you, your clothes, the seat of the golf cart, and your equipment fairly dry.
If you wear glasses, bring along a baseball cap or “bucket” hat to keep your head and your glasses dry. You won’t be able to play too well if your glasses are fogged up or dripping with raindrops. It helps to carry a couple of extra paper towels along as well.
Make sure you have a rain cover. Most likely one came with your golf bag when you purchased it. Some covers on the market have zippers and are easier to get over your clubs. No matter which cover you choose, be sure to carry it with you at all times.
I hope these tips will let you enjoy that long-awaited game of golf.
Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep Scott McCormick from playing a round. But his wife often does. McCormick’s golf commentary appears courtesy of discount golf provider Golf Now.
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