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What a bummer; rain

Lamma

Well-Known Member
May 23, 2005
92
0
I've been working on some things and I was hoping to bail out of work early so that I could go try them out on the course. But instead it's an uncharacteristically rainy day here in SoCal so it's a no-go

But then, I think about those who live in the states where actual winter occurs and I don't feel so bad. I don't feel bad that I don't have to purchase weather gear. If it rains here, it's just one day so I can stay home with the knowledge that all will usually be fine tomorrow.

What do you people do who are from areas that prevent you from golfing year round? I lived through three midwest winters and it was miserable. I hadn't yet taken up golf then, but even if I had I wouldn't brave that kind of cold to go hit balls. Is it just a matter of simply giving up the game for 3 or 4 months at a stretch? Man, that must suck.

But what's really pathetic is that even though I get to play year round, I probably won't have improved to anywhere near the level of most of the people who have to take off months at a time.
 

Big Brother Dunk

Well-Known Member
Aug 29, 2005
554
0
Our season has perhaps another month, and then we're done til mid-April. We had a golf dome here, so that helped a bit, but it was blown down in a big wind storm and I don't know what I'll do this winter.
 

Youngun5

Beware of the Phog!
Aug 26, 2004
2,734
11
PLAY ANYWAY!!!!!

i tough it out most times, no i'm not kidding,

i had a tournament where we travel to central KS, the temp dropped 30 degrees overnight and it rained all day, i put on everything i had and played my best tournament of the year,

i don't know what it is, the elements don't bother me, as long as my grips stay dry, which was a task, but i managed.

you basically need to know the places that stay open and know how to layer well


under armour baby!!!
 

Silver

I don't have a handicap.
Dec 5, 2004
1,863
1
YG - that's not an option for BBD...being in Saskatchewan where it gets down to 0ºKelvin.
 

IrishGolfer

Fac ut gaudeam
Supporting Member
Sep 1, 2004
6,542
4,976
Lamma

Golf originated in Scotland (rumour is that it was Ireland, but I'll bow to popular consensus ;) ) where the wind blows, the rain is wet and the temp gets down to numbingly cold. The forefathers of the game would be "turning in their grave" to hear that the game should only to be played in fine weather. Some see a shower of rain and think "I ain't getting wet today!"

One of the challenges of this great game is to be able play on all terrains in all conditions. There is no greater satisfaction than playing well in adverse conditions, be it heat, rain, wind etc. We are fairly lucky here in Ireland as the winter is comparitively lenient. We don't get much snow, so I can play all year round. There are times though that it is so cold you can hardly feel the club, or the wind is so strong that you have to really nail a driver to the 180 mark. But to me that is fun, becasue it is the same for everyone else playing that day. As long as you are prepared for it.

As Billy Connolly (famous Scottish comedian) once said, "There's no such thing as bad weather, there's just the wrong clothing to deal with it".

I can't imagine it fun playing in rain without raingear.

Count your blessings living in SoCal. And commisserations to those that are snowbound for months of the year at a time.
 

ualtim

Carrollton, TX
Supporting Member
Aug 20, 2005
7,779
2,331
Country
United States United States
Lamma said:
What do you people do who are from areas that prevent you from golfing year round? I lived through three midwest winters and it was miserable. I hadn't yet taken up golf then, but even if I had I wouldn't brave that kind of cold to go hit balls. Is it just a matter of simply giving up the game for 3 or 4 months at a stretch? Man, that must suck.

When I used to live up in Indiana, the courses were open year round unless there is snow on the course. My general rule was anything warmer than 40 degrees was good to go. Below 40 degrees if the wind was not blowing (tried that once and vowed never to do it again.) I would just layer up the clothing, bought a set of winter golf gloves (both hands, knit back, leather palms and fingers on the parts that touched the club), knit hat, and a set of ear muffs (not the coolest look, but when your ears are warm your head is warm.) The key was to hit low compression wound balls. If you think a Top Flite XL feels hard, try it when its 40 degrees out!

There were several advantages to winter golf in a cold climate. Almost no wait as your likely the only idots out on the course. Ponds are iced over making it very difficult to actually keep it the hazard (I had some great cart path like bounces off of frozen ponds.) Balls hit in the fairway really roll and you never plug. As far as keeping sharp, some of the ranges had electric heaters above the hitting bays you could turn on to stay warm while you practicing. It was fun.

Now that I am in Florida, I can not say that I really miss the cold weather, but it never stopped me from playing.
 
OP
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Lamma

Well-Known Member
May 23, 2005
92
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #8
Hey Irish Golfer, I understand what you're saying. But I was mostly referring to regions where there's snow on the ground. I should have been more specific.

Anyway, and no offense, but golfers in your area of the world don't really have a choice. Either you play in wet and windy conditions most of the time or you don't play at all. I have a feeling that if you were to live in Southern California or Florida that you would quickly become very spoiled in regard to any kind of adverse weather conditions.

I could have played yesterday but there was lots and lots of lightning. Not that it would be a bad thing to channel Bing Crosby and croak on the course; as a matter of fact I hope that's the way I go. But I don't want that time to be now, when I'm 36. When I'm 70 or 80 something, may a gigantic bolt fry my dust farting carcass immediately after making birdie on the 18th, but until then, I'll stay out of the way of lightning.

ualtim, I've heard of guys playing in the snow. I guess you're one of them. I have no shame in admitting that I'm too much of a wuss to endure such a thing. Three years spent in the army during brutal winters was enough for me. I hate the snow. For the past however many years I can remember, my kids have seen snow on the mountains during the winter months here and asked if we could go to the snow. My response is always the same, "Ask your mom".
 

ualtim

Carrollton, TX
Supporting Member
Aug 20, 2005
7,779
2,331
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United States United States
Never in the snow. I have heard/seen vido footage of that. The courses closed while there was snow on the grass. It did help to play with the orange golf balls when the course was open as inevitably there were snow banks and ice if you were not close to the fairway.

I have golfed while it was snowing, but never when the white stuff covered the fairways and greens. The best part about golfing while it was snowing was being able to see the exact line your putt took before the snow flakes melted on the green.

I do not mind golfing in the rain down here in Florida, but there are very few rain days in Florida where it is safe to be out on the course. Normally, when it rains down here it is associated with a thunderstorm, and since I no longer carry a 1-iron I know God can hit all my clubs with lightning.
 

DaveE

The golfer fka ST Champ
Aug 31, 2004
3,986
3
I think we just all deal with what we have. If I lived where it rained all the time I'd play in the rain. I happen to live where it's hot almost all the time so I play in the heat. Sometimes it's over 100F when we tee off.

Like Lamma we have to deal with lightning most of time when it's raining so it's not just a matter of not getting wet. All I know is having 12 months a year to play hasn't kept me from sucking.
 

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