Just because conditions are wet and soggy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t venture to the golf course and enjoy your tee time. Here are eight tips to help you survive—and enjoy—playing golf when it’s pouring rain.
Tips for playing golf in the rain
1. Invest in quality rain gloves
If you can’t properly grip your clubs, you’ll struggle to hit the ball well, no matter how expensive they are. For this reason, it’s a good idea to buy special rain gloves. The best golf rain gloves offer extra-weather grip, helping you to have a perfect swing, even when it’s raining cats and dogs. Most are made of waterproof or water repellant materials and come with two gloves, rather than one—important in the rain.
2. Carry an umbrella
An oversized golf umbrella can come in handy if you’re walking and the rain is pelting down. While a golf umbrella does add bulk and weight to your golf bag, it can be a lifesaver when weather turns ugly. So, don’t forget to pack one.
3. Take wet sand and greens into account
Golf ball roll considerably slower than normal on wet greens. That means you’ll need to hit your putts a bit harder. As challenging as wet greens can be, tackling wet sand is even more tough. In fact, most golfers dread bunkers packed with wet sand. That said, there are ways to tackle them:
- Don’t use the standard greenside technique – This is the mistake most golfers make while addressing a ball sitting in a wet bunker. Using the normal greenside technique will cause the ball to either plug into the lip or fly over the green. Instead, don’t open the face of your lob wedge. Keeping the face closed helps the ball bounce off the surface, which is exactly what you want.
- Put almost all of your weight on your front foot – When you’re hitting the ball off a wet surface, your downswing needs to be much steeper than normal. To do this, it’s necessary to adjust your stance so nearly all your body weight is on the front foot.
- Swing easy – Take your club back steeply, but make sure your weight remains largely on the front foot. Next, swing down in such a manner that the club hits the sand about an inch behind the ball, then keep the follow through short.
4. Take a free drop
Do you want to maintain a good golf swing even when the turf is wet? Unless you’re competing in the Masters Tournament, don’t hesitate to move the ball to a dry surface. That said, don’t become greedy and drop a ball stuck in the deep rough onto dry turf. That wouldn’t go well with your golf buddies, who may consider it cheating.
5. Don’t forget the waterproof coat
If there’s one golf accessory you shouldn’t scrimp on, it’s a rain jacket. Instead of buying a cheap one at a backyard sale, invest in a quality waterproof jacket. Remember, not all rain coats are created equal. A quality jacket will keep you safe and dry even when rain is really coming down.
That in turn will help you play your best golf, even in the worst conditions. Ireland, named in the top 25 travel destinations of 2021, has a tendency for rain but also some excellent golf courses on offer, so these tips will come in very handy if the weather fails you on your golfing trip away.
6. Cover your clubs
A wet clubface will ruin your shots—it’s that simple. Therefore, whether you’re walking across the course or riding in a cart, make sure you cover your clubs well. Keeping them in a bag is an easy way to do this. A dry clubface and dry grip make it much easier to consistently hit the ball well, which is exactly what you want.
7. Dry towels
Making a decent swing if the grip is too wet is practically impossible. For this reason, carry along a couple of dry towels and after every hit, thoroughly wipe off the clubface. That’ll not only help you remove any water on the club face but also get rid of any dirt.
8. Embrace the challenge
Ultimately, how well you perform in less favorable conditions boils down to your attitude. Dreading the conditions or complaining about them won’t help your game. Worse, the negative attitude may ruin your day completely. If you want to score well, accept that you’ll have to grind out every shot.
Also, don’t rush your shots or give up your normal pre-routine. While you can’t control the weather, you can control how play. Give your full attention to each and every shot, and you may surprise yourself with your performance.
Conclusion
Playing golf when it’s raining can be quite challenging. However, if you follow these simple suggestions, from investing in gloves to covering your clubs, you may find the experience easier and more enjoyable than you expect.
Featured image: Adobe Stock
Comments