Do you play better or worse in the rain?

[Tiger]

My first honours board competition of this season is this weekend and having been as arid as Jack Dee's wit the rain has come in avengence. Currently tipping it down outside and the forecast is for it to continue over the weekend. So as long as Noah doesn't make a fleeting appearance with a menagerie of animals and a large wooden boat the comp should be on.

So my question is this

 

[rickg]

You need another category:

"play worse than in the dry, but better than most of the field"

I feel that when it rains, I have an advantage. You see the heads drop and excuses start coming out.
I see loads of people with inadequate waterproofs/no brolley/wet glove/towel etc. Invariably they will play worse than someone who is well prepared and mentally accepts the rain as his friend....

 

[HawkeyeMS]

You need another category:

"play worse than in the dry, but better than most of the field"

I feel that when it rains, I have an advantage. You see the heads drop and excuses start coming out.
I see loads of people with inadequate waterproofs/no brolley/wet glove/towel etc. Invariably they will play worse than someone who is well prepared and mentally accepts the rain as his friend....

Exactly my thoughts.

I played in the rain last Sunday, 1st time in a long time I can remember it raining solidly for 18 holes, I was absolutley soaked but don't feel as though it affected my game 1 little bit. I was 3 over my h'cap but I can do that and worse in the dry.

Like you say, many people start with the excuses before they even tee off.

 

[Achilles]

I tend to play ok in the rain, possibly because of lower expectations, relaxing a tad more than normal and slowing things down as not to helicopter my clubs down the fairway! Guess if it's really heavy rain it's a different story as it's simply not fun when you're soaked through. Thinking back, some of the best golf I've played has been in the rain. Also, I'm sure a lot of people immediately resign themselves to a bad round when they see the rain, so use it to your advantage!

 

[Whereditgo]

Doesn't really affect me, I'm a retired rugby player and playing in a snow storm at places like Wigton make a rainy day on the golf course all wrapped up in waterproofs pretty tame

Played Brough G.C. for the first time last Sunday and the rain was tipping down all afternoon, 2 under handicap

Great course btw - can't wait to go back on a better day!

 

[richy]

I played terrible last weekend in the rain but mainly cos I wasnt prepared. Glove got soaked, forgot my towel and waterproofs leaked.

 

[NWJocko]

Don't mind it really.

Just bung on the waterproofs, rain glove and a hat and makes no difference to me really.

After 15 years playing football in all sorts in footy kit having the full monty on the golf course is a piece of p*ss.

As others have said, there's then a lower proportion of the field you have to beat as some aren't prepared, some can't be bothered and the heads go down etc...

 

[heathcliffe]

There are those who won't play if they suspect it is raining within a ten mile radius of the course.But the worst are those who want to walk in if they are having a bad round and you have a good card going.Then you are left high and dry...or wet as the case may be.

 

[Aztecs27]

Worse for me.

Mostly because I don't have the space at home to be adequately equipped for heavy downpours.

When playing sunday, I had a brolly, which broke due to the wind and I personally stayed dry thanks to my waterproofs (I eventually got wet towards the end of the round as water was bound to get in since I didn't have a brolly.

But I don't have a trolley (no room to store it) and I don't have a waterproof bag. Even if I did, when it's windy, it's really difficult to keep everything dry when the rain doesn't let up. Which in turn doesn't help with my concentration.

Towards the middle of the round, I ditched all 4 gloves I had because they were all wet, and stopped bothering to wipe my grips before every shot, because all 3 of my towels were soaked and just hit 3/4 punch shots for the rest of the round.

Still played like a knob

 

[billyg]

Mixed feelings about playing in the rain.

Yep, good gear helps but there's only so far you can take it if you wear glasses. Cap under hooded waterproof jacket works quite well but beyond a certain point it's just not worth the hassle.

Waterproof, breathable socks would be a good idea as I'm not convinced of the waterproofness of any golf shoe when put under pressure.

The advantage of going out in the rain is that you've prettymuch got the place to yourself if you want it.

Scorewise - not much different if your gear is up to scratch.

The other end of it that many clubs simply won't let you out if the weather is bad.

If you stick to fair weather golf you could find yourself spending a lot of time on the sofa in this country

billyg

 

[granters]

Take a way the keeping dry side, which is a given, i love playing in the rain.

3/4 controlled shots that stop where they land -easy! It's always amazing how much better you hit the ball with a shorter/smoother swing. Something i have to remind myself all the time.

As long as the greens don't get too sludgey then give me that over blazing sun and concrete fairways any day. Although the last day we had like that here was in Jine, 1986

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not a fan of playing in the rain especially startin in a downpour but a game is a game. We're off on a freebie to Windlsham at 2.00 tomorrow and the forecast isn't great. Only got a carry bag (which numpty forgot to empty his locker before Royal Ascot and bring his GK home) so if it pours the clubs will get wet anyway. Plenty of gloves, towel to put inside the brolley and the waterproofs and acap. Bring it on

 

[RGDave]

I hate the rain, with a hatred worse than Mr Grumpy taking a hateful walk down displeasure lane in abhorrence town.

It lashed down last Sunday, I was like a drowned rat by the end of the 2nd hole. Still, I held it together reasonably well with 4 gloves, two tops, a brolly and a fabric hat that dripped all the way round. My glasses steamed up, my trousers were soaked through and I'm still in therapy.....

 

[Tiger]

I hate the rain, with a hatred worse than Mr Grumpy taking a hateful walk down displeasure lane in abhorrence town.

Abhorrence Town, not been there for years. Do they still have the statue of Margaret Thatcher in the main square?

Thanks for the replies gents. All this bodes well for me on Saturday if it tips it down. I like the rain I do.

 

[rickg]

I'll find out today as it's due to rain down in Berkshire.

I'm hoping most of the field will not like the wet.........I feel like Jenson Button!!!!!!

 

[granters]

Talking of which- what do you do about your specs in the rain? I tried playing without them but i litteraly can't see the ball. Is it just a case of grin and bear it? Nothing i've tried has kept the rain off them, even a wide brimmed hat

 

[NWJocko]

Talking of which- what do you do about your specs in the rain? I tried playing without them but i litteraly can't see the ball. Is it just a case of grin and bear it? Nothing i've tried has kept the rain off them, even a wide brimmed hat

Wear contact lenses like me

 

[Aztecs27]

Talking of which- what do you do about your specs in the rain? I tried playing without them but i litteraly can't see the ball. Is it just a case of grin and bear it? Nothing i've tried has kept the rain off them, even a wide brimmed hat

Just get on with it and look at the ball through the rain spots!

They only tend to get wet when it's proper biblical though. If it's just a shower, they're usually ok.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It was ok yesterday for 14 holes. Just a fine drizzle and nothign to worry about and I was playing OK ish on a course I hadn't seen before. It tipped it down on 14 onwards and I threw away a good card. Too many unforced errors through hurrying really. It was only a social game and so the brain wasn't in full comp mode. I struggled in the heavier rain with my glasses despite wearing a baseball cap pulled right down. Hard to spot the ball between the spots on the lenses and even wiping them didn't help as it didn't take too long in the heavy rain to return the the same state again

 

[rickg]

Laser surgery.....had it done in 2003 and haven't looked back (sic)