Playing golf when it's windy

Rlburnside

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Most of my golf on my home course is played when it’s windy and it’s no fun battling the elements, I find it doesn’t make you a better player it’s just harder.

It’s always a pleasure to play down south and look at a flag that’s not moving.
 
D

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Can't say it bothers me these days as its always windy at Silloth.

Played last week in a 4 club wind, played crap but we had great fun.

I find the most difficult thing playing in strong winds is factoring how much the wind affects chips and putts. 100 or 120 yard 5 iron is much easier to judge for me than a cross wind chip that needs to be played with any loft or any putt at all where the putter head is blowing about in your hands :D
 

patricks148

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Can't say it bothers me these days as its always windy at Silloth.

Played last week in a 4 club wind, played crap but we had great fun.

I find the most difficult thing playing in strong winds is factoring how much the wind affects chips and putts. 100 or 120 yard 5 iron is much easier to judge for me than a cross wind chip that needs to be played with any loft or any putt at all where the putter head is blowing about in your hands :D
i played in a comp this year when it was a 60MPH wind it was while the course was still rock hard, into was a doddle compared to downwind.... out 17th is 377 with a burn at 290, my pp hit a 6 iron off the tee and went straight in it, i took a 7 and only just stayed short. both chips went though the green into deep rough, easiest shot was the chip back into the wind;)
 

Tashyboy

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Play links golf almost all the time,I'm not sure what to do if it's not windy!!

Bighead, 😘 I was commenting yesterday that I loathed links golf til I played in Ireland, it smashed me up playing in Hurricane Tash winds. But I loved it. Wonder if wind is a factor when they rate/ grade golf course for the future
 

USER1999

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The worst I have played in was at Bamburgh. It was so windy, not only did it blow my stand bag over, but then rolled it away down the fairway. Fun for a round, but certainly wouldn't want to play like that very often.
 

GeneralStore

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Just reading these replies made me realise that I dont mind it so much when its windy on a links course, because you tend to have a bit more space. At my home course, which is covered in heather and trees, if you miss the fairyway you are done...not much chance to recover on most of the holes. So the wind really toughens things up.

I am a decent ball striker and can shape the ball both ways, but not with the driver. So off the tee I find it a little tough. Having said all of that, I changed my ball this year specifically to help with that and it has helped
 
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Bighead, 😘 I was commenting yesterday that I loathed links golf til I played in Ireland, it smashed me up playing in Hurricane Tash winds. But I loved it. Wonder if wind is a factor when they rate/ grade golf course for the future

I'm sure the proposed future changes don't take this into account although I stand to be corrected.

If this is the case I'm sure you will find at many courses there will be a lot of late withdrawals from comps when its obvious that the wind conditions would make the course play 3 or 4 shots harder than current sss.
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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I enjoy playing in a good firm wind - especially in a club competitions at my place where most folks aren't used to it, haven't played much in the wage of links golf - and struggle. Thinking it's worth a good couple or three shots on most of the field for me.
 
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Just reading these replies made me realise that I dont mind it so much when its windy on a links course, because you tend to have a bit more space. At my home course, which is covered in heather and trees, if you miss the fairyway you are done...not much chance to recover on most of the holes. So the wind really toughens things up.

I am a decent ball striker and can shape the ball both ways, but not with the driver. So off the tee I find it a little tough. Having said all of that, I changed my ball this year specifically to help with that and it has helped

Not all links courses have more space off the tee, believe me.

Plenty of links courses are very stern tests of driving with gorse, heather and deep pot bunkers to negotiate.

My course will chew you up and spit you out if you miss fairways.
 

jim8flog

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I play a hill top course and it's the days when it not windy that you notice.

It is a case of learning to play in the wind if you want to play well.

On the other hand there is wind and there is WIND.
 

PaulyMcK

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Question for any regular links players:

I understand that 95% of of Links Golf is played in Strong Winds, when you visit a Parkland course which might have less tough winds, do you feel that you gain an advantage and thus play better?
 

huds1475

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Play Moorland & Links courses.

Enjoy more when theres some wind to make you think a bit.

Struggling to stand up, control putter, ball wobbling wind I still struggle to enjoy.

There's wind. Then there's windy wind.
 

patricks148

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Question for any regular links players:

I understand that 95% of of Links Golf is played in Strong Winds, when you visit a Parkland course which might have less tough winds, do you feel that you gain an advantage and thus play better?

yes, but that is usually expressed in the difference in SSS between the two courses.

I don't play Parkland golf too often, and it is easier most of the time, but you also need to alter your game to allow for the differences.
 

PaulyMcK

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yes, but that is usually expressed in the difference in SSS between the two courses.

I don't play Parkland golf too often, and it is easier most of the time, but you also need to alter your game to allow for the differences.

Been working on hitting into the Wind this week, for the next year at least I will be playing in a lot tougher Wind conditions than my home course but look forward to the challenge and think I will become a better player because of it.
 
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i played in a comp this year when it was a 60MPH wind it was while the course was still rock hard, into was a doddle compared to downwind.... out 17th is 377 with a burn at 290, my pp hit a 6 iron off the tee and went straight in it, i took a 7 and only just stayed short. both chips went though the green into deep rough, easiest shot was the chip back into the wind;)

😂😂😂😂😂

60 mph ?! Never - that’s just below a category 1 hurricane and there is no way people can play golf in 60mph winds - the country was hit by those winds early September and it grounded aircraft and closed roads.

You think you were out in this

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....play-in-60-mph-winds-on-vancouver-island/amp/

Your clubs anemometer needs a recalibration

As for the OP - i used to hit a high - went to a links course and got beaten up so learned to hit a Lower ball flight now use it all the time now and I seem to do well at links courses

One difference i do see comparing Links to inland is the bounces are very inconsistent on a Links course and you can hit a great shot only to see it punished by a horrible bounce
 
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patricks148

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😂😂😂😂😂

60 mph ?! Never - that’s just below a category 1 hurricane and there is no way people can play golf in 60mph winds - the country was hit by those winds early September and it grounded aircraft and closed roads.

You think you were out in this

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....play-in-60-mph-winds-on-vancouver-island/amp/

Your clubs anemometer needs a recalibration
how do you know where you there???
 

apj0524

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Bighead, 😘 I was commenting yesterday that I loathed links golf til I played in Ireland, it smashed me up playing in Hurricane Tash winds. But I loved it. Wonder if wind is a factor when they rate/ grade golf course for the future

I don think they do because I heard the when the recent Slope Rating for Burnham & Berrow was done the rating was lower that Clevedon GC :unsure::unsure::unsure:
 

patricks148

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Been working on hitting into the Wind this week, for the next year at least I will be playing in a lot tougher Wind conditions than my home course but look forward to the challenge and think I will become a better player because of it.
our old pro, who played in the open 10 times always said you get a better swing growing up on a flat calm parkland course than a windy links. A few very dodgy swings about up here;)
 

Lord Tyrion

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Question for any regular links players:

I understand that 95% of of Links Golf is played in Strong Winds, when you visit a Parkland course which might have less tough winds, do you feel that you gain an advantage and thus play better?

I seem to remember a post, think only last week, which was discussing the lack of Scottish golfers at the top of the game. One of the pro's mentioned that in the Scottish system they play so much on links courses that the ball flight, approach shots etc is dialled in to that style. The pro game is then almost exclusively played on parkland courses where a higher ball flight is required. He thought that was a signficant disadvantage.

When I play on links courses there are far more chip and runs, low runners etc. Not much use on a parkland course which may have bunkers in front of the green, lusher fairways etc. Links play will help when playing a parkland course in the wind but not necessarily, I would have thought, on a standard day.
 

patricks148

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I seem to remember a post, think only last week, which was discussing the lack of Scottish golfers at the top of the game. One of the pro's mentioned that in the Scottish system they play so much on links courses that the ball flight, approach shots etc is dialled in to that style. The pro game is then almost exclusively played on parkland courses where a higher ball flight is required. He thought that was a signficant disadvantage.

When I play on links courses there are far more chip and runs, low runners etc. Not much use on a parkland course which may have bunkers in front of the green, lusher fairways etc. Links play will help when playing a parkland course in the wind but not necessarily, I would have thought, on a standard day.
as i said just a moment ago, you are more likely to have a better swing starting of on a less windy parkland course than on a tough links track. you see some dodgy looking swings from some low players around here... could def be a good point
 
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