It’s been a very wet few weeks, but there’s still a lot of golf to be played and no amount of wet weather should be allowed to stop us
The consistency of the view from our office window of late gave me inspiration for this month’s column – wet weather.
While I never lament a wet day in the office – surely it can’t rain through to the weekend again? – another July day filled with heavy rain is testing the patience of some here at Northern Golfer HQ. Our indoor putting mat has been well used this month, as many of my colleagues have simply refused to step foot on the golf course for far too long because of the rain.
But, there’s something special about playing golf in the rain. We live in the North East of England, it rains quite a bit here, so you’re really missing out if you refuse to head out in anything but perfect conditions. Plus, what was the point of buying that £200-plus waterproof jacket if you’re only planning to wear it when you go to Asda?
The main lesson I’ve learned from playing in the rain is to stay positive. While almost everyone else on the course will be lamenting the decision to play this morning, you’re a couple of shots ahead if you can accept the conditions and concentrate on playing the course in front of you.
The traditional advice is really important too. Keep plenty of gloves in your bag, and keep them somewhere where rain can’t get to them. A spare towel is a good idea too, as is an umbrella which fits into the holder on your trolley (it’s a real pain if it doesn’t!). From there, try and stay as happy as you can – everyone will find it tough out there, conditions will be far from ideal, but you’re still out playing when you could be somewhere far worse.
On three consecutive Saturdays in July, my house resembled Wishy Washy’s laundrette – gloves, towels and waterproofs spread across radiators and doors to dry as my golf bag was consigned to the kitchen corner in an attempt to dry it out within a week. A small sacrifice for another day on the golf course, in my book anyway!
Despite the forecast I’ll be heading out next Saturday, rain or shine. It’s much better than showing off that expensive waterproof jacket in Asda on a Saturday morning!
