April Showers: Tips to Deal with Rainy Rounds

April 3, 2014

The old adage that April showers bring May flowers may be fine and dandy for gardeners, but for all of us golfers, showers just create a mess, or take us out of our comfort zones. But don’t fret because playing in the rain is possible – as long as there is no lightning, of course.

Here are five tips to help you not only finish your round on the course, but finish strong – even if Mother Nature has other plans.

Be Prepared

The most important thing is to be prepared for rain and other weather impediments. Make sure you have extra gloves, towels, and an umbrella in your bag. Many golfers go into a round only concerned about clubs and how many balls they put in their bag. But when a shower could come at any moment, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Our friends at PGA.com recommend this checklist of items for playing during rainy rounds:

• Rain jacket
• Rain pants
• Waterproof shoes
• Umbrella
• Bag rain cover
• Baseball cap
• Knit cap
• Bucket hat
• Rain gloves
• Hand warmers
• Ziploc bag to protect your cell phone, wallet and other items

Be Mentally Sound

Okay, it’s raining and you are on the ninth tee. Are you going to fold up your tent and go home? If the rain is not torrential and the wind is not blowing you over, you can definitely get through this.

The goal when playing in the rain is not to think too much about playing in the rain. Those who are not prepared are constantly worried about wet gloves, water dripping down their back, etc. Know that conditions can change. Step back, take a deep breath and reassess the situation. Refocus on the game, where your lie is and how far you are from the green and hole.

You got this!

Get a Grip

Do you need to adjust your grip on your club? What about your clubs? Our friends at Golf Channel tell us you obviously want to make every attempt to keep your grips dry when playing in the rain, but the type of grips you have on your clubs is also important because some perform better than others when wet.

If you know that playing in the rain is something that may happen, make sure you have grips on your clubs that can withstand getting wet.

Dress the Part

While the weather may cause you to make changes to your wardrobe, make sure you are still comfortable. You can find quality waterproof – not water resistant –  apparel from most of the major brands, like Nike, Callaway and FootJoy.

Footing is everything on the course when the weather changes, so check into waterproof shoes. The extra towels will also keep your balls and clubs as dry as possible from tees to greens and in between turns in groups on the course.

Play Your Game, Don’t Let it Change You

Know the rain may also bring high winds or change the fairways and greens. Winds will affect your approach and swing. Wet greens and fairways will make balls stick quicker to the surface than a dry fairway that will allow the ball to travel more.

Also, having a driver that has been fit to your swing to give you optimal launch conditions will be a big asset when the ball’s not rolling because the ground is soft. So make sure your driver is fit for you.