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Your golf score will be dependent on a number of factors — the difficulty of the course, your skill level and whether or not you’re feeling limber the day of your tee time. One factor you’ll always have to keep in mind is the weather. Unless you’re playing in the sunbelt, you’ll likely have to battle some bad weather once in a while. This might be scorching heat, cold gusts of wind or the dreaded downpour.
If you know you’ll be playing in the rain — or even if you know there’s a chance — it’s imperative that you take several steps to help keep your score afloat. We’ve compiled several different strategies that will be useful for playing golf in the rain.
1. Dress For The Weather
If there’s anything harder than playing golf in the rain, it’s playing golf in the rain without the proper equipment. Being ill-prepared can send your score spiraling upwards into the hundreds. To defend against total collapse, be sure that you’re investing in the right equipment so that you can be ready when the clouds start to roll in.
Rain Jacket
An insulated, sturdy rain jacket is great to have on the course. It can help you from getting soaked to the bone on the first hole of your round. Walking around with wet clothes won’t do any favors for your golf game — with the right rain jacket, you can stay dry and keep focused on each shot.
Hat
Keep a clear line of sight throughout the entire round — get a good hat that will stop the rain from getting in your eyes. Though you may still have to deal with some droplets falling from the brim, it will be a lot better than having to try to see through a downpour.
Raingrip Gloves
Golf technology has evolved impressively in recent years — now, you can find gloves specifically designed to help you grip the club when it rains. If you don’t want to invest in a pair of rain gloves, try to bring a few pairs of normal gloves that you can switch out throughout the round.
Waterproof Golf Shoes
Wet socks can be an annoying impediment that wreaks havoc on your game. A simple solution is waterproof golf shoes — these will keep your feet dry in the rain and even if you’re standing in a puddle.
2. Come With the Right Equipment
You’ll want to bring all the help you can get in the rain. Every extra tool will help you save strokes and defend against the elements.
Umbrella
One of the most important pieces of equipment you’ll need for a round out in the rain is an umbrella. This can be a lifesaver during a pop-up rainstorm. You can stay dry and wait for the rain to hopefully subside. Be sure you’re investing in a sturdy, reliable umbrella that will stand up to the elements.
Rain Hood
You should also remember to protect your clubs, too — if your grips get wet, you could have a lot of trouble trusting your swing. A club hood will keep your bag and your grips dry so you can have confidence throughout the round that they’re safe from the elements.
Towels
Make sure you bring several towels if you know there’s rain in the forecast. You can use these to wipe down your hands, face, grips and club faces.
Spare Scorecards
Grab an extra scorecard or two from the clubhouse before you head out into the rain. If it’s raining hard enough, one might become unreadable somewhere along the way.
3. Choose a Club Up
The ground is going to be saturated with water and heavy. It’s going to be harder to make great contact with the ball. Likewise, you won’t get those huge skips down the fairway that can add twenty or thirty yards to your shots. Because of this, you’ll want to consider choosing a club up on your longer shots. This will ensure that you’ll have enough to get your ball to the target. This will become especially important on your second shots on par 4s and par 5s.
In the rain, your approach shots become increasingly harder to put in the right spot. You’ll want to try as hard as you can to get your ball on the green instead of the drenched rough. Using that club up can help you get there. Hybrids and fairway woods can be your friend in the rain.
4. Plan Your Short Game
In a rain round, you’ll want to go in with a plan for your short game. As mentioned earlier, those approach shots become increasingly difficult on a wet day. The ball can tend to get stuck in the grass and even if you do manage to land it on the green, it might get stuck in a wet spot far from the hole. Be sure to take time to think aout how you’ll be playing your short shots — even before the round starts. Here are some areas of your game to think about beforehand.
Chipping
Chipping from around the green can be tricky in the rain. You’ll likely get more backspin on the ball and your ball won’t travel as well on the green. Try to get your ball to land closer to the hole so that you won’t have to rely on roll as much.
Sand Shots
Bunkers are already a nightmare for many golfers — add rain to the mix and you could have something truly terrifying. But don’t worry too much — you’ll just need to alter a couple of parts of your swing to hit out of a wet bunker. Use a high-lofted lob like a gap wedge and hit closer behind the ball. If you hit too far behind the ball in wet sand, you might not make it to the ball. The sand becomes much heavier in the rain, compacting like a sand castle. Keep this in mind as you make your way toward the trap.
Putting
If you’ve ever played golf in the rain, you’ll know that one of the most affected parts of your round will be on the greens. They can slow down significantly when it’s wet. If you have time before your round, be sure to test out the greens before your first tee shot. Get a feel for how the ball is rolling and gauge its speed. If you know their speeds going in, you can save a lot of strokes.
5. Understand the Rules
The rules of golf can be a great way to save your game in the rain. The “abnormal course conditions” section of the USGA states that you can move your ball from casual water. Be sure to understand these rules going in so that you can use them to your advantage.
6. Change Your Mindset
Ultimately, playing in the rain changes your game significantly. It’s a much different type of golf than playing under the dry sunshine. It can be helpful to change your mindset going in — understand that you may not play your best golf under the conditions. Remember to be patient, rely on your fundamentals and lean into the elements. If you try to ignore them and play like it’s dry, you could hurt your game in even more. Instead, take note of the elements and prepare your game accordingly.