Difficult Playing Conditions

[bkuehn1952]

I won't start a round in steady rain unless it is a Tournament.  Lightning ... no way. When the ground is frozen and/or more than 25% covered in snow, I also will not play.  Any other conditions and I dress for the conditions and soldier on.

Rain and extremely wet conditions are the toughest.  High winds are a close second.

 

[NM Golf]

What I hate playing in is wind and we get quite a bit of that in the spring around here. I have been stuck playing in 30-40mph winds before and its brutal. My natural ball flight is pretty high which isn't exactly conducive to playing in the wind.

Snow's not an issue very often, and neither is rain. Living in a desert has its benefits. We play year round here, but those December-February rounds can get a little chilly, still beats putting the clubs away for 5 months every year, I don't think I could do that.

[Patch]

On another note. Ma Nature, and poor course conditions catch a lot of grief for poor play.

I'm often think that sometimes my own physical, and mental condition relates to slow play just as much. 

For what ever reason, maybe I am not physically/mentally ready to play 9/18 holes of golf. Maybe I am a little bit dehydrated. Maybe my sugar level is suspect. Just tired? Perhaps I am hung over from the late night, early morning before. Possibly I am in the first stages of coming down with some crud. Who knows....

I know this thread is mostly about poor weather, and course conditions. However, sometimes we unknowingly create our own poor playing conditions. 

[ghalfaire]

I dislike playing in the wind.  Which is unfortunate as in our higher elevations where I play mostly in summer, it is often windy.  I define windy as over 15mph with gusts higher.  I hit a fairly high ball and have never really mastered the "Tiger" stinger (not for lack of effort on my part). 

Other environmental conditions don't bother me as much as Wind, but certainly any adverse condition can affect you game some.

[Mr Puddle]

2 hours ago, ghalfaire said:

I dislike playing in the wind.  Which is unfortunate as in our higher elevations where I play mostly in summer, it is often windy.  I define windy as over 15mph with gusts higher.  I hit a fairly high ball and have never really mastered the "Tiger" stinger (not for lack of effort on my part). 

Other environmental conditions don't bother me as much as Wind, but certainly any adverse condition can affect you game some.

Where I live 15mph is a gentle breeze 

[ghalfaire]

On 10/30/2019 at 10:17 AM, Mr Puddle said:

Where I live 15mph is a gentle breeze 

I only meant to intimate that this wind speed has to be considered in club selection and how much it will move the ball flight, therefore complicates the round some.  Where I play in the Summer this is also just a breeze, but one you need consider.

[Vinsk]

On 10/24/2019 at 9:17 AM, dennyjones said:

So you've been to Michigan!?! 

No...he said ‘cool, grey and blustery’ not ‘ ass chapping freezing, mood-murdering grey and face-cracking gale force wind.’

[Piz]

This morning it was so foggy you couldn't track the ball.  Nor could you see two of the first six greens from normal, approach shot, distance.  Although the fog lifted by the time we reached the seventh hole; it made for some interesting golf.  

[boogielicious]

18 hours ago, Vinsk said:

No...he said ‘cool, grey and blustery’ not ‘ ass chapping freezing, mood-murdering grey and face-cracking gale force wind.’

And that’s a good day!
I like those days. It keeps the posers off the course.

[David in FL]

I won’t start any kind of non-tournament/casual round in the rain.  Beyond that though, I tend to play “less poorly” than many people in tough conditions, especially wind, so I enjoy competing, whether casually or formally, when others are whining about conditions. 
 

As a shorter hitter already, I have no ego, and have no problem hitting enough club, no matter what that club is.  I’m perfectly happy to hit a par-3 with my driver, while the big hitters are coming up short with 6-irons.  

[shanksalot]

My main problem is sand traps with hardly any sand in them. So when you try to hit a normal sand shot you end up bouncing the club off hard pan underneath a thin layer of sand. I also hate deep bunkers that are impossible to get in and out without nearly breaking your ankles. Rain I don't mind al long as it is a showers and not a down pour that saturates you by the first green. Wind is okay unless it is a two club wind. Temps in the 90's at the start of the round are a no-no for me.  Wet thick rough I try to avoid. Super slow players in front of me with at least one hole open in front of them. We are expecting temps in the 70's and sunny this week. Probably the last of the year though. 

[Lihu]

On 10/23/2019 at 5:48 PM, Cantankerish said:

I get annoyed with the dewy 7 AM grass grabbing the face of my clubs when I chip.  I marvel at the wind owning my would-be solid strikes.  Shots with altitude changes make it hard for me to judge distance. Slope-infested greens, insane heat, fairways in need of some rain, foggy mornings, etc, all create challenges.

Which ones do you hate to encounter?

Which do you thrive in?

What stories can I get from you about your experiences in difficult conditions?

Do you consider these conditions part of the game? A fun additional challenge? Something to be avoided when you can?

I don’t really hate any of these conditions or I would simply hate golf 😁

Golf is really hard, no matter how well you swing. 😊

5 hours ago, boogielicious said:

And that’s a good day!
I like those days. It keeps the posers off the course.

Gotta live playing in Boston in late fall 😂

[CharlieB]

I don’t like playing in the wind when I can’t hear my drives land.

I live close to a links course where the wind always blows. The fairways are lined with tall fescue that collects many balls. It is also a very long course and very difficult. They have holes where I cannot carry the tall weeds to make it to the fairway. I don’t like this course, but the practice facility is fantastic. I don’t like the high prices for resident seniors.

[David in FL]

9 hours ago, shanksalot said:

My main problem is sand traps with hardly any sand in them. So when you try to hit a normal sand shot you end up bouncing the club off hard pan underneath a thin layer of sand. I also hate deep bunkers that are impossible to get in and out without nearly breaking your ankles. Rain I don't mind al long as it is a showers and not a down pour that saturates you by the first green. Wind is okay unless it is a two club wind. Temps in the 90's at the start of the round are a no-no for me.  Wet thick rough I try to avoid. Super slow players in front of me with at least one hole open in front of them. We are expecting temps in the 70's and sunny this week. Probably the last of the year though. 

Given those limitations, you’d never play golf if you lived in Florida.   

[Mr Puddle]

I live on the East Coast of the UK, and we have had 45% of our annual rainfall in the last two weeks. Guess what, the course is closed 

[GolfLug]

Light rain, cold not much of an issue as I can dress for it. I have played sub 30 and had fun doing it. Haven't tried snow so don't know.

Heavy rain soaked muddy surfaces are not much fun though. There's no 'sticking' it out. Sure I can, but for what? Very difficult to get even a half way decent strike. 

[jmanbooyaa]

The 30’s can be an enjoyable day of golf. Wind is the misery. Sun and 30’s dress accordingly and is actually very nice. Especially with not many or any on the course. 

[Darkfrog]

I'll play in just about any conditions, but it never gets really bad in the Bay Area. The only time I have quit a round due to conditions was because heavy rains made the course unplayable, not because I wasn't willing to put up with it.