Now, I’m a fair-weather golfer, but it never hurts to get wet once in a while. Chances are one day the weather will turn on you mid-round faster than a dingo on a baby, and you’ll do well to be prepared on how to manage when things get wet.
Keep your grips dry.
Sounds easy, but if you’ve ever golfed in the UK where the weather defies gravity and seems to rain upwards, it’s not so straightforward.
- Chuck a dry towel in the bottom of your bag to absorb the water that runs to the bottom of the bag – where your grips are. NOTE: remember to remove towel, or you will grow a Furby in your bag (for over 35s, read: Gremlin).
- Ditch the head covers. Club head covers get wet on the ground and on your bag, and when you put them on and take them off every hole you’re just getting your hands and glove wet again and again. Plus that Chewbacca head cover isn’t funny anymore. TBH it never was. Maybe keep that one at home.
- Wipe your hands after each shot with a towel hung inside and underneath your umbrella. I’m sure this works as I’ve seen it on TV…
Choke down on your club.
- Sounds a bit dirty doesn’t it? But when the ground is sodden you’re gonna sink down and you’re gonna hit the ball fat. I can hear the sound now, that wet thunk and the inevitable chunky divot that flies half as far as your flumpy ball. Arms stuck at half-follow through, stunned from getting stuck in the ground at impact. Ugh. So choke down and nip the ball off the grass – also, a thin shot will still usually still stop on a wet green.
Keep a poor-man’s rain cover in your bag at all times.
- Compact, inexpensive and MacGyver-esque, now your bag can stay dry in almost any rain conditions. You’ll look like a total bum but trust me it works. Otherwise you can spring for a “real cover” from 35€ but I can think of at least 6 artisanal beers I’d rather sample than dishing out on a plastic bag cover. But that’s just me.
- MAKE YOUR OWN POOR-MAN’S GOLF BAG RAIN COVER! INSTRUCTIONS HERE.
Leave dry socks and shoes in your car or at clubhouse.
- Because oh-my-god it’s the best feeling after walking around in wet shoes for four hours. No-brainer.
