I played a round at Talking Stick North with a gentlemen (who's not on this board) who was about to finish playing all of the US Top 100 courses...from a Golf Digest list he had saved from the sixties or seventies. He'd played everywhere I could imagine, just came back from a trip to Melbourne, loved to talk architecture. I had no idea I could actually play some of the places he'd played without connections or a referral from one of the clubs he belonged to. I mentioned I had a trip to see my beloved Liverpool FC play that fall, he implored me--rent a car, go play one of those famous places, but then play a locals course or two as well. You'll never regret it.
Flash forward to a cool but clear early November day at Birkdale. It's a not-very-busy weekday, so they send me out as a single. I quickly caught up to a members four-ball, they waved me through but I declined; my buddy wasn't landing at Manchester for hours, I wasn't in any hurry. That was a mistake.
Then the wind picked up. And the rain came. More wind. Hail...pea-sized balls that seemed to come from every direction. Even more wind. By the time I got to 7 it was howling off the Irish Sea at 25? 30? 40 MPH? I have no idea. That's the Par 3 close to the coast, I took driver and aimed at a 45° angle to the line of play, directly towards the sea. The ball started low, then was picked up by the wind like a surfer riding a wave. It wound up 50 yards on the other side of the green from which I aimed. All I could do was laugh. I did not save par.
The rain came and went, but the wind was a constant. On many holes you could only play defense, just bashing a hybrid to run along the ground. I made it through the round, one of only 4 golfers on the course who stuck it out. Thankfully, Birkdale was generous with their clubhouse access, as what I needed was a shower, dry clothes and some hot soup.
Did that experience discouraging me from trying again? Hell no...that's over 10 years ago, I been around a bit more since then, and have an insane NW Ireland/Northern Ireland trip upcoming. But I have a better rainsuit now.