[Rory Connaughton]

David


I looked at the calendar.  I think you're right. We played Mullingar on the 22nd in a match. Enniscrone in the 23rd and Carne on the 24th...what a day. Went to the seaweed baths in Enniscrone that night just to raise core body temp!

[Terry Lavin]

I’ve trudged through a few really really rainy rounds, including one at Beverly with three guests who were laughing their way through 3” of rain on the back nine. The holes filled with water and rejected good putts. We all laughed. The water was streaming through the bottoms of the golf bags carried by laughing caddies. Fun.


But one day at Butler, a storm blew in on the back nine. The sky turned purple and literally threw my tee shot behind the tee box. We got in carts and headed to a rain shelter. A dozen men lay on the ground, arms entwined, prayers being uttered. We got back in our carts and headed to the clubhouse,  when we saw a big willow tree ripped out of the ground behind the 7th green.


I almost had a heart attack, as my mom had survived a tornado strike in 1967 that left her hospitalized for weeks. But I dodged the second funnel cloud, as we got safely inside where we remained for hours, self-medicating.


Here’s hoping we all survive the pandemic!

[Mark Chaplin]

Year:[/size] 2010’ish[/color][/size]Course: Royal Cinque PortsWalking or Cart:  walk & carry Season: AutumnTemperature: 10’ish Wind: 20mph gusting 30+Precipitation: steady downpour Turf: WetScore:  15 points approx (solid mid table)


Club Autumn meeting, the winner commented there was a lower percentage of finishers that men surviving day one of the Somme. The only thing I learnt was waterproofs, even good ones, aren’t.
Probably the only time I’ve played in a genuine all round downpour and a Proper stiff breeze. [/color]

[James Brown]

There is no such thing as bad weather, just inadequate clothing.


Three rounds I really remember. 


Started at Westfields Golf Club in Virginia by. Shelf one February day in the 40s.  Finished 3 hours later in the heaviest wet snow ever.  Silver dollar size flakes.  Was so much fun and the course stayed playable right up until the last hole.


Played Machrihanish in June 2012 in an absolute gale with sideways rain.  Perfect brand new rain suit saved me and it is one of my best memories in the game.  The course was totally fun and I shot 79 for what is perhaps my best score ever to actual par.  Played into out and from behind in. 


Third was a round at Puerto Del Sol in Albuquerque in college.  March.  Went from 55 and sunny on 1 to 30 and 25 mph hail on 18 in just 2 hours.  Had to shelter under a tree at one point.  Good stuff. 

[Thomas Dai]

As I'm sure others will recall, the GCA-afternoon at Strandhill (following Buda at Carne) ended extremely unpleasantly. 11 drowned and very cold GCA-ers. But we all finished. I can look back upon it now with a smile. Not many smiles that afternoon! Damn good course though, glad to have played it.
atb

[David Federman]

Rory - that is too funny. What a coincidence. We had also had played Enniscrone and Carne in the two days just prior to driving to Rosses Point. Loved Enniscrone, Carne was a brute. Would love to play Rosses Point on a good day. From what I could discern that day, it would be a fun and interesting challenge.

[David Wuthrich]

Year:2014[/size][/color][/size]Course: BrooklineWalking or Cart:  WalkingSeason: SeptemberTemperature: 60Wind: 20 mphPrecipitation: DownpourTurf: Soaked by the time we finishedScore:  playing for funWhy was it the worst weather you every played in: If it was my course, I would have closed it down before letting us tee off.  The pro was nice since I was with 2 guys who made the trip to Boston just to play it.  Rained like cats and dogs, but no lighting, so we played on.Your best memory:  We made it to the 17th hole and looked like drowned rats!  We had to try to make the Justin Leonard putt.  We hit the putt and there was so much water on the green and there was a stream coming from back to front.  The golf ball peaked and then came right back to our feet being pushed by the water! What did it teach you about architecture: Not much![/color]

[Matt Bosela]

Year: 2019
Course: Royal Dornoch GC
Walking or Cart: Walking with Caddies
Season: Summer (August)
Temperature: Mid 40s but much colder with wind chill
Wind: Relentless...steady 40mph?
Precipitation: Even more relentless! Driving, sideways rain for 34 of 36 holes (yes, we played 36)
Turf: Took it like a champ.  Greens were wet but fairway turf was still firm.


This was the second day of #AuldSod2019, our big 10 day Scottish trip last year. We just had perfect weather the day before at Troon and made the long drive north to start three days in the Highlands.  The forecast for this 36 hole day was ominous for at least a week or two beforehand, and with it being Royal Dornoch, a course none of us had played before and perhaps the highlight for all of us on this trip, we were hoping the forecast would be wrong.






It wasn't...


The rain and wind were both absolutely relentless in tandem and you basically had to walk with your head down the entire round as you moved from shot to shot.  We finished the round, paid our loyal caddies and sped into the clubhouse to attempt to dry off, a futile task.


Over the hottest bowl of soup imaginable, the four of us asked each other if this was the worst weather any of us had ever played in.  The answer was unanimously "yes".


We still had a second round scheduled for the mid-afternoon and the weather wasn't going to improve.  We asked if the course would reschedule us to the next day but due to a full tee sheet, they couldn't comply.  I'm usually willing to play in anything but I was completely soaked and really didn't want to play another round in these conditions.


But it was Royal Dornoch.  We came all this way to play here and we basically didn't even get a chance to see the course in that first round.  There was no way the weather could be worse, right?


So we decided to head back out for round two.


I gave my caddie the afternoon off, something she appreciated.  We hit off the first hole with the trademark flags struggling to stay on their posts right of the tee.  We started the walk down the first fairway and with the winds whipping so fiercely that they made an audible noise, we turned to each other, laughing and saying:


"Yup, this is worse than this morning!"


It got so bad that once we hit the 7th tee, a ranger approached and strongly suggested we turn around and head back to the clubhouse.


"It's getting dangerous out by the sea", he said.  "Best you turn around and just play in from there", pointing to an adjacent tee on the back nine.


Undaunted, we just said we would be fine and prefered to play on.



This is Chris H, Matt S, Howard R and myself on the par five 9th hole, barely able to stand up straight at this point.


The rain finally stopped just as we were approaching the 18th tee of that second round.


It was a day none of us will soon forget.

[Jay Mickle]

Year:[/size] 2015[/color][/size]Course: Nairn and PortnooWalking or Cart:  walk & carry Season: SpringTemperature: upper 50sWind: steady at 30, gusts significantly higherPrecipitation: steady horizontal rain Turf: remarkable firm  Score:  Match play: I wonWhy was it the worst weather you every played in:  If not on holiday would never have considered playingYour best memory:  Getting to 14th and having the gale subside What did it teach you about architecture: Seaside links golf is not fo sissies.[/color]

[JLahrman]

For those of you who played at Wolf Point in February 2015, I'd be interested in knowing what weather you've played in that was worse. I've played plenty of winter golf in Ohio but have never been colder on a golf course.

[Peter Sayegh]

Year: 2004?
Course: Cobbs Glen, Anderson, SC
Walking or Cart:  cart
Season: Winter
Temperature: dont know
Wind: none that i recallPrecipitation: freezing rainTurf: soakedScore:  dont recall
Why was it the worst weather you every played in:  yes!
Your best memory:   my partner and i drove up assuming the course would be closed. pro just looked at us and said, "gimme ten bucks and pick a cart."pulled the stick from the hole and tossed it on the green-saw the frozen water from the pole and flag "dance" when it hit the ground.  hydroplaned a few putts also. actually, a third fond memory-striping my driver on ten with a backswing that didnt reach torso height. still shocked we were allowed to play.
What did it teach you about architecture: how little it counts. just play.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Years ago I was playing in the winter and it began to snow. It was a wet snow and began to accumulate. As I was putting I discovered that my ball picked up snow like I was making a snowman. I began to slow down and flopped over as it only picked up snow on the where the ball was in contact with the ground. I disocevere that you can't putt when the snow is about one inch deep.

[Pat Burke]

I played some rounds in unbelievable winds i. The Australian Open, Australia Players, and Honda Classic at Weston Hills
Ironically those days were big moving days for me, I made a lot of hay in crap conditions


But my senior year in high school our district championship started in the rain about 45 degrees, on the 3rd hole it snowed, and on 9 it hailed enough that we had to stop play for about 10 minutes to clear the hail to be able to putt


By the middle of the back nine, it was in the high 50’s and felt like summer compared to the front!

[Mike Schott]

It was the mid-1990's in early May at The Garland Resort in Lewiston, MI which is about 2/3 of the way to the bridge. The weather in that part of Michigan is highly unpredictable that time of year but this was an annual outing, the weekend prior to Mother's Day. Last day of the outing, a foursome of 3 longtime friends and the fiancé of one of us. When the sun was out it was wonderful then the clouds would arrive and it would snow. Temps were in the upper 30's and we were in carts. I have no idea what I shot that day, probably mid-90's.


To tell the truth we had a blast. Hot chocolate from the cart girl made it seem like a holiday and the camaraderie was terrific. I can't recall which Garland course we played.

[Ken Moum]

Year: 2015
Course: St. Andrews New
Walking or Cart:  walk & trolley
Season: Late Spring
Temperature: ~55*
Wind: Not much wind for Fife, maybe 10-15 mPhPrecipitation: steadyTurf: As wet links land getsScore:  No idea, probably gave up trying to keep score after 6-8 holes
Why was it the worst weather you every played in:  It was just cold and miserable, even with quality rain gear and rain gloves everything we owned got soaked through. I think each of us went through three pairs of rain gloves,
Your best memory:   Getting a ball out and on the 18 green from a lie up against the sod face of a greenside bunker. Also, somewhere around 7 or 8, I see a caddie headed back in and when he walked by I said, "Enough is enough, eh?"  His response, "Wasn't my idea."
What did it teach you about architecture: Not much. We were just trying to get home without hypothermia.

[Peter Flory]

Growing up in Michigan, I've played in absolutely everything and we would play 12 months per year if there was any grass showing.

But there are 2 tournament rounds that stand out to me as being the most challenging, almost to the point of absurdity.  The worst one was our State championship final day in high school at Forest Akers West.  When we teed off, it must have been about 34 degrees with some wind and rain.  It got worse from there and I lost a ball in the fairway on each of the last 2 holes because of the snow that was building up.  They didn't want to call off the tournament when it was so close to finishing, so we all just played in a mini blizzard for the last 45 min or so.  I remember that the round took almost 7 hours to play (shotgun format with way too many players), which prolonged the misery.  I had a full ski coat that I took off to hit every shot that day.

The other one that stands out to me was the bad weather day at the 2007 Mid Am at Bandon.  I don't know the exact temperature, but I would guess that the high that day was in the mid 40s.  The problem was wind and relentless rain however.  Umbrellas were useless because they would invert in the wind.  As soon as I tapped in on the 18th hole, they declared the course unplayable and cancelled play for the day.  There was standing water everywhere and there was a carry on one of the holes that players in the field could no longer clear.  That day, there were something like 8 rounds in the 90s and 25 players withdrew.  Even though it was physically miserable, it was my first time to Bandon and I was in shock as to how good the courses were.  It was like nothing I'd ever seen in my golf life at that point. 

[Robin_Hiseman]

I'm hoping Ally Mcintosh will chip in with his hilarious tale of how he finished the round at Enniscrone, during the most biblical typhoon I've ever seen.


The sideways rain we teed off the 1st in was a mere hint of what smashed into us on the back nine and Ally, in the last group out, hit the epicentre of the storm.

[Mark Pearce]

As I'm sure others will recall, the GCA-afternoon at Strandhill (following Buda at Carne) ended extremely unpleasantly. 11 drowned and very cold GCA-ers. But we all finished. I can look back upon it now with a smile. Not many smiles that afternoon! Damn good course though, glad to have played it.
atb

Probably only the third worst conditions experienced at a BUDA!  Silloth saw gale force winds (strong enough to require woods on the 110 yard par 3 9th, even for really good players) combined, for a while, with heavy rain.  Fewer played than gave up.  Even worse was Moortown.  The rain was so heavy that fairways became rivers.  Balls were, literally, washed off fairways.

[Kyle Harris]

What a terrific thread, thanks.


Will weigh in with my top 3 soon.

While the weather was otherwise fine, that day at Tallgrass with Jason Blasberg has to be here. Those winds easily hit 40 mph. We almost got blown off the Throgs Neck!

I think my other two would be with Cory Lewis. First in bitter cold at Morgan Hill and then the day we played Dormie in what became a torrential downpour.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Royal North Devon & Saunton - Bideford Bay Foursomes - mid 80s


We arrived mid-day at Westward Ho and there already scores in, 23 stableford points was the best and lots of low teens were in several single digits and the lowest score was 6 points. One of our group joked loudly about the six points and i had to remind him the pair were probably in the clubhouse drinking and could hear him! Our tee time was just before 3.00, god it was tough. Our playing partners Jack & Stuart the same one that laughed at the 6 points went out in zero points, yes nine blobs, only twice did they putt. We did better and made a few three pointers to score 15 on the front side. Among the great sea rushes our partners did better scoring one pointers at 10 and 12. The 13th was brutal, a 450 yard par 4 to an upturned green, we were not receiving a stroke either, after three woods and a 4 iron, we needed to chip in for a point (we did not). Our partners chipped in for a 3 pointer at the 14th and managed another 1 pointer for that equalling 6 points!!! We managed 28 points and were 3rd or 4th best. You could not tee the ball up as it would fall off, 17 the par 5 was a drive and a 8 iron, but it was the putting that was the toughest.
The next day we turned to Saunton. We were 5 points off the lead and right in contention. After my partners drive I nailed a driver off the deck quail high that ran and ran up to 8 feet and we had a putt for 3 and 4 points. My partner hardly touched the putt but it missed the hole and ran and ran several feet off the green, I putted too hard and we were now further away in 4 than we were in 2, he putted back to where I played from and after a couple more putts we picked up with no points. We were finished, a 4 pointer would have seen us back in it! I think we scored 21 points.
Our playing partners had one embarrassing or funny moment on 18 at Saunton. After going through the green I think into a flower border they had a free drop from behind the green. After dropping the ball, Jack had a few practice swings, looked at the flag, then back at the ball, in that split second the ball had moved and started running down the bank and onto the green. Jack had not seen this and did a double take as there was no longer any ball to hit...all infront of the clubhouse.
I don't remember tougher wind conditions, it was hard to take the club back, but putting was the real nightmare. You could miss from a foot.

[Alex Miller]

For those of you who played at Wolf Point in February 2015, I'd be interested in knowing what weather you've played in that was worse. I've played plenty of winter golf in Ohio but have never been colder on a golf course.

Joel this is what immediately came to mind! Especially because I chose to wear jeans... whoops! Super fun day and I had an epic match for a number of holes with Shane Wright in the rough conditions To put into format:

Year: 2015 (feb)
Course: Wolf Point
Walking or Cart:  walk and carry
Season: Winter
Temperature: 44 degrees
Wind: 15 gusting to 25 mph
Precipitation: steady sideways light rain
Turf: normal
Score: 76ish - lost 3&2   
Why was it the worst weather you every played in: I don't think I've ever been this cold and consistently beaten on the golf course
Your best memory:   I believe we were both +1 or better through 12 or 13 holes. In particular I think Shane hit 14 in 2 somehow too!
What did it teach you about architecture: Well the guys who went out for 18 more (I had played golf all week and my feet couldn't take it, but my body was already numb enough to continue) probably learned more than me. I think how much the ground game and good undulations and short grass can shine through no matter the condition.




Honorable Mentions: My first time at the Kings Putter in 2011 Joel Zuckerman, Gray Grieve, Mike Benham, and I had to "shelter in place" on the 15th tree against the dunes on Bandon Dunes as it hailed for 15 minutes (a lot of it too!). Never seen hail so close to the ocean before! Also with Joel at Cypress Point we tried to beat a front coming in in late October... through 13 holes it was blustery and maybe a couple drops had come down. By the time we played 15 I was hitting 3 iron into the green and water had already started to pool. I've never sloshed so much in my golf shoes as stepping up to hit the tee shot on 16, which was nigh impossible!

[Ian Andrew]

Royal Dornoch - that's Foxy ...

[Bryan Izatt]

Being anal about playing whenever possible there are too many "worsts" to choose from.  In all these examples scoring was beside the point.  I learned much about survival and nothing about architecture.  Some were cart and some were walking - carts are worse in cold weather, they just increase the wind chill. Here are a sample:


Summer at Troon North where you could fry an egg on the cart patch - maybe 105°F.  My wife and I went through a 5 gallon jug of water on the cart through 18 holes with no bio breaks required.  We were kind of wobbly at the end.  We overheard the cart girl describing the crazy couple that was out there on the course.


Rustic Canyon with a Santa Anna wind blowing down the canyon.  Played 18 in the morning as it got progressively worse - no idea of the wind speed.  Asked in the shop if we could do another 18.  They said we were nuts, but if we wanted to go then knock ourselves out - there was no charge for the round.  Well, it got windier, so windy that probably half the greens were unplayable as they tilted down the canyon and the wind just blew the balls off the green.  We picked up on a lot of holes where we couldn't keep the ball on the green long enough to putt.  Turf was firm and fast.


Bandon in February.  Winds were 50 according to the local weather. Temps in the low 40's or high 30's. The wind speed was such that the ball kept blowing of the tee and maintaining balance long enough to swing was hard.  The wind roar in our ears lasted for several hours after we finished.  Conversation on the course was impossible, the wind roar was too loud.  There were frequent horizontal squalls and one heavy hail storm.  We were wearing plastic vegetable bags between our shoes and socks in a vain attempt to keep our feet dry. Turf was OK.  What else are you going to do in Bandon in February.


At home course north of Toronto, late October 2018.  Temperature was around 33 or 34 with a 20 mph wind.  The wind chill was well below freezing.  One of my better scoring rounds strangely enough.  The highlight was a hole-in-one on the 17th hole - you never know when you might get lucky or a sudden flash of skill.   

[Ally Mcintosh]

It's all relative. I've played in extremely bad weather a number of times. Awful stuff. But there's one time that trumps them all by a distance:

My regular Ryder Cup group of friends / social golfers were in Carne & Enniscrone in 2015. This time Robin Hiseman was guesting. We were three out of four days down and Robin & I - having seen the next day's forecast - were trying to push for the final Enniscrone singles to be played on the Sunday evening rather than waiting for the normal Monday. No go though. More than 18 a day is anathema to this group who couldn't see past another heavy night in the local boozer.

So we arrive in the pro-shop on Bank Holiday Monday morning. At this stage there is steady rain and gusty wind. We know it is due to get worse, and so - quite obviously - does everyone else, because we are the only people there. We get a few strange looks but head out in our four-balls all the same: Our competition, long and storied as it is, comes first. We have never scratched a round. The show must go on.

We are soaked by the 3rd hole but incredibly, by the 6th, the heavens open to one level below torrential. Waterproofs have given up by this point. And by the turn, all shoes are spilling over with water. We'dve been drier playing in our bare feet. The wind is getting worse. There is the remains of a hurricane coming in over north Mayo.

At the 12th hole, the rain hits top torrential level. At this stage, one of the four-balls calls it a day... The wind is now storm force and I can't keep my trousers up, they are so heavy with water. We soldier on and I finish out my singles match at the 16th. We decide to keep our partners company as they are going down the last. It is for these last two holes that the wind moves from storm force to genuine hurricane - the balls are being blown on the fairways, never mind the greens. I was knocked off my feet a couple of times and our two playing companions have both played 9-off-the-tee (it is an 80 yard carry) at the 18th. I tell them to stop reloading, we are bound to find a couple of balls (we do).... As we get on to the start of the 18th fairway, I no longer have the energy to keep my leaden trousers up. They are now down around my knees. I can no longer stand up. So if you can picture this, there was a sight from the clubhouse of me crawling along the fairway on my hands and knees whilst my waterproofs are around my ankles holding me back. I am done.

I am drawn to high altitude mountaineering. I am far too soft to partake but this to me must have felt like the worst hurricane above 25,000 feet on K2. In the Death Zone. I guess we all silently just decided that we had to finish, despite the ridiculousness of it all.

I fell in to the changing room. It took about half an hour to peel off the clothes and another half an hour in the shower to get any feeling back. The pro in the golf club looked at us in disgust. He knew that all we were doing was proving a macho point and that stupidity was the order of the day.

[Ken Fry]

Year:  May 19, 2003 Michigan Open Qualifier
Course: Arcadia Bluffs
Walking or Cart:  My playing partner bought a golf cart cover and a propane heater.  It still wasn't enough.
Season: For Northern Michigan, very early spring
Temperature:  Air temp was around 35 degrees with a steady wind coming off Lake Michigan.  Extremely overcast and damp.
Wind: Heavy off the lake, sustained 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mphPrecipitation: damp air with occasional ice pellets fallingTurf: damp and wetScore:  Zero recollection what I shot, zero chance I cared.  I didn't qualify that day.Why was it the worst weather you every played in:  I've lived in the northern part of the US my whole life.  I've played in every imaginable condition:  heavy rain, heavy snow, heavy wind, heavy cold, heavy heat & humidity.  I've never felt this uncomfortable outside at any time in any season.  It wasn't a matter of not enough clothing.  I've never felt happier getting off the course like this before or since.What did it teach you about architecture:  The Bluffs Course doesn't allow much of a ground game.  That's from many trips around beyond that day.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()