Do Golf Courses Close When It Rains?

Now here is a question that I recently had. I was getting my clubs ready for a nice day on the links with a couple of buddies and one of them sent me a text letting me know about the possibility of rain. He seemed a bit worried but to me I thought, hey if we get too hot it will help cool us off all day… Boy was I wrong LOL.

Yes golf courses close when it rains especially if there is any chance of lighting in the area. Golf courses will close due to rain, lightning, temperature as well as fog depending on the severity. This is for the safety of the players as well as reducing any possible damage to the golf course itself.

If you find yourself in the middle of the greens and it starts to rain, do yourself a favor and make sure to check the latest weather reports to see if it is going to get worse or move passed you. The one thing you do not want to be doing during a rainstorm is to be in standing water while holding a long metal rod…

Can You Play Golf Safely In The Rain?

You can easily play golf in the rain. This will depend on the amount of rainfall as well as if the grounds shed water well. We have all been on courses where it seems soggy even though you know there hasn’t been rain in days. This could be due to poor groundskeeper skills, broken water lines on the course, or terribly draining soil underneath the grass.

The one thing you do not want to do is play when it is a torrential downpour that might create thunder and lightning. If it is sprinkling, drizzling or a quick downpour, just wait and take a break with your buddies and play it by ear.

It is always better to be safe than sorry BUT you can’t be scared of everything in life especially water

( HAHA ). Just keep an eye out for lightning and make sure to not be holding your golf club above your head if you start hearing thunder (-;

How To Play Golf In The Rain?

 

The best way to play golf in the rain is to have the proper gear with you. You will need some solid waterproof golf shoes, golf glove(s) and at least a windbreaker. Others will get rain covers for the golf bags and golf carts as well.

Without having waterproof or water resistant clothing, gloves and shoes you will not have as much fun as you might think. With 18 holes of golf and you at the 7^th with soggy socks in uncomfortable golf shoes, you will soon rethink your life choices LOL.

You will have to adjust your golf club choice as well as how hard you hit the ball. You might also look at different angles of approach when it comes to getting on the green. Sometimes a course place different when there is water on the grass, especially near sand traps.

As long as you know it isn’t about to thunderstorm then playing in a little rain is actually very

invigorating. Many of your buddies might actually start having more fun and take the game a little less serious. When conditions are less than perfect JUST MIGHT bring out one of the best golf games of all time. The memories you can build on the “off days” can drown out the perfect hole in one rare day.

 

What To Wear When Golfing In The Rain?

What is funny about this is that the rain brings the weird out in many people. You might see people doing the “slip and slide” on wet grass ( which could be alcohol induced LOL ) and yes there will be plenty of possible slips and falls.

I’m sure you can see what sort of possible issues can come with wet grass BUT luckily for us we have some solid choices of golf shoes to choose from. They can keep you planted safe and secure and is a must when it is less than best weather.

If you are with a new player who does not have their own golf shoes make sure and let them know just how slippery the grass could be for them especially if they are in tennis shoes. If they are older then we would suggest that they not play until they have the proper gear ( specifically spiked golf shoes ) to prevent injuries.

Once you have your feet grounded, you will then need to focus on keeping your hands dry. The last thing you want to do when golfing is to release that club accidentally. You could end up hitting a fellow golfer, golf cart or crazy enough fling it into the water.

Some clubs are pretty dang expensive, not exactly the thing you want to lose to a water hazard. Get yourself a good golf glove or pair of golf gloves that are waterproof. There are gloves specific to playing in less than perfect weather and will help keep that grip on your club in wet conditions.

How Much Does It Have To Rain To Close A Golf Course?

The main reason for a golf course closure is when thunder and lightning are headed towards the course itself. Rain alone is not a reason to close the golf course but some will simply to protect their courses from damage.

Some will stop people from driving golf carts on the grass to help stop divots or ruts due to stuck golf carts trying to “peel out” and get unstuck.

If they feel the course will have off and on rain, they won’t close it but will keep track of the weather to see if their decision changes. There really needs to be a large downpour before they tell you to get off the course.

Do Golf Courses Close Due To Rain For Our Safety or For The Golf Course Itself?

I used to think it was for our safety until I researched how expensive it is to build out an entire golf course.

Imagine trying to keep a 9 hole golf course or 18 hole golf course nice and green… Now imagine that there was a ton of rain on your acres of green beautiful grass…

Next, imagine a whole bunch of people in golf carts mobbing around the grounds slip sliding and creating huge dirt ruts with grass divots being ripped out of the ground everywhere…

Yes, they want to keep us safe ( liability insurance wise ) but the cost to upkeep that amount of land would be costly even without random damage due to unskilled golf kart drivers.

Top Reasons Golf Courses Get Closed?

There are plenty of reasons to close a golf course besides rain. Here is the top list of most possible reasons to shutdown a golf course. This is determinate on your local golf club rules and regulations.

1. Rain
2. Lighting
3. Standing Water
4. Wind
5. Frost
6. Fog
7. Darkness
8. Temperature
9. Snow or Ice

What Do You Do If It Starts Raining While You Are Playing Golf? 

This will depend on the amount of rain obviously. If a downpour just suddenly starts falling down, it is best to get under a tree, get into your golf cart or go into the clubhouse until it lets up.

Most times, rain will be intermittent especially if the weather report didn’t mention rain in the local forecast. It is best to wait it out indoors if possible and if it looks like it is only going to get worse, the best thing to do is to just call it a day.

There is no reason to relive “groundhog day” and the perfect raining day golf game ever especially if you start to hear thunder in the distance.

If It Rains Will You Get A Refund? 

Most times this answer is a big fat no. There are plenty of people who might try and get a refund even if they were on the 18^th hole. Some people just do weird things sometimes. Now there are normal folks out there who know that weather does happen and that it is UP TO YOU to check the local weather forecast before paying for a round of golf.

You can ask for a refund but unless it was some random out of the blue stormfront that poured in, a refund is NOT in your immediate future. If you live in a city with only one or two golf courses, the last thing you need to do is tick off the people who manage it.

Asking for a discounted round the next time you come however IS something that many will be more than happy to accommodate you with.

How Long Does It Take Golf Courses To Dry Out And Be Playable Again?

This will depend on how long it rained as well as the drain-ability of the grounds themselves. Most times it will take an hour at most to dry out enough to be playable. During tournament play however that time could be hours or postponed to another date if the grounds are unplayable at a professional level.

So to sum it up, yes you can play golf in the rain but it isn’t always the best idea.