Don't let the nasty weather keep you inside on the couch. You can still have fun on the golf course on a rainy day, and even score well if you come prepared and know how to adjust your game to the conditions. Here are some ways to get a good golf score on a rainy day:
Gear up
Staying dry is obviously very important. Invest in some good rain gear and waterproof golf shoes, pack a couple extra gloves in your bag, an extra towel or two, and don't forget your umbrella.
Swing easy
Chances are, a little bit of moisture will get on the grips of your golf clubs on a rainy day. The harder you swing, the more likely the grip will slip in your hands, making it difficult to square up the clubface at contact and release the clubhead down the target line. Swing with a slower tempo and make every effort to maintain a consistent grip pressure throughout the swing.
Utilize the umbrella
When you arrive at your ball and take a club out of your bag, place the butt end of the umbrella inside your bag so that it protects the clubs from getting wet. Keeping the grips dry is job one in the rain.
Play the ball further back in your stance
Chances are, if it's rainy, it's also windy. You'll want to keep the ball on a low trajectory to lessen the wind's impact on the ball flight. The easiest way to do this is to play the ball a couple inches further back in your stance to de-loft the club a bit and keep it low in the air.
Aim right for the pin on approach shots
When the course is wet, you can aim right for the pin on approach shots and pitch shots (rather than having to judge 'roll to the hole' after the ball lands). This makes it possible to take dead aim with the confidence that the ball will not roll much (if at all) after it lands. Avoid playing any 'bump and run' type of shots toward the green as it will be too difficult to judge how soft the turf is.
Take a bigger putting stroke than usual
Wet greens will slow the putts down considerably. Get a feel for the speed of the greens on the practice hole before your round so that you are better prepared to judge your distance control. A ten foot putt on a rainy day could require a twenty foot stroke.
Avoid sand traps at all costs
Wet sand is extremely difficult to hit out of because it's very hard to judge how the ball will come out of the trap. A much bigger, faster swing is required in order to get the leading edge of the club down and through the wet sand. So, aim away from the traps, even if this means aiming well away from the pin on approach shots to guarantee you don't end up in the wet beach.
Take an extra club
The ball will not travel as far in wet conditions (especially if it's also cold out). Take an extra club or two in order to reach your intended landing spot. This will also lend to swinging easier and maintaining light grip pressure, as when we try to 'kill' the ball we grip too tight in an effort to will the ball further along.
Hit the ball first
It is absolutely imperative to contact the ball before the turf on rainy days. If any turf is hit before the ball, the speed of the swing will be slowed down drastically (the wetter the conditions, the more dramatically the club will be slowed down by the turf). Therefore, place the hands a little more ahead of the clubhead at address, play the ball a bit further back, and swing a bit steeper than usual.
Bring a towel to the green with you
When walking on to the green and preparing to putt, make sure and bring a small towel on to the green with you so that you can mark your ball and clean/ dry it before setting it back down. Chances are good that there will be mud or sand on the ball that needs to be cleaned off, if not just moisture. Give the putter face a swipe with the towel before putting, too.
Follow this advice for better scores on rainy days, and have fun out there!
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