Playing in thick fog

rollin · May 11, 2015

Teed off 7:50 am in one the thickest fogs I ever played. may as well been nighttime. My yellow ball we were able to see the furthest (by a little bit) before disappearing into the fog but overall thankfully we all hit pretty good shots through the first two holes before thankfully it lifted quickly. Otherwise it was to be horrible. I mean just 125 out and we couldn't see the green nor the pin. We all had to look and stare and all try to help watch each others shots carefully and were it not for familiarity with the holes and just barely hardly able to make out "some" big trees in the background we would not have been able to play.

I really don't know how anyone played earlier that morning? There was just no way of watching where balls went unless you know for certain they were fairly straight. To be honest if I were to be stuck in that (this badly as it was) for any significant time I would have had to stop playing. It just was not enjoyable at all. Thankfully by hole 3 tees it lifted and in the end was a beautiful day for the rest of the round

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Golfing very many years and never hit fog this badly where continuing to play was seriously in question.

zeroputt · May 11, 2015

I enjoy playing in fog (on courses I know). I also prefer overcast days to sunny days.

The only thing that really worries me about playing in fog is the possibility of hitting into or getting hit into by other fog-lovers....

rollin said:
Teed off 7:50 am in one the thickest fogs I ever played... It just was not enjoyable at all....

rollin · May 12, 2015

zeroputt said:
I enjoy playing in fog (on courses I know). I also prefer overcast days to sunny days.

The only thing that really worries me about playing in fog is the possibility of hitting into or getting hit into by other fog-lovers....

That was one of our concerns too. Ya just couldn't tell where anyone was. If this was the Alps or something we could have walked right off a cliff and you wouldn't know it till you started falling . lol

Hawk · May 12, 2015

Dangerous time to play.

mpeterson · May 12, 2015

Courses around here will usually delay for thick fog for safety reasons. We don't see it that often here.

sparksjr · May 12, 2015

mpeterson said:
Courses around here will usually delay for thick fog for safety reasons. We don't see it that often here.

Same here. I have played in a heavy fog once and it only lasted our first tee shot. Luckily we were playing with the superintendent and had a really good idea where the tee shots landed. The fog lifted almost right after. It was weird.

rollin · May 12, 2015

mpeterson said:
Courses around here will usually delay for thick fog for safety reasons. We don't see it that often here.

tell you the truth, I am surprised they didn't have a delay. I never really thought of it this way but as been mentioned here, it can be quite dangerous to play in that. We were lucky that it only lasted till halfway up hole two and quickly lifted. by 3rd tee it was fine. But I have no idea how anyone an hour before us got through it all.

McRock · May 12, 2015

I mean, did the ball cut through the fog and leave a trail? That just seems dangerous, especially if it is a tight course.

Then again, I sometimes play when it is entirely too dark. I just keep playing until I lose a ball. But I'm usually the only one out there, so it seems less dangerous.

~Rock

INgolfer · May 12, 2015

I heard this happens quite often in San Diego in certain months when a fog seems to loom just off the ocean at Torrey Pines. People still flock to that course but you just hit into a fog and hope to go find your ball. I don't think that kind of round would be very enjoyable at all. It would be tough to judge distances and sometimes you may hit an ok shot but just because you barely miss a green or fairway you may never find your ball because you didn't see where it landed.

fairband · May 12, 2015

I've done it once and it was only a few holes on a course I had never played before, made for an interesting start. It was on a golf trip otherwise I doubt we would have started in it.

tahoebum · May 12, 2015

I've played in very heavy fog several times along the California coast. I don't like for golf or anything else other than duck hunting. I honestly can't comprehend why so many native Californians love to vacation along the foggy California coast in places like Bodega Bay where the warmest months the average daytime highs are in the low 60's.

TheHeez · May 12, 2015

I played in a fog round a few weeks ago. It was so bad that you could not see a flag 100 yards in front of you. It is certainly dangerous and our groups were yelling "all clear" to the group behind. Not my favorite way to play but usually it clears before too long.

Golf 'N Gator · May 12, 2015

Hawk said:
Dangerous time to play.

You got that right. My home course will not allow anyone out in heavy fog.

fracisco · May 12, 2015

I've played in fog a couple of times, with visibility to about 150 yards. They were early morning back-9's with nobody ahead or behind, but I played a lot of irons that went no longer than about 150-160 yards, and never pulled a wood or hybrid.

Agent Jay · May 12, 2015

Haven't played much in THICK fog, but when we had some thick fog we would always delay tee times, like others have said.

CrimsonTide · May 13, 2015

We played recently in thick fog. So bad that by the time i could get my head up after my tee shot the ball was disappearing. It was almost unplayable. Of course being on the golf course is fun enough for me so i make due. Definitely forces you to make safer decisions regarding ball placement on the fairways and greens.