What’s The Worst Weather You Have Played In?

Josh Babbitt April 26, 2024 89 Comments

Think back over your life of playing golf and the weather conditions you have played in. What is the worst it has been out there?

For the sake of discussion, let’s eliminate snow and ice and focus on rain, wind, cold and heat.

What say you THPers? What is the worst that you have gutted it out for?

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Josh Babbitt

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Josh is the Publisher of The Hackers Paradise and co-founder of THP Media with his wife Morgan Babbitt. Together they share a passion for golf, and they travel the country in the THP Tour Van bringing their love and knowledge of the game to golfers everywhere.

89 Comments

Raiderboost says:

April 26, 2024 at 8:52 am

[QUOTE=”baylrballa, post: 12309710, member: 52381″]
Close between heat index of 120 last summer or [B]40mph winds in a dust storm in west Texas.[/B]
[/QUOTE]
That a normal spring day sir. :ROFLMAO:

I’d say for me it was either the tournament we played when I got back from the Victory Cup in October. It was around 50-55* but a cold north wind around 15-20 and light rain. Or two rounds in January for my Bachelor Party trip where it was a high of 45* with 20-30 mph winds.
Bernoulli says:

April 26, 2024 at 8:53 am

Low 40s, steady downpour with wind. Rained the entire round. I was younger.
Templet0n says:

April 26, 2024 at 8:54 am

I have not played in too much really bad weather. Some really windy days, some really hot days, and some really cold days where I couldn’t get a tee in the ground. But even then I am not sure I think it was “that” bad.. oddly, really never in rain. Only a couple times in my life.
CBaker says:

April 26, 2024 at 8:56 am

I have played in some pretty bad winds. Remember one round we had a par 3 that was maybe 160, and I hit a club that would tend to go 230 and didn’t even reach the green. Needless to say that wasn’t the most enjoyable round I’ve ever played.
MrDC says:

April 26, 2024 at 8:59 am

Heavy rain, I can’t believe they even let us out, there were large puddles in the fairways, more like ponds actually, it was crazy but we travelled to get there so had to do it. My buddy played pretty well!
Mmaynard11 says:

April 26, 2024 at 9:02 am

[QUOTE=”JB, post: 12310122, member: 3″]
You think that weather was worse than the rounds we played at Dormie Club with Danny?
[/QUOTE]
You know when I saw I had a reply from you my mind went directly to Dormie. That is a tough call. Even though it rained and was cold it wasn’t unbearable. I think having the comfort station twice made it much easier to want to finish the round.
Wantacigar says:

April 26, 2024 at 9:05 am

an unexpected snow squall in March. Temp dropped to about 29* (39* at tee off) wind whipped up and is snowed heavily for about 10 minutes. Luckily I had yellow balls in the bag. Put a light coating on the grass that looked almost like morning frost. Sun came back out, warmed up to 40* by the back nine.
ryang13 says:

April 26, 2024 at 9:27 am

The worst for me has been high winds. I’ve had my pushcart blow over, my stand bag blow over, and played in winds high enough to have the flag poles bending over considerably. I don’t know why I do this to myself :ROFLMAO:
tequila4kapp says:

April 26, 2024 at 9:33 am

There was a round at Pacific Dunes where sideways hail was hitting us on the first tee. The hail/rain was heavy and never stopped. Temps had to be just above freezing, maybe mid 30s??? The wind was strong enough that it blew a stand bag over and the caddie had to run to retrieve it before it went over a cliff.
odom730 says:

April 26, 2024 at 9:41 am

Coldest is 30’s and damp.
Hottest is 100*+ and high humidity.
Both suck.

I try not to golf in the rain and have been lucky on the golf trips I’ve taken.
tdinbr says:

April 26, 2024 at 10:17 am

A few years ago while on vacation in Pensacola, I played with my uncle and cousins at the Air Force base course. It was the day after a small hurricane passed by off the coast, but it was the only chance we were going to have to play a round that week.

3-4 club wind and a stinging, sideways drizzle most of the day. First par 3 was 115 yards and I hit a 7 iron that ballooned straight up in the oncoming wind and dropped like a stone for a plugged lie about 90 yds. Highest 7 iron I’ve ever hit.
jefe35 says:

April 26, 2024 at 11:00 am

Mine has to be at Spyglass Hill about 15 years ago. Our 4-some consisted of 2 PGA teaching pros who were being comp’d with me and another friend paying the full fee. We have the 1st tee time of the morning at around 7:00 but it’s absolutely dumping sideways rain and about 45 degrees. They don’t make us tee off because it’s so ugly, but at about 8:00 they tell us the forecast says it’ll stop in 15 minutes so it’s now or never for us to go out (since 2 people weren’t paying the regular groups were going to take priority over us and the course was full that day). It’s still coming down really hard so we hit about 4 putts and headed to the first tee.

Unfortunately the forecast was wrong and it kept dumping the cold sideways rain until the 8th green. It was a battle for almost 2 hours to get stay as dry and warm as possible but it was a losing battle. However by the 10th hole the sun was out and the back nine was beautiful, but I really don’t remember anything about the front nine. Maybe someday I’ll get back out there to get the full experience.
mson says:

April 26, 2024 at 11:16 am

Had one round last year where weather forecast was ok, but we got caught in some heavy rain for maybe 4-5 holes in the middle. Had brought a rain jacket, but definitely bought some more rain gear after that round.
JW Smoove says:

April 26, 2024 at 11:22 am

I’m going to have to say, for the duration of time and the amount of golf played, it was the Mizuno Experience 2021. We were in Myrtle Beach/Pawleys Island for 3 Days of golf roughly 30+ holes a day on 2 courses. Every day by tee time it was over 100 degrees and the humidity was close to that number as well. It was a steambath.

Now, I live down here now, and last year played many rounds over or close to 100 and with hi humidity and walked most of them as well, but that was 18 holes. So I don’t really think about it.

I have played in cold hard – stinging rain – I hate to play in heavy rain, but it’s not memorable as the steambath that was the Mizuno Experience 2021.
Keith Prater says:

April 26, 2024 at 11:22 am

Southern Pines, Feb 11, 2024. Though I played well, I obviously wasn’t happy about the rain.

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Buckeyegolfnut says:

April 26, 2024 at 1:02 pm

Snow squalls. I’m not that gut hooked and loonie anymore.
Joshnoble01 says:

April 26, 2024 at 1:09 pm

Two stand out for me. Last year in March I hadn’t played in a couple months due to work and weather and signed up for a tourney. It was pouring rain and was in the 40’s. It was pretty brutal.

Last summer I played an afternoon round and it was around 110. I quit after 9 on that one.
GoldenBuff says:

April 26, 2024 at 1:16 pm

I’ve played in nasty weather. One round included snow, hail, rain, and wind gusts up to 50mph. Temps were in the high 30’s F. Suffice it to say, it was a a death slog. At least we didn’t get any lightning that day.
Mark_UK says:

April 26, 2024 at 1:35 pm

Pebble Beach January 16 2020. I think due to my choice language, we probably are still the only group to ever get a rain check from Pebble!
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cmon man says:

April 26, 2024 at 2:17 pm

Dubai summers on the most humid days. Officially 113 F (50C) but normally more like 120, 99% humidity and walking. Needed to have several glove as the sweat soaks them. Shoes fill with sweat and squeeze out to leave wet footprints. Sweat dripping profusely down your nose and onto your hands while putting. You really value staying on grass so you don”t add dust to the mix. Cold pint was much appreciated afterward.
Slowmo says:

April 26, 2024 at 2:28 pm

Remember about 26-27 years ago when there was a huge wildfire in Florida that had heavy smoke covering half the state? I was in FL for a 7 day 6 round golf vacation during that.
PhillyV says:

April 26, 2024 at 2:35 pm

It was 33° out, snow rain mix and in a big scramble with 6 man teams consisting of at least one pro. They sent us out with another 6some so we could keep each others score. SEVEN hours later we finished and I swore I would never play golf again
USAF Retired says:

April 26, 2024 at 2:53 pm

May 8, 2020 – 37° and 20-30 mph winds at Whistling Straits. Veterans rate of $193 and we could use a push cart vs a caddy, so couldn’t pass it up.

Only 1 other group played the course that day. We saw the starter and 1 worker when we walked off 18.

Great day [ATTACH type=”full”]9260928[/ATTACH]
Mark_UK says:

April 26, 2024 at 3:56 pm

[QUOTE=”USAF Retired, post: 12311060, member: 51894″]
May 8, 2020 – 37° and 20-30 mph winds at Whistling Straits. Veterans rate of $193 and we could use a push cart vs a caddy, so couldn’t pass it up.

Only 1 other group played the course that day. We saw the starter and 1 worker when we walked off 18.

Great day [ATTACH type=”full” alt=”Edit.jpeg”]9260928[/ATTACH]
[/QUOTE]
I’d take that weather in a heart beat to have a course like that to myself LOL.
USAF Retired says:

April 26, 2024 at 3:58 pm

[QUOTE=”Mark_UK, post: 12311188, member: 5144″]
I’d take that weather in a heart beat to have a course like that to myself LOL.
[/QUOTE]
It was pretty fun to not see anyone else all day
Trmpt98 says:

April 26, 2024 at 4:05 pm

Microburst tornado probably 15-20 years ago. We took shelter and finished and when we left the course we had downed trees blocking roads all over town. Knew a storm came through but didn’t realize it was that bad in the moment.
charley48 says:

April 26, 2024 at 4:24 pm

A few years ago we played with really strong wind gusts for this area. Speeds in the 30’s. On the 9th hole we were on the fairway waiting for the group ahead of us to finish the green. A huge branch from a big eucalyptus tree came crashing down about 30 yards from us. Hit with a thud so hard we felt the ground shake. At that point we questioned whether or not it was safe to keep playing. The trees at the course are very mature. And very big.
hackitup says:

April 26, 2024 at 4:48 pm

Low 30s with frozen ground, freezing rain, and wind was bad but not the worst. I think that honor goes to the 106+ heat index day. I think they underestimated. It was forecast to be 95ish with high humidity and almost no wind. I drank my body weight in water and that still wasn’t good enough. It was worse than getting into my car on a hot mid summer AZ afternoon.
GolfTravelDude says:

April 26, 2024 at 5:05 pm

Sideways rain in the remnants of a hurricane with 30 mph steady and gusts to 50 mph. Was in Ireland and you play no matter what
jhtr20 says:

April 27, 2024 at 6:55 am

Last weekend ranks right up there, 44*, wind and heavy steady rain from the drive to the course, nine holes and the drive home. Nothing was dry when I got home. My headcovers took 3 days to dry out totally.
dunkjez says:

April 27, 2024 at 7:28 am

I’ve had several extremes in my “career.” Low 30’s with a slight breeze, 110° in Phoenix, and winds so strong that my stand bag couldn’t stand. It certainly builds character because when I’m playing in a match with a fair weather golfer, I’m at a massive advantage because they’re struggling with dealing with a sprinkle.
Junkyard says:

April 27, 2024 at 10:04 am

I played 36 in Orlando years back and it was over 110 with the heat index. The pro shop begged me not to go out for the second round, but I had the course to myself.
leftybob says:

April 27, 2024 at 10:52 am

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area so bad weather wasn’t really a thing. In the east bay the worst was it would get to 101° or 102° peak afternoon summer.

Living in Las Vegas there was a lot more suffering. Summers regularly playing in +110°. Lots of wind. I know wolf creek is a bucket list course for a lot of people but I wasn’t impressed. The only time I played it was early spring and it was around 40° and 50 mph wind gusts and I was absolutely miserable the whole time.
InTheRough says:

April 28, 2024 at 4:35 pm

52 deg, drizzle and wind. I had to quit the round because I wore glasses and couldn’t see.
echico says:

April 29, 2024 at 10:35 am

Tie between when I played Royal County Down and by the 7th hole there were rooster tails on all putts. We had to pack it in. Then played after the earthquake in Japan in 2011 at Bandon. Tsunami warnings. That day was fine but a couple of days in we had wind and rain that we brutal. Knocked over stand bags in middle of fairway
txplaya says:

April 29, 2024 at 6:10 pm

Played Bethpage Black when it was super hot and humid. It was the same year they postponed the US tennis open due to heat. I had snot dripping down my nose and the chills despite all the fluids i drank. Gutted it out to finish below 90. Bethpage is a walking only course. People were getting carted in by maintenance. Someone supposedly died the day before. GerryWithAG was with me
jpgolf says:

April 29, 2024 at 6:20 pm

Playing in a scramble approx 12 to 14 years ago… in November. It was already cold-ish… maybe in the high 40*s… and then came the slow drizzle. Not enough to cause people to bail out… but, just enough to slowly get you and everything wet… and make that cold-ish temperature feel even colder! The last few holes were miserable. Hope to never be in that position again… because if I were I might have to drop out.
mrjackanick says:

May 4, 2024 at 10:22 am

I was 19 years old … playing at Firestone Country Club. Storms rolled in, then it got real quiet. Everyone was heading in from the course as quickly as possible. Sky turned greenish-gray. As we got back to the golf shop/cart staging area, we saw a funnel cloud touch down on 9 fairway, uprooting trees and demolishing the ground along the entire length of the fairway adjacent to the lake. Absolutely terrifying as we all watched in awe, the power of Mother Nature.
meloisa says:

May 4, 2024 at 2:22 pm

Worst weather, hands down was this past January. 3 rounds, three days at Bandon. The first two days was non-stop pounding rain. Day one the rain was accompanied by steady 30 mph wind with gusts up to 40-50 mph. Day two the wind gave us a break for the most part but the rain didn’t. Thought I was prepared with rain gear. I wasn’t. By the end of both of the first two rounds I had water literally flowing out from my neck through the bottom of my pants right into my shoes. Never wanted to not golf so much in my life. Our group gutted it out though. At the end of all of it there was a weird feeling of having earned a badge of honor. The shower and putting on dry clothes and shoes post round literally rivaled some of the best things I’ve experienced in my life.

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