Golf isn't always sunny in Philadelphia

Springtime isn’t all flowers and bunnies, especially for golfers in the Philadelphia area. Springtime for a golfer can also be about weather inconsistency. One day it is a balmy 80 degrees with plenty of sun, and the next day it can be cold, cloudy and breaking 50 degrees if you’re lucky. In spring, the golfer reserves a tee time with their fingers crossed that the round will actually happen.

Sure, rainy weather can come in the summer, but spring also involves cold temperatures which present unique problems to the average golfer. I live by the “50 Degree Rule” which I created. Basically, if it is below 50 degrees for the round, I’m not playing. I could layer up and abuse myself in the cold, but for me it isn’t worth it. I know some of you love cold weather golf. I’ve seen you psychopaths out there in 30 degree weather in the middle of December. Take pride in your tenacity and toughness, but you’re nuts.

The only exception to the 50 Degree Rule is if I visit Scotland, where golf began. I’m not even sure there is a summer out there, it always seems cloudy, windy and full of mist. Even with Scotland’s consistently blah weather, I’d like to think most Scots would opt for a firelit pub with some Macallan 81 Year instead of splashing about on the links on a cold day.

This week, the golf gods did not favor my foursome, and we played a round on the cusp of 50 degrees with a light mist. It wasn’t bad enough for the course to close or my group to bail. Due to a heavy rain the night before, we were told the three worst words in golf: “Cart Path Only.” There was a time when I would only walk a golf course out of physical pride and cheapness. Now I am almost always carting an 18 hole round. Essentially, you are walking the course when it is “Cart Path Only.” If the path is on the left side of the fairway, I will inevitably slice it way right and vice versa. Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand why courses impose the Cart Path Only rule, and I don’t fault the superintendent for protecting course quality, but I can still hate every second of it.

With the cold weather comes cold golf shafts that can provide a nice little sting if you hit the ball the wrong way, which is inevitable for most hackers. Also inevitable is a bunker or two. I’m fairly certain there are a bunch of Youtube videos to teach me how to hit out of wet bunkers in 50 degree weather, but I have neither the time nor the inclination to forget everything those videos would teach me.  

Our round was not totally grey and cold, the weather app had pictures of clouds and sun in the afternoon to tease us. We had hopes of the sun peeking through the clouds and dressed in the appropriate layers. Like a child playing with a light switch, the sun would come in and out for about an hour, and with that, layers would come on and off like a confused stripper with a hoodie.  

As with most things in golf, the hardest part of playing in poor weather is the mental game. If you are playing poorly, the round can become a Bataan Death March where you count down the holes until you get to the clubhouse and out of the gloom. On the other hand, a good round in difficult weather can boost your golf confidence. If you can break 100 when the weather is crappy, imagine what you can do when it’s bright and sunny! Maybe break 100 again!