Do You Enjoy Playing in High Winds?

[Roejye]

Enjoy, no, but I will tolerate it. Golf is a hobby for me, I'm not competing nor am I playing for money so I'm generally not going to go out and make myself miserable if I don't have to.

[farmer]

When I was young, I enjoyed playing in the wind.  As an old guy with no pop, no more.  Even as a young man there were times when I was working golf more than playing golf.  But, never ever did I enjoy wind, cold and wet.

[PedronNiall]

Been some miserable days out there recently that have sneaked in despite relative warmth overall. Swore on the last one I've had all the winter golf I'm going to deal with this year, but I can't deny that sticking it out led to one of the best sessions I've ever had and really helped me to hone some things I've been working to ingrain. In fact, the last three or four really windy days have been very helpful for my game.

 

That said, the conditions did nothing to make it enjoyable. Pretty sure my soul left my body for a minute or three out there every time.

[Nard_S]

Some of my personal favorite rounds been in high wind. Outer Cape Cod in crazy wind that moved the ball like 40 yards on approach shots. Home course hitting an extra 3 clubs in wind tunnel approach shots and then going ballistic long on downwind tee shots too. Greens were so fast. Bending ball on dog legs and taking off 40 yards to hole. When being forced to work shots, somehow, I do better overall and enjoy it out there more even if the scoring doesn't reflect it. Game is weird, supposed to be a bit unconscious and relaxed but intense strategizing can do that too. Windy conditions elevate that aspect and guess that's why I like it.

 

Played with a guy who raced yachts, he could read wind by clouds and you think, "follows clouds, right?" He's like "no it's 30 degrees off their movement". Really? He also said at tree line it's twice what you perceive. Since then, I rarely miss club, might not hit the flag but I'm hole high. So even mild breeze, I double the perceived factor. It really works. Even downwind that less club option goes better because you trust it more. Good time of year in my parts to explore all this and get the cobwebs shaken off.

[BIM_Monkey]

My home course is in the flatlands of Eastern England, where it is windy pretty much all the time, and at sea level.

 

The course is exposed and kind of a links style with very few trees. A typical day is a 15mph wind. 20mph is common and starts to get challenging. Most people who aren’t used to it really start to struggle at this point.

 

The odd day where it gets into the 30s mph is just silly and we just play for a laugh. I’ve taken guests out in a 30mph wind and they genuinely think it’s a 50/60mph gale. 
 

Flat calm conditions unnerved me 😂

[ChaosTheory]

On 3/14/2023 at 1:15 PM, Is Golf Fun or Work said:

It's not golf without wind

 

Not in Dallas anyway.  🙂

 

I've definitely gotten used to having a 2 club wind since I moved to DFW.  Doesn't bother me a bit except when it's combined with a cold temperature.  I kind of enjoy the extra strategy.

 

Hate hate hate downwind front pins, though.

[ChaosTheory]

On 3/17/2023 at 8:26 AM, animalgolfs said:

Oklahoman here:

 

range is set up N to S

 

If it's not blowing 20+ daily - something is wrong. 

 

Our course is probably one more windy course's you'll find.....it's surreal - even messes with my equilibrium 

 

Our range (in DFW) is set up S->N and that or your way is the way to go here.  95% of the time we are hitting straight down or straight into the wind.  My previous course's range was more E-W and that was really annoying.  The most common south wind was a slice wind, hated practicing in it.

[Is Golf Fun or Work]

31 minutes ago, Snowman9000 said:

 

Not in Dallas anyway.  🙂

 

I've definitely gotten used to having a 2 club wind since I moved to DFW.  Doesn't bother me a bit except when it's combined with a cold temperature.  I kind of enjoy the extra strategy.

 

Hate hate hate downwind front pins, though.

I'm originally from Chicago, it's a toss up between Chicago and DFW for windy golf.....

 

Yes, there is lots of adjustments to make in the DFW winter temps combined with wind...

 

Certainly keeps it interesting.

[TKS]

in tourney's - it knocks out half the field, I can hit the punch. 

[animalgolfs]

1 hour ago, Snowman9000 said:

 

Our range (in DFW) is set up S->N and that or your way is the way to go here.  95% of the time we are hitting straight down or straight into the wind.  My previous course's range was more E-W and that was really annoying.  The most common south wind was a slice wind, hated practicing in it.

Hit the range yesterday- 57* w/S 27mph wind steady, gusting higher. 28 min range session was enough for me😃

[ChaosTheory]

1 hour ago, Is Golf Fun or Work said:

I'm originally from Chicago, it's a toss up between Chicago and DFW for windy golf.....

 

 

 

that's interesting, I'm from the Chicago area too, and I think DFW is way windier.  The summers in Illinois averaged quite a bit lower winds in my experience.  Spring and fall were windy though.

[Is Golf Fun or Work]

1 hour ago, Snowman9000 said:

 

that's interesting, I'm from the Chicago area too, and I think DFW is way windier.  The summers in Illinois averaged quite a bit lower winds in my experience.  Spring and fall were windy though.

Generally, not a lot of wind here in DFW in the summer when it's most welcomed.

 

Being able to play year round, not having to go to sims or domes in the winter, is worth the challenge of wind/cold.

[NJpatbee]

Wind has never stopped me from playing but I would prefer calmer conditions. 

[8602081]

It's been pretty windy winter in Ohio..

 

I don't mind the wind, but not all the time..

 

I like the mix..

 

[jeff1727]

When it’s windy for Men’s League I tend to win more skins. I’ve become pretty proficient at flighting the ball low with every club in the bag so the wind doesn’t bother me as much as others.  Iowa is a pretty windy state. 

[platgof]

no

[I'_rather_be_golfing]

I avoid playing in winds higher then 20mph. I don't find playing in high winds enjoyable. 

[snuzzo29]

If I waited to play only on calm days I wouldn't play much. I like playing on calmer days but those can be few and far between at times here.

[RichieHunt]

No, I don't enjoy it.  Not only am I typically a poor player in windy conditions, but it dries you out and if ti gets really windy you end up feeling like you've been pushed around all day long.

 

 

 

 

 

RH

[8602081]

I wanted to badly to play today..

 

I went to Blue Ash Golf course today and discovered 25 mph gust .  I couldn't even stand still, because it was pushing me around..

Decided not to play.. can't be fun with the this much wind..

 

[Cwing]

I enjoy golf. I will play in nearly any condition. That stated, no winds, low humidity and mid 70’s to mid 80’s would be preferred.

[SamboRoll]

In general, playing a round in a high wind is usually an unpleasant struggle for me…but, some of the most memorable and satisfying shots I’ve hit in such conditions. Low stinger drive against the wind, three quarter punch shot with a mid iron from 150yds to the green, trying to fade it or draw it against a sidewind, or hitting a high bomb drive in to tailwind. In these moments you really feel that you are playing golf.

Edited March 25, 2023 by SamboRoll

[bakere]

Also in Ohio where it's been a windy winter. I don't know if I like playing in the wind more than calm but I tend to strike my irons better. Probably because I'm taking 1 or 2 clubs more and hitting 80% to bring down the flight and spin.

[Naptime]

I struggled in the wind today.  Shot 14 worse than last week on the same course.  I can only blame the wind for half of that mess.  😂

[Jim53]

I love playing in high winds, downwind I feel 20 years younger..the other way I am the screamer king out to 200 yds.

[Cscot143]

Nope, I hit it OB without the help of the strong winds 😂 

[Dan Drake]

Yes, because it is hilarious!  

 

Here's the thing, in "poor" conditions, the golfer with the best attitude is going to do the best relative to their skill level.  Atrocious weather is not a detriment, in fact nothing could be further from the truth.  It is a blessing, allowing you to completely distance yourself from our normal 1st tee thoughts of shooting our personal best score that day (admit it, you stand on the #1 tee of every single round thinking "today could be the day I go LOW" and then get all in your feels after you are 6 over through 5, only to settle down afterwards and play like you know how for the remainder of the round, LOL!!!) and embrace the idea of PLAYING golf.  Some low, some high, some good, lots bad, some nestle up to tap-in distance, and some get curving with the wind and appear to be going almost horizontally out of bounds as you just shake your head and mutter.  

 

Embrace it for what it is, an opportunity to sharpen another one of your skills out on the course.  And have fun with it, it is a game after all.  

[Wooley12]

 

[PJE]

Don’t like it because I wear contacts and it dries my eyes. 
Other than that, it’s cool on the downwind holes. 

[Long_Left]

On 3/14/2023 at 2:09 PM, smashdn said:

It and firm conditions separates golfers from the golf ball hitters.

36 hole tournament this weekend, Saturday at the softer slower course was pretty benign, maybe 15mph wind at worst and most of the day under 10. 

 

Sunday, at the firm and fast course, we played in a desert hurricane. Minimum 20, maximum 30-35 sustained and gusty. 10% of the field quit at the turn... balls oscillating on greens, all that fun stuff.

 

Finished in the money despite putting like a drunk donkey all weekend because most of the competition just couldn't come to grips with the conditions. 

 

I don't "enjoy" heavy wind, but it's a fact of life in the high desert southwest, so you can play, or you can quit...