Golf in the Rain: What to Wear and What to Pack

In the desert Southwest, rain on the golf course is rare, but when it comes, during the summer monsoon or a winter storm, it can arrive quickly and hard. Elsewhere, a wet round is simply part of the game. Either way, the right gear makes the difference between a round you enjoy and one you abandon after six holes. This guide covers what to wear, what to carry, what the rules allow, and how rain changes the way a course plays.

Stay Dry: Jacket and Trousers

A good set of waterproofs is the foundation of rain golf.

• Waterproof, not just water-resistant: water-resistant fabrics shed a light shower but soak through in steady rain. For real rain, look for garments sold as fully waterproof, with sealed seams.
• Freedom to swing: golf-specific rain jackets are cut for a full rotation, often with stretch panels across the back and shoulders. Some golfers prefer short-sleeved or sleeveless rain tops, which keep the arms free.
• Quiet and light: a rustling jacket is distracting at the top of the backswing, and a heavy one is tiring to carry on dry holes. Many golfers keep a lightweight set that packs into the bag.
• Trousers you can put on over shoes: ankle zips make it much easier to pull waterproof trousers on and off without taking your shoes off.

Keep Gripping: Gloves, Grips and Towels

Wet hands and wet grips are the biggest threat to your game in the rain.

• Rain gloves: rain gloves are made from materials designed to grip better when they are wet, the opposite of a standard leather glove. Many are sold in pairs, to be worn on both hands.
• Grips: some golfers prefer corded grips, which have fibers woven into the rubber for traction in wet or hot conditions.
• Several towels: carry at least two, and keep one dry under your umbrella or inside the bag for drying the grips and your hands before each shot.

Umbrella and Bag

• A golf umbrella: golf umbrellas are larger than everyday ones, and many have a vented or double canopy that lets gusts pass through rather than turning it inside out. A clip or holder on the bag or cart keeps your hands free. Never use one when there is lightning around; see Lightning and Golf.
• A rain hood or bag cover: a hood over the top of the bag keeps rain off the grips, and a waterproof bag keeps the rest of your gear dry.
• Waterproof shoes: wet grass soaks ordinary shoes within a few holes. Shoes sold as waterproof, with spikes or a deep tread, keep your feet dry and your footing secure on slippery slopes.
• A spare glove and dry socks: small things that feel like luxuries on the back nine.

What the Rules of Golf Say About Rain

• Puddles are free relief: a puddle you can see, before or after you take your stance, counts as temporary water, and Rule 16.1 gives you free relief from it, including on the green and in bunkers.
• A plugged ball: if your ball is embedded in its own pitch mark in the general area, Rule 16.3 gives you free relief.
• Umbrellas: you may hold your own umbrella while you make a stroke, for example a short putt, but under Rule 10.2b(5) no one else may hold one over you while you play.
• Lift, clean and place: in very wet conditions, the course may adopt a Local Rule known as "preferred lies", which lets you lift, clean and replace your ball in specified areas, usually closely mown ones. It applies only when the course says so.

How Rain Changes the Course

Rain affects more than your comfort:

• Less roll: soft, wet fairways stop the ball close to where it lands, so the course plays longer. Allow for more carry and less run.
• Slower greens: wet greens are slower and putts break less.
• Cooler air: rain usually brings cooler temperatures, and cool, dense air shortens your carry a little. Our altitude distance calculator shows how temperature and elevation change your distances.
• Cart-path-only days: after heavy rain, many courses keep carts on the paths to protect the turf, which means more walking.

Plan Around the Rain

The easiest rain round is the one you plan around. Each tee time's playability score on our course pages accounts for the chance and amount of rain during your round and for how wet the ground is likely to be after recent rain, so you can see at a glance whether to book, pack the waterproofs or wait for a better day. Find your course on our Arizona and Nevada golf course pages.

Sources: Rules of Golf, Rule 10 and Rule 16; Model Local Rule E-3 (preferred lies).

Photo: rain and track over Eastbourne Downs golf club, by DS Pugh, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized from the original.