Foul weather encouragement

[nikkthestikk]

A story of the passion of golf

I had the opportunity last week to witness what I can only describe to be a testament to the passion of golf.

I had a lesson scheduled for the day before Christmas Eve and the young man came in to the shop followed by his mother and father. He was on break from law school at Notre Dame and he was new to golf, knowing only that he wanted to do it well, and of course to beat his brother.

The catch on this 55 degree Oregon Coast day was that we had been offered a fresh combo platter of sustained 20 mile per hour wind with gusts to 30 mph. To top it off the big drops started to fall sideways and it would take two men to hold a windproof umbrella in place.

I don't know if it was cabin fever, or the law books getting the best of him, but when I threw out the optomistic "I'd go out no mater what the conditions" his face lit up like the christmas tree in the corner, and we were off for a playing lesson on the coastal headlands...

We started out hitting into a net beneath the trees and I found him a place to stand that was of course uncomfortably close to the ball with a good seated position with some hip tension to keep him in place. I had him hit the rubber tee a few times with his eyes closed, followed by a few balls with his eyes closed, and that was all of the convincing he needed.

We trotted to the first tee, I explained to him the importance of keeping his hands and grips dry, and pointed to the pocket on my bag that had 4 dry towels in it. The first 5 holes go straight out into the jaws of the wind so there was no need for a sportsdrink today. I was sucking water off of my face by the second hole and the kid was some how taking on water at an accelerated pace. By the second hole he pointed out that his pant pockets were full and that he might need a towel for his cell phone. I assured him the course was no place for cell phones and that it would be better off at this point if we buried it at sea.

All the while, his attention was directed at me and he was going to work on everthing that I was giving him with great results. We took brief moments leaning behind the 68" umbrella together with our 4 damp towels expalining ettiquette and answering his questions, but there was no hiding the fact that we were up against something bigger than both of us. The shelter was pulled down and we trudged on leaning into the wind and rain and making shots count..

We rounded the corner and caught a glimps of a group two holes ahead which proved to him that we were not alone in our quest, or that there was a prolific drug trade in our small coastal comunity. Finally the rain got to soak the other side of us, and we both found new life in the fact that the shots straightened, and would go forever if you made solid contact. I flew a 3 wood to 10 feet an the 270 par 4 7th and our resolve was strengthened to think we could work magic with some help from the elements. The water poured down our necks and still the umbrella time was positive and productive. On 8 I relinquished a 5 wood to him after holding him to irons for a lesson in conservative survival on the previous 7, and he put it all together. He found his stance took the club back slow and launched the 5 wood to 15 feet from 245. Two putts later and the kid looked warm as toast having made his first birdie ever.

We floated up 9 with a pair of pars's on a 170 par 3 and we both took a same-time looked at eachother as if to suggest that we should keep playing. After the round we reviewed the finer points while standing out in the open, relishing the weather that had at some point traded sides and become our playing partner. While we reviewed his parents looked at us from inside the warm shop like we were on some distant planet.

These shared moments that took two strangers on a trip that stopped time, was put together with a single positive statement that will no doubt be echoed in this new golfers bag of reasons not stay home.

"I'd go out no matter what the conditions"

Call it fools gold, but there is something to getting up and laughing at what you can do, when the others lay down and don't...

Merry Christmas

[pitbull808]

Great story! I really enjoyed the read and thanks for sharing it! :)

[stickman]

WOW, great story ah the passion of golf !

[hentrader]

First time I went to play in Scotland, my playing partner and I ran into every single weather thrown at us (except for snow but close). Scotland has the funkiest weather at any given time.

 

My playing partner and I were played Loch Lomond Golf club outside Glasgow in early May in 2003. The tepmerature was in the low to mid 50's Fahrenheit. For the first 3 holes holes, we played in a slight drizzle (not bad but wasn't used to playing golf in a rain suit). The next two holes, the sun came out and we shed our rain gear. But on our walk from the green to the next tee, it started to pour (I mean bucket loads) and the wind kicked up. We played in gale force winds with the rain blowing into us for the next four holes.

 

The back nine is where things got interesting. The sun peaked out for us to hit our drives and it got really, really wet with more rain for the next shot, then the sun came out again. This happened for the 3 holes. (Needless to say I got a great work out putting on my rain suit and then taking it off every shot). We got a reprieve for the 13th hole (a long downhill par five). The sun cam out and it actually got warm for good 15 minutes. But in middle the next hole, the sky opened up and pelted us with a hail storm for 10 minutes. By the time we got to the next hole, the entire 15th hole was covered with hail, size of large BB's. (The other guys in my group even lined upped their putts on hail covered greens). :cheesy:

 

On the 16th hole (short par five) was pretty much uneventful considering the weather we've had earlier, just overcast. When my group walked onto the 17th tee across the road from the 16th green, the sun was shining and I took my rain suit off again. But when I looked back at the group following us ( about 200-250 yards back on the 16th fairway), they were in a middle of a downpour. The rain was chucking down. Lucky for us the weather held out for the last couple of holes. :)

 

Scotland has the funkiest weather and now on my annual trips back, I feel cheated if the weather doesn't turn on a dime on any given day.

[Sam-Tee-Time]

Great story!

 

:)

 

I'm not that hardy of a golfer, but when I was a Racing Cyclist (USCF road racing), I was pretty die-hard. I had some of my best races and training rides in the most miserable rainy, cold and wet conditions. My cycling "Hero" was Johan Museeuw, who was a REALLY tough Belgian racer, who battled all kinds of adversity, injuries, and severe weather conditions to win some of the largest cycling races on the planet.

 

When it was cold and wet - I used to picture myself storming down the wet cobbles roads of Belgium, riding to a race victory, just like my hero Johan. I"m not that determined as a golfer, but I sometimes think of the time Tiger Woods won a tournament (Bay Hill?) in the RAIN, Wet, and damp weather, while he was stricken with Food Poisoning, throwing up between holes. He battled all those conditions, and his competitors - and still won. What motivation and inspiration this is!

 

Again -thanks for the story, this will help me through those cold wet winter months!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Museeuw

 

[golfernut78]

Great story!

 

:)

 

I'm not that hardy of a golfer, but when I was a Racing Cyclist (USCF road racing), I was pretty die-hard. I had some of my best races and training rides in the most miserable rainy, cold and wet conditions. My cycling "Hero" was Johan Museeuw, who was a REALLY tough Belgian racer, who battled all kinds of adversity, injuries, and severe weather conditions to win some of the largest cycling races on the planet.

 

When it was cold and wet - I used to picture myself storming down the wet cobbles roads of Belgium, riding to a race victory, just like my hero Johan. I"m not that determined as a golfer, but I sometimes think of the time Tiger Woods won a tournament (Bay Hill?) in the RAIN, Wet, and damp weather, while he was stricken with Food Poisoning, throwing up between holes. He battled all those conditions, and his competitors - and still won. What motivation and inspiration this is!

 

Again -thanks for the story, this will help me through those cold wet winter months!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Museeuw

 

 

i like cycling in the rain, but wet cobble stones with 700x21 tires is not my idea of fun. i prefer the 26x2.1 in the cold wet weather. you've got to admire anyone who does paris-roubaix

[MrParr1Noid]

This whole thread so far is a great read, to me, these ideas' and concepts are what makes man, and golf what it is. Man loves a challenge, golf is all about challenge, throw some inclement weather in the mix, and there you have the total golf package. :)

 

Keep these types of threads and posts flowing. :cheesy:

[AUDuffer]

After reading that story I want to go play golf right now!!!

[golf9596]

If you have a passion for the game, anytime, anywhere, any weather, IT'S GAME TIME.......

[Doug]

Passion it is.....

 

Super story