Windy Conditions – Why I LOVE Playing Golf In The Wind

One of the great things I enjoy about golf is the fact that the playing conditions on the course can change at any moment due to the weather. Now some of you might be wondering why rain, wind, or extreme temperatures gets me excited on the golf course. Well the answer is simple: I like the challenge!

Beginner golfers have the exact opposite attitude, and rightfully so, as they are just learning the basics and would like nothing more than to simply make contact with the ball each time they swing. Rain and heavy winds are not going to improve their day, only cause them to quit.

On the other hand, more experienced golfers, like myself, look up and smile when stormy weather comes to join me on the golf course. One of my favorite challenging weather conditions is high winds, blowing everything around on the course.

Embrace The Challenge

The next time you are playing golf and heavy winds start to interrupt your game, do not get frustrated, instead, try to embrace the new playing conditions. It is inevitable that your score is going to be higher, so except that truth and welcome the challenge. Once you can understand this, heavy winds will not be as stressful as usual and having a positive mental attitude will make the game more interesting for you.

Expect The Worst

Expect the wind to do its best to challenge each and every shot you make. A good wind tends to shorten a well-hit drive and increase the length of an approach shot that was perfectly hit, sending it flying past the green.

Perfect shots will be reduced to slices or hooks. The wind will blow your ball in every direction but its intended target. Long holes become twice as long. Dozens of golf balls may be lost in the adventure after being forced by the wind into the rough, heavy wooded areas, and water hazards.

What You Resist, Persists!

If you have not heard the old saying “whatever you resist, persists”, it simply means that the more you try to fight something, the more it fights you back. This is a perfect way to describe playing golf during windy conditions. The best way to handle this strong adversary of mother nature is to use the wind to your advantage.

For example, let's say that you are getting ready to tee off and the wind is coming in strong from the left and blowing hard to the right. This is a perfect opportunity to see how well you can work with the weather by teeing off your shot far left then you would have normally.

The wind is obviously going to push the ball towards the right, so it will be interesting to find out how well you can judge the wind strength by making a far left shot, and getting as close to your target is possible.