“MUDDY” GOLF CAN STILL BE FUN GOLF!

After a long winter in Minnesota, it’s exciting to get the golf courses open and seeing golfer’s outside again. However, with all those nice things, comes the realization that the courses are going to be wet and muddy for awhile. Knowing how to make adjustments for these conditions can make your round just as enjoyable as a dry, sunny day in July. Here’s how:

ON THE TEE BOX

Look for a dry area to tee your ball up (remembering the rule that you can tee the ball up between the tee markers and can go back up to two club-lengths). Finding a spot which will keep your feet from slipping is vital.

TEE SHOT SWING

If you couldn’t find a dry spot on the tee box and are standing in a bit of water, realize that you may have to drop down on the energy/speed of your swing. Better to keep your balance and lose a few yards than to slip in your downswing than lose a few $5 golf balls!

ON THE FAIRWAY (or in the rough)

If your tee shot landed in the fairway, congrats… BUT, if your ball is in some visible water (no matter how deep) or you’ll have to stand in some water, know the “casual water” rule which allows you a free drop out of that condition. If it’s just a bit muddy, and you have a full swing iron shot to the green, play the ball in the MIDDLE of your stance so that the clubhead will be at its shallowest point at impact to reduce the amount of ground/mud you might strike before impact.

ON THE PUTTING GREEN

Realize that if the course just opened, it may be too wet for the grounds crew to get the green mowers out yet. The moisture in the green from the melting snow will make the greens SLOWER than a dry day in the summer; make sure you adjust for this with a longer backswing than normal.

Enjoy the challenges of adjusting to changing conditions… it’s simply part of the learning process!