Today is supposed to be my day to Marshal, but I called in to say I wasn't coming in because it is really coming down out there. I know James that in the UK rain is part of the game, but here in California it is an event. It seems as though all activity stops in order to admire the wet stuff coming out of the sky. Where is this coming from. We should go to the Temple Of The Tiger and give thanks. What can I say. Rain is very important for us here in this part of California and people do play golf in it. I'm just not going to ride around in a cart and marshal today. I would be alone in my thoughts, literally as there would be very few golfers on the course. I'm not that crazy, although my wife wouldn't testify to that.
I don't mind playing in the rain. I have many times before and have played many tournaments in the wet stuff. You just have to be prepared for it. You bring extra towels,cover your clubs, keep your grips and hands dry, bring a couple of extra gloves, and make sure that your umbrella doesn't have a hole in it. You can survive this wet stuff. In fact, I have played some fun rounds in the rain.
I remember the year that our club had a "Hair On The Dog" tournament one New Year's Day. I think I was the only sober guy there and I wasn't suffering from a hangover from the night before's celebrations and parties. Some of the guys hadn't even been to bed yet. To make matters worse, it was raining heavily. One brave soul went up to the pro to see if he was canceling the tournament. "Hell no!" was the emphatic answer from the pro. The pro said in no uncertain terms that if we were in Scotland we would be playing. This was what golf was supposed to be like and we were just spoiled Californians.
It really wasn't raining that hard when we teed off--yet. About the fourth hole, the rain started to pick up just a bit. The temperature began to drop as well. As the wind began to blow just a bit harder it became obvious to us intrepid golfers that we were no longer playing in a gentle California squall, but a full blown hurricane. Well, maybe not a hurricane as we very rarely get hurricanes in California but it did get very gold, wet and windy. We soldiered on.
When we finally made it to the final hole, we noticed that the course seemed rather lonely. Of the fifty golfers who started the tournament, there was only my foursome and another that completed the tournament. For our efforts, we were rewarded with the first place prize and a free pint of beer. All eight of us looked like drowned rats and were frozen to the bone. I think my toes are still defrosting after fifteen years and I know that I still have that glove that I used in the tournament. It has shrunk about four sizes and I don't even think my young grandson can get it on his hand.
One last thing I want to ask you about with regards to playing in the rain. Maybe you can explain this to me. I was watching TV this morning and a commercial came on with William DeVane talking for Roslind Capital about buying silver. He is on the golf course and it is raining cats and dogs, yet he is not getting wet. His golf cart is dry, but it is really coming down around him. His shirt is dry as is the golf cart. He pulls out an umbrella and it is not getting wet. How did he do that? The sun is even shinning behind him, but it is coming down in buckets and he is dry as a bone. Hmmmmm.....
Have fun playing in the rain.
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| Sorry, I don't have any pictures of playing in the rain. Enjoy this rainy day picture as its one of the few I have. |
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