It's Not Rain, It's Liquid Sunshine

     What do you do if it rains?  How about if it looks like it is going to rain but isn't raining yet? What about if you are going to go out of town and the forecast is for rain, but it isn't raining?  What do you do? Are you going to play golf?  Go for it!
     I must admit that I am getting older and my thoughts about this have changed and are becoming a bit more conservative.  I will not play in a tornado or a hurricane.  If it is super cold and it looks like snow, no way. I draw the line at wind, hard rain and cold. I will play though if it is raining, provided it is a light rain and not too windy. It just depends.
    Where I am playing also has a role in the decision.  If I am playing at my local club and I know that I will be back and it is raining like cats and dogs, forget it.  However, if I am playing Spanish Bay in Monterey I am going to finish the round no matter how miserable the conditions.  In fact, I have finished a round there in a driving rainstorm.  It took me a week to defrost and to dry up, but it was well worth the trouble. Have you ever been to Monterey to play golf?  If you have, you know what I mean and the suspension of sanity to finish the round.

The day at Bayonet. Forecast called for heavy rain. We took a chance.

     I am pretty good at watching what the weather will do.  Most of the time I am fairly accurate, but I have been fooled. Many times I have played on a day where my companions have bailed out on me because of the weather forecast.  The day turned out quite nice and the weather turned from wicked to delightful. This has happened many times, the weather going from bad to good. It has also happened the other way as well and what looked like a day where the rain will hold off turns into a torrential rain . You just have to know the signs. If you can get it in, do it!
     Recently, I was invited to play Bayonet Golf course in Monterey with two friends. Of course, rain was in the forecast and of of the two friends bowed out because of the forecast and the fact that it was raining where we live.  Yes, it was iffy to go over and take the three hour drive to go over and play.  We went over and it did rain on us on the way over.  I did check the weather map and it showed clearing in the Monterey area.  It was cloudy most of the day, but the sun did poke out and the clouds broke with the sun shining for most of the rain.  It was chilly, but pleasant and we got the round in. We had a ball.  So much for chickening out. The course was in fantastic shape and we enjoyed the trip.
     The game was invented in Scotland.  I will leave this thought today with a story that actually happened to a friend of mine.  He was on vacation in Scotland and wanted to play golf at St. Andrews Old Course, and was fortunate to get on and hired a caddy to get him around the course. The weather was threatening when they teed off and it rained for most of the round. When my friend expressed his doubts about the round and how it may be rained out his caddy responded by saying, "Aye, Laddie.  "Tis a wonderful day to play golf.  This is the way the game is meant to be played."