Am I missing out on great golf/experiences due to weather concerns?

[vandyland]

Perhaps a rambling and odd post coming here but as I was watching Troon eject world-class players right and left on Saturday I thought to myself "This is fun to watch but I would HATE to play in that." And that is kind of my fear/pause with most Scottish/Irish golf and even to some extent Bandon Dunes. The weather just seems so unpredictable and while I don't have to play in a dome (I play in anything ranging from 38 degrees to 100 degrees and light rain as well) there is something scary about having that kind of weather throughout a trip. You plan a trip like this a year(s) in advance and then get there and get pounded by rain and wind. Or maybe you get perfect weather. Who knows. That can happen on any golf trip but seems most prevalent on these links-y courses. So what do you all say, is this truly the pinnacle of golf and I can't call myself a golf enthusiast without at least trying it? 

[NM01]

You have to know and understand that it comes with the territory. Bring the proper clothes and gear.

We took a work trip to Myrtle many years ago. We got there and it was cold, rainy for the first 3 days, none of us were expecting it. We went shopping got some hats, hand warmers, some bought long johns, but we sucked it up, played 18 holes thur, 36 Fri and sat(second 18 the weather started to break) and 18 on Sunday. We had a great time and nobody complained about the weather or the trip being ruined or considered not playin 

[cksurfdude]

Yeah I prefer fair conditions, but... It's an outdoor sport and the weather does what -it- wants!

[Shankopotomous]

On a trip I think you have to rise to the challenge the weather can pose.  The great Scottish courses are designed understanding how the wind and rain help defend the course so it becomes part of the puzzle to be solved to achieve par.  You can see by the tournament scores over the years how much under par the courses play on calm days / weeks during the Open.  

We have been doing a fall golf trip to Ocean City, MD for 25 years and the memorable rounds are the bad weather rounds.  One year we arrived the day after a hurricane had brushed the coast and the wind was still very strong in the days following.  Strong enough that there were whitecaps in the hotel pool!  We still stand on tees talking about hitting a 3w on a 140 yard par 3 into the wind, or aiming driver 40 yards into the bay so the wind would bring the ball back to the fairway while getting hit with spray from waves hitting the rocks on the tee on the jetty, or hitting driver, 3w, 7i on the par 4 9th & 18th holes.  Sure scores were awful but when you pulled off a shot or scored well on a hole or two it was a ton of fun.

edit to add.....  I wouldn't want to do it every week but playing in tough weather occasionally is fine with me.

Edited July 29 by Shapotomous

[vandyland]

I should clarify, it is really high winds that bother me the most. I walk in the rain and down to about 40 degrees F and will walk in up to about 100 degrees F but one thing that we don't get in TN is winds over 20 mph very often. Seeing 40 mph winds gives me the willies. 

[NM01]

11 minutes ago, vandyland said:

I should clarify, it is really high winds that bother me the most. I walk in the rain and down to about 40 degrees F and will walk in up to about 100 degrees F but one thing that we don't get in TN is winds over 20 mph very often. Seeing 40 mph winds gives me the willies. 

Have to learn to flight the ball

[JFish350]

Short answer is, Yes you are missing out. I haven't been to to Scotland/Ireland but I have been to Bandon. I've been 3 times in November and got lucky with weather, Shorts and short sleeves or just a rain jacket with Misty windy weather but not the brutal wind & rain. I have friends that have gone and had weather similar to Sat of the British open. They still played and took video/pictures. That said I play in shorts when it's 45+ and depending on if it's windy or rainy if I wear rain pants. 

Bandon is about the experience. They cater to the golfer and everything is golf while on property. 

 

It's a roll of the dice as with any type of vacation.