I must preface this by acknowledging that this is a first world problem or a golfer problem. This is not a real problem in the least.
Today, I am scheduled to play at one of the more difficult private clubs in the Twin Cities for this guy to access. I have been there a couple of times and while there is certainly significant money there, it isn’t snobby or snooty. It is just a place where I don’t really know any members and a place that isn’t exactly the normal place for a guy from Willmar to hangout.
The golf course is great. The place has great history. The whole deal.
The bad news? There is pretty much a 100 percent chance of rain. While I don’t always believe the forecast and I think that they tend to exaggerate the chance of rain, when they are in the 90- to 100-percent chance range, they are pretty darn confident.
Will I play? Probably.
I’m tougher than I used to be when it comes to bad weather, but I’m still not exactly a murder. I don’t love the idea of four hours under an umbrella and usually avoid it. It is probably part of the reason why I haven’t gone to Bandon — I don’t love the idea of playing with rain coming down sideways.
I have rain gear. I have rain gloves (a must for wet weather). I have some layers since it is going be in the mid-50s. I’m simply hoping for sporadic light rain. My fear is steady, pretty hard rain with bursts of really hard rain.
But when you have limited opportunities to play somewhere really good, you take them.
My round two years ago at Bethpage Black was in the rain from the first tee to the 18th green. I played Interlachen in snow flurries. I will suck it up today.
I’m just hoping that if it does rain — and the weather forecast is accurate — that it is of the light-green-on-the-radar variety and the yellows and reds stay away.