In 2010 I made a deal with my husband that I would take golf lessons for one month. If I liked it, great! I would buy clubs and take up the sport at a leisurely pace. If I hated it, he would have to leave me alone and never say another word about it. Well, as it turned out, I was halfway decent and with a little coaching and practice, I would probably break 100.
Going to the driving range was a blast. It was covered and in a heated facility. I didn’t have to be wet, or cold, and I didn’t have to walk anywhere. I didn’t even think about what I needed to wear. Fast-forward to Super Bowl Sunday, 2011: My first day of “winter” golf. It was to become the worst day of golf that I have ever had.
The Pacific Northwest is notorious for its copious amounts of rain and overcast winter weather. Having said that, it does not stop people from golfing in the winter because the golf courses in the PNW are open all year around. This is precisely why I found myself golfing on Super bowl Sunday. When I got dressed that morning, I thought I was being sensible for the rainy weather. I dressed in layers, wearing my Patagonia capilene, a Helly Hansen waterproof softshell, regular khaki pants, wool socks and leather tennis shoes. However, by hole number 3, I was starting to get concerned.
It wasn’t long before my softshell was no longer repelling the rain and my shoes were starting to take on water. By hole 9, I was MISERABLE and screaming at my husband. I was having a hard time focusing and my swing was suffering. I was starting to get cold, my jacket was starting to stick to me, and my glove was wet. By hole 14, my pants were soaked up to my knees, my jacket was saturated, my shoes and socks were so soggy that I could barely walk, and I might as well have just thrown my leather glove away. I think I even started crying and may have attempted to murder my husband with my golf club. I won’t reveal what I shot by the time the day was over. I had a total meltdown and vowed never to be that wet and miserable on the golf course ever again.
After that disaster, I learned to be proactive. Now I make sure to wash my softshell in Tech Wash frequently. I treat it with Softshell proof when it starts showing the smallest sign of wetting out. I purchased a sweet pair of saddle style golf shoes from Adidas and religiously clean them with Footwear Cleaning Gel and treat them with Waterproofing Wax for Leather. I have also treated my leather golf gloves with Waterproofing Wax for Leather and my fabric and leather gloves I treat with Glove Proof. My husband also has gotten into the habit of making sure all of his gear is cleaned and waterproofed, especially his shoes.
I haven’t been that wet and miserable since. I can happily say that I have not attempted to throw my clubs at my husband, or anyone else. I also have yet to break 100, which now I cannot blame on being wet and miserable.