Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-13
PLAY GOLF IN WET WEATHER
what o Country Club Enthusiast
Found Out During the
Deluge.

IT always thought that all this talk about
playing golf In all weathers was largely ex-
aggerated poppycock,' said a prominent
Country club golfer one day last week,
but I am a convert now to the proposition
and I stand willing to believe that the east
ern cranks take especial pains to play In
rainy weather and even in the snow. Why,
it's great sport, and there are many days
In which you feel In Just such q mood that
golfng in a driving rain is far superior to
playing the game on a balmy day.
TITS this fierce spell of rain we Ia had
that has brought about my change Of heart,
Forty days Of Pluvius' uninterrupted reign
(no pun) has simply made It a case Of play
in the rain or don't play at all, and / didn't
care to abandon the game entirely. Last
year / never thought Of getting out in a
shower to play golf, and, to tell the truth,
l never had much chance to. But what a
difference this season. All the rain seemed
to come along at the beginning Of the golf
ing period, Just when everyone was anxious
to get onto his game again. Along In the
latter days of May the clubs opened with
due eclat, and then the rains commenced
early In June. After Just about having an
opportunity to learn the course again, we
found ourselves cut out by wetness.
II stood 1t for the first two weeks or so
and contented myself with bowling and
billiards, playing golf by snatches here and
there between showers. Then It was borne
In upon me that I was not only losing time,
but was also losing my game. There were
q few at the club, whom the rest Of us
called 'nutty,' who had been playing every
day, wet or dry. They were getting good,
too, and when I looked over the list Of
tournaments and matches scheduled for the
summer 1t made me Jealous to note the
swell trophies offered, for which these busy
people were getting the lead.
1.-THE beginning OF the season, too, Is Just
the time when a man really wishes to put
in his hardest licks. Three hours a day
then is worth half a day later, for It is, Of
course, the period of formation and steady
ing down, and habits acquired then are last
ing and important. So l finally deserted
the crowd that loafed indoors and went out
In a rain storm in the second week in June
to soak myself.
"It was a little sloppy, but It was golf,
and all the things that have been said about
the discomforts Of a wetting are not true,
as l found. OF course, I would not advise
q mar to go out in a business suit and play
In the rain, for that would be disastrous.
However, II is no more trouble to change
from wet clothes to dry than from dry to
dry, and I believe II does a man good to get
his head wet now and then, anyway.
And 1t doesn't hurt your playing things
at ell. Your clothes are some rough
stuff, anyway, iannels or homespun, with
any loose shirt, and people do not expsct
golfers to wear creased trousers, so you
might as we'll have them dry out overnight
as stay dry all the time. ANY Old hat
will be all the better for . soaking, and
II you are a real nend you don't wear a
h~eadpiece, anyway. AS far as clubs are
concerned. all those must be wiped and
cleaned after a days play in any weather,
and having them rel makes this easier.
G~uttapereha balls are not to be injured
by water, unless they are old and get
logged, and then you don't want them any
more. Meanwhile the course, II well
clipped, affords nicer playing on a wet
day than any other. for 1t is crisp and
springy. The prongs on our shoes
prevent you from slipping. no matter
how muddy 1t is, and a good, firm turf Is
not to be damaged greatly by q few foot
falls. Maybe you cannot play as good
Q game in the rain. but you can certainly
try a whole lot harder than on a favorable
day, and that means improvement.
"of course. one might say that all golf
ers are not working to be stars at this
sport. They are in It for pleasure and
healthful exercise merely. But even though
for such a player the element Of improve.
ment would be eliminated from the advan.
tages to be secured by playing in incie.
! ment weather there are still good reasons
! remaining why he should brave the tenn
: pest. / believe any one Of a moderately
rugged constitution will get far more
physical benefit from pounding over a few
miles In the rain, keeping comfortably
warm by his exercise. and then running
, in to q shower bath and change of clothes
than from doing the same thing in fail
weather. And on the whole Il Is NOR
fun. for there's nothing like q little strife
I even though II be merely battling Will
the elements, to stir q man up and max
him feel hne when he is doing 1t and afte
y It's done"
: These sentiments Just about explain VIII.
> some people have been doing what other
: sitting in a eozy library at home cal
: making fools Of themselves" at the gol
. courses the past few rainy weeks. Fo
: a uhlIa the roufinuad rain alnnnuf aNonna