Umbrellas & Wind

[dmoore1998]

Normally I'm rolling with a cart, but I notice that during league rounds where it's raining (and particularly when it's raining and windy) that my umbrella basically becomes a giant sail on my cart when I'm throwing and tends to tip it over too often. I'm also very tall, so having it attached to the cart doesn't help me much anyways, which means I've started going backpack in the rain and reducing to some rain-friendly discs. So 2 questions:

1. Best wind-resistant umbrella folks have found?

2. How do folks with a bag keep their umbrella from blowing away when they have to put it down to throw when it is windy? Walking around and handing it off to someone else who is already holding an umbrella seems inconvenient. I've thought of just putting a clip on the bottom strap of my umbrella and clipping it into my bag...but figured folks here have some better ideas.

 

[ru4por]

Umbrellas are for sun, in most cases. If it is windy, no umbrella is going to be effective or functional. Solid, breathable, lightweight rain gear, that has features to allow for athletic movement. (pit vents, draw string waist, velco wrists...) That said, most of the summer, heat makes rain gear pointless, as well. Often, if warm, you end up as wet with sweat, as you would with rain.

If it is warm and really raining, lots of towels (kept in zip locks) and a Friction Glove. Embrace the suck and focus on being the best rain player in the field. Smart golf, safe play and take your time.

https://www.frictiongloves.com/store/p28/Friction_Disc_Golf_Gloves.html

 

[notapro]

I make sure the convex side of the umbrella is facing the wind when I put it down over the bag, so it doesn't blow away. If it's super windy, I'll have it actually touching the bag to absorb some of the force.

Never had it be windy enough where that doesn't work!

 

[Nick Pacific]

Here is a great tip I figured out that I've yet to see anyone else use. During morning rounds when the ground is wet with dew and/or it is super windy, simply place umbrella on ground upside down and set bag on top of it. This will keep your umbrella from blowing away and will keep your bag dry in the wet grass.

This will also will keep ticks and poison ivy/oak from getting on your bag before you sling it back on your back. A lot of people pick ticks up this way because they like to jump on your bag when you put it down (another reason why carts are great).

Also will keep you from getting that soaked back/butt thing I see when people set their bag down in wet grass/morning dew and then sling it back on their back.

 

[Nick Pacific]

Umbrellas are for sun, in most cases. If it is windy, no umbrella is going to be effective or functional. Solid, breathable, lightweight rain gear, that has features to allow for athletic movement. (pit vents, draw string waist, velco wrists...) That said, most of the summer, heat makes rain gear pointless, as well. Often, if warm, you end up as wet with sweat, as you would with rain.

If it is warm and really raining, lots of towels (kept in zip locks) and a Friction Glove. Embrace the suck and focus on being the best rain player in the field. Smart golf, safe play and take your time.

https://www.frictiongloves.com/store/p28/Friction_Disc_Golf_Gloves.html

Definitely agree with this. Also beat up, old baseline discs and/or understable lighter weight discs are much easier to throw when they're wet. Climbers chalk as well.

There was a great interview with Tiger Woods that I read awhile ago on this subject, and his responses were why he's one of the greatest of all time. He said he doesn't even really try and hide from the rain, and that he goes out and just gets wet. He also practices extensively with wet shoes, clubs and gloves just to prepare.

Dave Feldberg once also mentioned that he likes hand warmers in the rain. Most people who don't have much experience playing in the rain don't realize how cold it can quickly get when it rains out, and that cold hands are often more of a problem that wet ones. I started keeping an extra hand warmer in the bag year round for this reason and sure enough he's spot on.

 

[dmoore1998]

Here is a great tip I figured out that I've yet to see anyone else use. During morning rounds when the ground is wet with dew and/or it is super windy, simply place umbrella on ground upside down and set bag on top of it. This will keep your umbrella from blowing away and will keep your bag dry in the wet grass.

This will also will keep ticks and poison ivy/oak from getting on your bag before you sling it back on your back. A lot of people pick ticks up this way because they like to jump on your bag when you put it down (another reason why carts are great).

Also will keep you from getting that soaked back/butt thing I see when people set their bag down in wet grass/morning dew and then sling it back on their back.

I'll give that a try.

Typically the scenario I'm talking about is pouring rain, 20mph winds. Still worth it to carry an umbrella and shield myself with it for all the times I'm not actually throwing. Just need to keep it from blowing away during the 30 seconds I'm throwing.

If it's not windy, then having it mounted on my cart as a fixture works just fine.