Winter and Spring Golf means lots of moisture. Wetness changes the dynamic of many aspects of golf, including how your clubface grips the ball, how the ball flies through the air, and what it does once it lands. The best advice is to take one more club than you would use if the conditions were ideal. Here’s why…

First, water is a lubricant. This will reduce the clubface’s ability to impart any kind of predictable spin on the ball. Shots will not carry as far. Next, the course is wet, so the ball will not run as far on the ground. You will need the ball to stay airborne longer, especially with approach shots to the greens. Finally, rain brings thicker air, further reducing shot distance as drag on the golf ball increases.

Playing when it’s wet is actually a good idea for most of us because it gives us a chance to get some practice in on days that may occassionally pop up under tournament conditions. If you only play when it’s nice out, what will you do when you’re in the middle of the next club championship and it rains halfway through one of the rounds? Unless there’s lightning, chances are the club administrators will not postpone or cancel their big members championships. So you need to have some experience under bad conditions.