You are on a golf tour. You have booked the tee time at a special course. You know it can be that time of year and yes, you get a foggy morning.
Playing in foggy weather can be difficult. Lost balls, wet ground, another layer of clothing on. But if the course is open and playable you can make some sensible changes to your preparation and game that could leave your mates behind in the trip competition. Check out our ten hot tips below!
1) Change the colour of your ball and your clothing
A white ball on a misty white sky is going to be useless trying to track in the air. Have some spare orange or yellow balls or the balls that have a soccer ball pattern on it, in the bottom of your bag. Going to be easier to see.
Also wear brighter clothes. Getting hit from behind is going to be a real danger. Colourful clothing is potentially going to make it a little safer.
2) All hands on deck
Rushing to tee off at each hole by yourself may not work here especially with the sun shining through the fog. Have your group behind you to watch the ball. You are not going to be able to see it fly most likely. Perhaps with everyone watching, it is a more percentage play.
3)Drop the range finder
Rangefinders are going to be useless even with a little mist around. If you have a GPS watch or an app that gives you distance than this is going to be the alternative till until the fog lifts.
4)Be mindful and cautious of the group in front
Even if the group in front is still wearing distinctive clothing, they may still be difficult to see. Be cautious . If not sure if they are out of range and you can use carts, have someone travel up further to see how close they are.
5) Club up when in the fog
Playing in a cold fog is probably the most inhibiting factor for ball carry than any other atmospheric condition other than rain. If there is any moisture in the air there is no way your ball is going to go as far as in normal dry conditions. If in mist or fog, automatically take at least one more club. The heavier the fog cover, the more club you take.
6)Less spin off the clubface in the fog
A counter balance to clubbing up is that if the grass is wet and your clubface is wet, there is going to less spin on the ball and therefore more run when it hits a green. This is going to really matter with your short game when you can’t achieve the clubhead speed to impart spin.
A tip to reduce this effect is that always after your practice swings, dry the clubface before addressing the ball. Pros know they have to do this. Also use your chipper or a hybrid through wet grass as it going to be easier to predict than a putter.
7)Aim for the middle of the green
When conditions are less than ideal, it always best to aim for the middle of the green. If you know the course whilst playing in the fog, aim for where you think the middle of the green is. Forget about the flag.
Minimise the risk of “short siding yourself” and having to use delicate touch in your short game. You are in less spin conditions and will avoid the big numbers on your card.
8) The fog will lift and conditions will change
Most of the time the fog will begin to lift after mid-morning. Be cognizant of the change in conditions. The greens will dry out and it may start to get warmer and the ball will start to fly further. It may have to be a shot that performs differently than before but you must be aware of that time.
9) It is about your attitude
Playing in misty condtions may not be ideal for your golf but it can heighten your senses and if change the way you look at the golf course. The sounds of birds and other wildlife can be increased. As the cloud rises you can see some beautiful landscapes touched by the incoming light.
10) Change your tee time
If that doesn’t float your boat and you hear the fog forecast and you can do it, change your tee time. I will often change my normal tee times in winter to after 9am to avoid frost and fog.
