Playing in the Wind

In Hawaii, we often get to play in windy weather. We all know a strong breeze can have a big effect on the flight of your ball. In a 40 mph left to right wind for instance, a slight fade for a right handed player can turn into a huge banana slice. It’s certainly hard to fight the wind and the old golf adage is to learn to make the wind your friend. That means learning to purposely fade or draw your ball at will so that in the case of the right to left wind for a right-handed player, you can choose to fade your ball and ride the wind thereby gaining more distance or draw your ball into the wind which will lessen the curving impact of the wind and thereby gain more control.

What happens though if the wind causes your ball at rest to move? Let’s say your ball was at rest on the putting green a foot from the hole. A strong wind then blows your ball to thirty feet away from the hole. The correct way to proceed under the Rules is to then hole out from that spot thirty feet from the hole. I realize it seems unfair but remember your parents told you that life (and golf) was not meant to always be fair. Of course, you need to be philosophical about your fate and realize that next time, the wind may very well blow your ball closer to the hole. Over time, the good and bad breaks seem to even out.

  What happens though if the wind causes your ball at rest to move? Let’s say your ball was at rest on the putting green a foot from the hole. A strong wind then blows your ball to thirty feet away from the hole. The correct way to proceed under the Rules is to then hole out from that spot thirty feet from the hole. I realize it seems unfair but remember your parents told you that life (and golf) was not meant to always be fair. Of course, you need to be philosophical about your fate and realize that next time, the wind may very well blow your ball closer to the hole. Over time, the good and bad breaks seem to even out.

In stroke play, in the above example, if a player mistakenly replaces their ball back to the original spot a foot from the hole, they would incur a penalty shot and would need to move their ball back to thirty feet from the hole before playing their next stroke. If the player did not do so and actually holed out, then the penalty would be two strokes.  

 It really helps to know the Rules and to always try to make the wind your friend. On the putting green, especially in the wind, remember Chi Chi Rodriguez’s advice when he was asked how to putt. He replied, “Keep it low”!