RAIN DELAYS

I was recently caddying in our local State Amateur qualifier for one of my young golf students.  After 10 holes, the skies opened up and the rain began.  We rushed to the clubhouse and saw the radar on the TV; it didn’t look good.  The golf course staff thought it would be at least a few hours’ delay. So, what to do during this time?  We ordered some food, talked about the round so far and small-talked.  After about 90 minutes, the staff said it would be another two hours at least.  After an hour of watching TV, I decided to play a little putting game in the clubhouse.  I set up a few folded napkins in an area with very few people.  We played a nine-hole putting match.  I made him go through his putting routine on all putts, so it took about 45 minutes to complete the “match.” Once we were done, it was time to loosen up again.  He went through his warm-up routine on the range and they sent us back out onto the course.  He played the last eight holes in -1 to make it into the State Amateur by three shots.  Talking after the round, he thought our putting game got his focus back on track. There are many things you can do during a rain delay.  Getting rest and eating food are the normal two.  But make sure you do something to get your mind focused back on the game before you leave the clubhouse.  I hope these tips will help you and your students in the next rain delay you encounter.