Junior Golf Rain Gear

junior golf in the rain, www.thejuniorgolfer.com
junior golf rain gear www.thejuniorgolfer.com

Introduction

I played a round of golf in The Netherlands once. I was frightfully unprepared. My flimsy umbrella could not deal with the sideways rain and my unsuitable shoes were flooded by the second hole. My dry weather glove proved useless and my grips were slick as a catfish resulting in some of the worst golf shots of my life.

Golf in The Netherlands is rather exclusive and I was craving a round of golf after having not played much since leaving sunny South Africa. My lack of preparedness for the adverse weather turned my day into the most miserable round of golf I have ever experienced, in fact it was so bad that I did not play again until moving to California a few years later. 

I’ve played plenty of rounds in the rain subsequently – its inevitable if you play often enough - but I never complain.  For juniors, if you prepare, both emotionally and practically for the worst, you will find yourself performing much better than you expected and certainly better than than your fellow competitors when you inevitably have a tournament in tough weather conditions.

Junior golf rain gear and preparation for wet weather is as important or even more important as for adults, especially in "no-caddie" tournaments.

Rain Tips for Junior Golfers

We have experienced many junior golf tournaments played in heavy rain and picked up some good tips along the way. Apart from being prepared with appropriate junior golf rain gear and other equipment (as detailed in this article) here are some simple tips that can make a huge difference to your junior:

  • Ziploc bags are very handy to keep golf gloves dry and also a spare pair of dry socks that your junior can change into if need be. In a pinch, a properly sealed Ziploc bag is also great for keeping your junior's cell phone dry.
  • If you are traveling for a tournament pack all your rain gear and also take a spare pair of your favorite junior golf shoes to switch out if need be. We have done this many times after a rain delay.
  • A push cart with an umbrella holder is better than carrying a golf bag in wet weather as your junior can have one umbrella open to cover the clubs and bag, and can have a second umbrella to use on the green etc.
  • If you have a rain delay and your junior's clubs are wet, take the clubs out of the bag, dry the grips and let them sit out of the bag in a dry spot. This will make a big difference when your junior gets back out on the course and he/she is one of the few players with dry grips. 
  • If you play in very wet climates consider investing in grips that provide non-slip all weather performance in the rain such as the Winn Dritac golf grips pictured below. These grips are popular with junior golfers and for good reason. Winn makes undersize grips for juniors with smaller hands.
winn dritac all weather golf grips

Junior golf tournaments will play through almost any weather except frost/ice (courses will generally close in these conditions in order to protect the course), due to dangerous conditions (lightening, tornado warnings etc.), water pooling (e.g. greens or fairways are flooded) or darkness. Per Rule 6.8, bad weather is not of itself a good reason for discontinuing play. 

Golf is primarily a mind game.  If we can help junior golfers to train their minds to not allow weather to detract from their enjoyment or at least not impede their performance on the course, that would be a good thing.  The way a junior golfer trains his mind to do something is to practice and be prepared. 

Practice

As miserable as it sounds, the junior golfer needs to practice in the rain, so once it happens in a tournament the change in conditions won't blindside him.  And conditions do change.  In wet conditions there is a greater tendency to rush the shot.  A conscious effort must be made to slow down and focus more on accuracy which will hopefully reign in the body's natural instinct in uncomfortable conditions to physically push (swing harder) through the shot.  Keep the grip normal.  Gripping too hard, to supposedly prevent the club slipping generally does not help a golf shot. 

The condition of the course changes too and if you practice in the wet weather it won't catch you too much off guard when a downpour results in suddenly softer fairways (the course will play longer with less roll-out) and slower greens. Practicing in the rain and wet conditions gives the junior golfer the confidence to adjust their game when the weather turns wet in tournament play. This is one reason that the European Tour players do so well in tough weather conditions.

Preparation

Junior Golf Rain Gear

adidas kids core rain jacket

Golf rain gear, such as the Adidas Kids Core Rain Jacket pictured above is a great light weight option to store in your juniors golf bag.

rain gear for junior golfers

An adidas Golf Climastorm Provisional Rain Jacket, (above) is another light weight popular rain jacket as are the adidas Climaproof Rain Pants (below). Drawstring elastic pants make is easy to put on and take off. Side seamed zip pockets are super helpful in a rain jacket. Velcro on the bottom of the pants keeps socks dry and are adjustable. This rain wear is light-weight and breathable and can be popped in the machine for an easy wash and rolled up tight and back in the golf bag for when the rain blows in and you need to stay dry out on the golf course. 

rain pants for juniors

There are quite a few examples of golf rain gear available. The above are trustworthy known brands that our juniors have personally used on the golf course. 

Footjoy Hydrolite Rain Pants (below) are a more expensive but very high quality brand. If your junior plays a lot in rain this is a good option. These pants carry a 2 year waterproof guarantee and are windproof, comfortable and quiet. Try PGA Superstore for more options and sizes. 

footjoy rain pants for golf

The Footjoy Hydrolite Rain Jacket (below) carries the same 2 year waterproof guarantee as the pants, and utilizes a four-way stretch fabric that allows for full range of motion through he golf swing and full protection from the elements. A nice little extra is that it includes a scorecard pocket for easy storage, retrieval and protection, and zip-off sleeves for easily adapting to any weather condition. If you are looking for XS size, try looking at PGA Superstore.

FJ rain top

Shoes

Footjoy Traditions Golf Shoes for Juniors1

A pair of waterproof golf shoes is essential, especially for a junior golfer who plays a lot of tournaments.  These Footjoy Traditions golf shoes with a full leather upper that is waterproof and comfotable, are the go-to shoes for my older junior who plays a lot of tournaments.  They are also reviewed in Best Shoes for Junior Golfers. Do not send you junior out to play in mesh shoes that will be water logged by the first hole.

Gloves

rain gear for junior golfer, www.thejuniorgolfer.com

Our juniors use these Footjoy Rain Grip golf gloves in wet weather and they are helpful to ward off the winter chill too when worn as a pair. They are a good fit for juniors, a lot like normal golf gloves but give better grip in wet conditions.  Keep a pair of rain gloves in the golf bag - and for multi-day tournaments it is always a good idea to keep a couple of new pairs of regular gloves in a Ziploc bag tucked deep and dry in the golf bag. Between shots gloves can be hung inside an umbrella to keep dry.

Bag Cover and Water Proof Bags

Most golf bags are waterproof (see Guide to Choosing the Best Junior Golf Bag) and most contain a built in rain proof cover that can be zipped over the clubs in the rain. If your junior's golf bag does not contain rain protection it might be a good idea to buy a golf bag rain hood like the one above. For particularly wet climates you can consider purchasing a waterproof bag such as the light weight Sun Mountain H2NO model pictured below.

H2NO Sun Mountain Water Proof Golf Bag

In addition, if you play in an extremely wet climate such as the Pacific North West (Oregon, Washington State etc.) and use a golf push cart then you could consider buying a full bag rain cover that fits over a golf bag on a push cart and also has easy access panels. 

Rain Tek Full Golf Bag Cover

The best full rain covers have panels to provide access to golf bag pockets. Some full bag covers are available in a convenient clear plastic. The Rain Tek Cover pictured above is an example of a good golf bag cover, has great buyer reviews and is a good investment at less than $50. 

Golf Umbrellas

gustbuster golf umbrella

If your junior golfer utilizes a golf push cart, most push carts have an umbrella holder accessory, but before buying an umbrella make sure it is going to fit into the accessory.  Some umbrella handles are a bit bulky to fit into the accessory.  An umbrella, for protection against the sun or rain, is an essential element of a junior golfer's gear.  There are a lot of good golf umbrella options like the GustBuster above and most golf course pro-shops have some quality golf specific umbrellas.

Golf Towels

Greens towel 3 pack of golf microfiber towels

A golf towel is constantly in use on the golf course to clean club faces.  In the rain it will pull double duty and thus it is a good plan to have a clean, dry towel always tucked in a dry place inside the golf bag.  A multi pack of microfiber golf towels like the ones above will make sure you have sufficient mud and moisture wicking power for hands and clubs.  If you have an umbrella up on your push cart you can hang a towel on the underside of the open umbrella for convenience. 

Golf Scorecard Holder

golf scorecard cover, www.thejuniorgolfer.com

Scorecards do not do well in the rain.  A leather (more expensive but durable and good looking) or otherwise water resistant score card carrier like the Callaway one above (approx. $15) is good protection for the scorecard in wet weather. Your junior golfer does not want to be sitting at the scorer's table at the end of the round with a scorecard soggy and unreadable from the rain. Even worse, trying to keep the card dry on the course can result in unnecessary stress on a junior golfer and is a distraction from the task at hand, that of executing a good golf shot.

Conclusion

Practicing in the rain and wet conditions gives the junior golfer the confidence to adjust their game when the weather turns wet. And if he/she has the necessary junior golf rain gear and other equipment on hand, adverse weather conditions need not have a corresponding effect on the junior golfer's performance. 

Additional Reading

Also have a look at our Golf Weather Article and take the quiz!

best golf gear for rain and cold

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