Tournaments: Rainy Weather? Avg. Time?

[gcoghill]

I have been wanting to check out a tournament this summer (just as a spectator —*for the first time at least) and it figures that today there is a tournament near me, but the weather is pretty much non-stop rain and forecast looks the same for the rest of the day.

I am curious if tournaments are played even in the rain, and also on a side note —*how long do tournaments last? This one is about an hour away, and I am willing to make the drive but don't want to head out if either the tourney has been cancelled due to weather, or if it's over before I get out there (getting a late start this morning).

[timg]

Unless the rain is really bad, play continues around here. As far as how long they take.. tournaments tend to be an all day thing from what I've seen.

[gcoghill]

Cool, maybe I will brave the rain and check it out then. Thanks Tim.

[ERicJ]

From my experience, unless there's lightning play continues. If the tourney takes day-of-sign ups (vs. pre-registration only) then then field is probably going to be greatly reduced. It varies by the course and number of holes, but on average you're probably looking at about 3-4 hours per 18-hole round. That includes player meeting, and results tabulation. E.g. most of the local Houston events start player meeting at 8:30am and finish awards around 5pm.

ERic

[gcoghill]

Cool, thanks for the detailed info Eric.

[PhattD]

Our Doubles tournament in Lansing just got cancelled due to flooding. First time that's ever happened. But there are whole sections of the course that are completely inaccesable.

[seanwilliam]

I was wondering if anybody had any tips for playing a tournament in the rain. I'm playing in a tournament this coming weekend and according the the weather forecast it seems as though there is a good chance it is going to be raining. Since I have never played in the rain, I am really not sure what to expect. I assume I am going to bring an umbrella and a lot of towels to wipe off wet discs, but any other comments or tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Texconsinite]

Its hard to hold an umbrella and throw at the same time. Get an underarmor shirt or something similar (synthetic) to wear underneath It will eliminate chafing and wick away the cold, without impeding your form like a bulky poncho would. Also, rock a swimsuit. As Jackie Moon would say, "Lets get Tropical!!"

Wear black socks, or white ones you dont care about, b/c they will be brown by the end of it from puddles.

Wear a hat with a wide brime to keep the water out of your eyes. Otherwise youll be wiping it off your face while you are trying to throw
Basically dress like you are going to be immersed in a cold stream. (ie. Dress like a canoer)

This way you will not fear the water, unlike hiding under a postage stamp-sized umbrella, sweating in a poncho that feels like wearing a plastic bag and being uncomfortable in the humid weather all tourney. I say bring it on!

also, birdie bag or another grip aid is essential, since its hard to dry off a disc if its constantly getting wet from rain. Especially if you plan on throwing any champion plastic, youll need to keep some grip in your hands.

In addition to towels for drying discs before you throw them, maybe put a small one on the bottom of your bag, so water and mud from wet discs doesnt run along the bottom and get all over the other discs.

Plan well, and embrace the rain. You being better prepared and more comfortable than your competition only tips the scales further in your favor!! Good luck amigo

[seanwilliam]

Thanks for the info. I will have to deck myself out like I am about to jump in a river. As far as plastic goes, would you recommend staying away from Champion plastic, in your opinion is there a plastic that is more suitable for rainy conditions ?

[ERicJ]

In addition to towels for drying discs before you throw them, maybe put a small one on the bottom of your bag, so water and mud from wet discs doesnt run along the bottom and get all over the other discs.
That's a good one, I hadn't thought of that.

A couple more:

A small, lightweight folding chair -or- tripod stool (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=248) can be useful to set your bag on instead of the ground. That will help keep it from getting filthy... and if you have not waterproofed your bag will help to keep water from seeping in from the bottom.

In general I carry a couple Ziplock snack sized bags in my DG bag to keep things like a cell phone or camera dry in the event of rain.

ERic

[Texconsinite]

Thanks for the info. I will have to deck myself out like I am about to jump in a river. As far as plastic goes, would you recommend staying away from Champion plastic, in your opinion is there a plastic that is more suitable for rainy conditions ?

Champion and Elite Z are the WORST in the rain. THe plastic is slippery, and its hard to get a grip on them. I would recommend InnovaPro as the best (better than elite x even), because it has the most grip. Its hard to get every last little bit of water off your disc, and a little bit of moisture is all it can take to mess up your grip, so grippy lastic is a must.

On a related note, you will probably want to use a sticky putter, for the same reason. also the chains will be wet, so stiffer plastics might just slide off/through. in these situations I reach for my Omega SS.

[Jungle Tim]

Having played in the UK a fair bit, and therefore in the rain alot, i have 1 recommendation for you.

I doesnt matter what you throw as long as you dry your hands and discs very well.

The tip is to carry some dry dust, dirt, chalk with you, Before throwing rub the dist into your fingers and shake away the excess. Your hand will now be super tacky, grab the disc and let it rip. You will be amazed at how much grip you get from a damp disc.

This tip also works for sweaty hands in super hot DG rounds.

As for your disc selection, the air is thicker, so take heavier discs, rain pushes down on the discs and disturbs air flow in flight. I tend towards a heavy slightly under stable disc in rain. Wind allowing.

[seanwilliam]

Thanks again. Now all I can do is hope the rain holds off, but if it doesn't at least I feel I will be somewhat prepared.

[DiscChainBasket18]

I remember playing in a toruney & it started raining & then it started pouring. Lightning came in & ended it for us. I got back to my car & I was soaking wet. I had to dirve home like that. Uncomfortable? Very! So now I have a complete change of clothes & a beach towell in the car, just in case.

Also, keep in mind that the game will take longer to finish when it rains.
I bring a large umbrella & keep it open & covering my bag when I'm throwing.

[RustyP]

Extra towels in Ziploc baggies, and one attached to the inside of your umbrella.

Carry a birdie-bag (or bag of sawdust) to suck the moisture off your hands. If that doesn't work, and it isn't raining very hard, you can rub you hands back and forth on the disc, and the heat from friction will dry it off in that spot.

Focus on a slower run-up / x-step if the tee area is slippery...or throw from a standstill if you're comfortable with it. I usually try to shift my weight forward a little more than ususal to keep my pivot foot from sliding forward.

Goretex / waterproof shoes are a big help, but not necessary. It'll help to stop and wring-out your socks from time to time, just to keep your feet comfortable.

[DWill]

I second the extra/second pair of clothes, especially socks and shoes. Also, if there are natural/dirt tees, you might think of wearing cleats. You might want to think about changing your clothes between rounds, at the very least your socks, and if you have an extra pair of shoes, those as well. Good Luck!

[PhattD]

The best Touney rain tip I've heard was to make sure you practice when it's raining. don't learn how to play in the rain during a tourney. Try to play during bad weather whenever possible. And while you're out for a casual round look around at the other peole on the course. They are either good or they soon will be.

[Innovadude]

I did not read any other replies but..

bring a towel in a ziplock bag, and an extra one for the scorecard.

[DeafDiscGolfer]

Get waterproof socks! It dries fast.

It will save you the troubles of feeling *swish* *swish* when you are walking with wet cotton socks all day.

[seanwilliam]

I got my swimming gear and towels all ready. I think it's a little late for me to practice in the rain before tomorrow, but a great idea. I would of never thought to have practiced in the rain because who would want to walk around being soaked all day. Now I know the reason. Lets hope for the best.

[JR Stengele]

Being that I live in the land of the rain, I recommend if you have time buying one of those short sleeve golf jackets that are water proof. I bought one and have never looked back. Include everything else from above but you can find one of those jackets for about $40.00 and they are amazing! The water just beads up and falls off and is very light. Good luck!

[RustyP]

Almost forgot one that's always been a big help to me. If the course has concrete boxes that aren't textured well, or get slick in the rain/mud anyway, you can always lay one of your towels down in the spot where your plant foot will land to give you some extra grip. Perfectly legal, and helps if you have problems slipping on the box.

[DeafDiscGolfer]

Almost forgot one that's always been a big help to me. If the course has concrete boxes that aren't textured well, or get slick in the rain/mud anyway, you can always lay one of your towels down in the spot where your plant foot will land to give you some extra grip. Perfectly legal, and helps if you have problems slipping on the box.

Clever tip! :cool:

Best to use old towel for it. :rolleyes:

[Disc Golf Greg]

When it rains I have a good reason to grab all my DX Discs. They offer the best grip so you can't go wrong there. Wearing a Windbreaker is good too because you can stay dry and still move pretty freely. I also bring a towel and lay it on the seat so I don't get my seat all soaked.

When it comes to towels I prefer the Polyester material. They pick up the water the best. I also bring a Baggie for my towel; so at the end of a round I can just stick the muddy thing in my bag with no worries of getting it dirty.

[DiscChainBasket18]

Get waterproof socks! It dries fast.

It will save you the troubles of feeling *swish* *swish* when you are walking with wet cotton socks all day.
I played this past weekend in a slow drizzle & it had rained a few days before & also each night. I wore my "seal skinz" waterproof socks & had no trouble all weekend sloshing through all the wet grass.

[DeafDiscGolfer]

I played this past weekend in a slow drizzle & it had rained a few days before & also each night. I wore my "seal skinz" waterproof socks & had no trouble all weekend sloshing through all the wet grass.

:D sweet! :cool:

[ERicJ]

Love my SealSkinz (http://www.danalco.com/htmls/products/info_allseason.html) in the rainy winter. Can't stand sloshing around in soggy socks.

ERic

[cc0049]

I'm playing in a tournament this weekend in Crowley, TX. The tournie is on Saturday and Sunday. We are supposed to get a lot of rain Thursday night and Friday morning, so I'm thinking that the course will still be very wet especially on Saturday.
Does anyone have good pointers/advice on how to handle wet, muddy conditions. Some of the holes will be on concrete tees, but the the tees at this course are pretty slick when wet. Some of the tees are just dirt, so Saturday they'll probably be mainly mud.
I have limited tournament experience and have yet to play any in wet conditions, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[phishbrained]

Theres a thread thats already covered this a week or 2 ago. Pretty much bring an extra towel in a plastic bag incase your towel gets soaked and muddy. Waterproof socks are nice too. I just have a pair of wool liners then nice fat wool socks over them and my feet never get wet unless I step in a huge puddle.

[cc0049]

Theres a thread thats already covered this a week or 2 ago. Pretty much bring an extra towel in a plastic bag incase your towel gets soaked and muddy. Waterproof socks are nice too. I just have a pair of wool liners then nice fat wool socks over them and my feet never get wet unless I step in a huge puddle.

I guess I'm mainly curious about whether or not it is advisable to wear different shoes for slick conditions and how to handle your footwork on slick tee pads and in mud. I don't remember reading any of that in the past thread. The past thread had mainly pointers for handling rain, not after rain wet conditions. I'm not worried about my discs being wet as it should not be raining during the actual tournie.

[cc0049]

Here's what I got from the past thread: plastic bag for towel, water proof socks, cleats, dx plastic throws good even when wet, wear waterproof pants, and bring a chair to rest your bag on.
Anyone have experience playing in cleats? What is your take on playing in cleats? I usually wear water proof ankle high hiking shoes, do you think those will be as good as anything else as far as footwear?

[phishbrained]

O word, Yea I'm not too sure about wearing cleats, I never have for discing. Ankle High hiking shoes probably should do the trick, but I assume someone here has more knowledge on footwear. I just use old skateboarding shoes, but I never have played in conditions that I have had problems with traction.

[taxman]

one of the local courses i play at stays wet for a long time after a good rain. and with the spring thaw it is downright muddy in most areas.

i don't ever really try and play durring rainy conditions but i'm often there after a rain. typically i wear a pair of hiking shoes with good tread and i tame down my cross step a bit and i haven't slipped in the mud yet. i have a towel to wipe off the discs with if they get mud or dirt on them and if the bag gets dirty i just toss it in the laundry. but back to the issue of traction. i personally don't like cleats. i just test the surface and approach as needed.

[80playedin10states]

cleats are good for natural tee pads but not on cement..if i am having problems slipping on cement, i lay a towel on the pad where my plant foot will end up..i tend to shorten or slow down my run up on muddy pads for better accuracy and traction..

[biscoe]

i used to wear football cleats until they got too hard on my knees- never had a problem on concrete tees with them. baseball cleats on the other hand are too hard to work on concrete tees.

on dirt tees take full advantage of the fact that you can go up to 3 meters back from the front- take the time to find the best spot you can in that area- sacrificing ten feet in distance for good footing is a no-brainer imo. i am constantly amazed how many players fail to take advantage of this under poor tee conditions because they feel they must be at the front of the tee area.

[Jaysus]

i lay a towel on the pad where my plant foot will end up.

That's a good trick - works on ice too.

[biscoe]

once years ago in an icy doubles tourney my partner and i carried around a piece of indoor/outdooor carpet and laid it over the whole tee area. damn was it heavy by the end of the day.

[cc0049]

once years ago in an icy doubles tourney my partner and i carried around a piece of indoor/outdooor carpet and laid it over the whole tee area. damn was it heavy by the end of the day.

So I guess that there aren't any PDGA rules keeping you from laying a towel or carpet square down on the teepad? That sounds like a great tip! I can definitely use that on the slick tee pads. A beach towel or two ought to do the trick.

[biscoe]

they have declared it ok in one of the rules q and a's or another. biggest question becomes- do you let the other guys in your group use it too?

[mmyersdisc]

depends on if they are in my bracket or not...if they are then no! haha...its there own fault for not bringing a towel to lay on the teepad! Although im sure you would be called an A$$hole for not letting them use it but your trying to win right? lol

[t i m]

If the towel/carpet is heavy enough, then recruit the other players to carry it for you. If they want to use it, too, then then can help lug it around.

[zenbot]

once years ago in an icy doubles tourney my partner and i carried around a piece of indoor/outdooor carpet and laid it over the whole tee area. damn was it heavy by the end of the day.
Did you remove it for the other team? =)

[Midnightbiker]

If I know the course is going to be muddy, I bring a change of clothes and extra shoes and socks. You just never know. Also, a chair is a must. I found a fold up hunting and camping chair that weighs almost nothing for only $10

[Neophyte]

I must say that I am very impressed with your (guys that have responded to this thread) dedication to the sport. In comparison to the lengths many of your are going to in order to play I am a "fair weather" player. I did manage to get out when it was a little chilly this winter and have played in the mud but not the monsoon conditions you guys are talking about. Just remember Caddyshack and watch for lightning. ;)

[solomon.trenton]

i usually wear soccer cleats (no spike on the front toe) so its easier to twist on the release.

[Midnightbiker]

I wear hiking boots everytime I play and they work great.

[borndasaur]

Another vote for hiking boots. If water/mud is going to be a problem, the TD should offer relief in the affected areas. The TD should examine the course before the player's meeting, determine where relief will be offered and announce this information during the meeting. Player safety should be the the most important consideration in adverse conditions.

[kerplunk]

When your disc gets really muddy, find a leaf or piece of grass to wipe of the majority of the mud before you use your towel. This will help keep you from getting your towel all muddy. Also, practice throwing without a run up- you may sacrifice a little distance, but you can throw almost as far and the accuracy will probably be better.

And the towel on the teepad idea is a good one. We used to do this on a cliff we jumped off of into the river as teens, but I never thought of using it for DG.

[brian j]

we're forecasted to get 1 - 2" of rain the night before an upcoming tourney, and then rain showers during the tourney. besides the big golf umbrella and lots of towels packed in zip locks, what other tips can you suggest?

[biscoe]

change of socks and shoes for lunchtime. more important to keep your bag dry than yourself. windshirts are great.

[Dthunderchicken]

Rather than towels you might want to try a chamois. It'll work when wet.

[mashnut]

Drink water, even if you don't really feel like it. It's easy to get dehydrated when you're out playing, but you don't feel like drinking because you're already wet and miserable. I'll definitely second the extra socks/shoes, also I like to bring basically a full set of dry clothes so you can at least start the second round comfortable. I don't usually carry a stool, but I do on rainy days just to keep the bag up off the ground.

[skurf]

Use your car's defroster between rounds to dry out your socks.

[John Rock]

A small stool of some kind is great for keeping your bag up off the wet ground. If it's windy, put your umbrella handle through one of the grab straps on your bag when you put it on your stool. With the big golf size umbrella there should be plenty of room under the canopy for your set-up, even enough room for to lean in to write scores.

Whatever you do, keeping the score card dry should be the #1 concern. It's difficult enough for the scorekeepers between rounds without having to decipher a wet card.

[rikardob]

Use some baby powder. Wet clothes and regular disc golf movements produce chaffing. Armpits and belt-line.

[sidewinding]

Wear an old pair of breathable trail type running shoes that you don't mind getting wet and don't wear any socks with them.

DX is your best friend in the rain...and use less stable molds than you would in dry conditions.

Cell phone and wallet in ziploc bags. I learned this the hard way.

Carry a small bag and only a few discs. The large bags get soaked and heavy and messy if it's muddy.

all you need are two small towels per round. one for mud and one for drying. don't bother trying to keep them dry, just wring them out as needed. Keep the second set in the car for the second round.

[A.Mutt]

After playing a tournament in the rain I can tell you that:

1. I wish I had brought three towels with me, one for mud, one for drying the discs, and then a back up for drying hands and discs as it was wetter than I thought it would be and the two I brought were pretty useless by the last few holes.

2. I wish I had brought one more extra pair of dry socks and clothes. I brought an extra set and that got me dry for round two, but it rained again and I had to drive home soaked.

3. I usually wear a hat while playing anyways but I especially appreciate it in the rain as it keeps the water off the face and its easier to concentrate.

[humchris85]

-Waterproof shoes, or a backup pair
-Extra Socks
-Extra Towels
-Extra Clothes
-Pocket hand warmers in a diffrent pocket than your hand, so that your wet hands don't stop them from heating your hands.
-A hat for keeping the rain out of your eyes
-Leave the Champ plastic at home, bust out your old DX plastic, it will grip way better
-Something warm but breathable, with something waterproof over that
-Waterproof pants may look and feel a little lame, but they will help
-Try to keep your bag dry, a stool and an umbrella will help with that
-Drink more, it will at least seam warmer. :) (Whisky is the best for this)

[Daddy-O]

Hire a caddy to hold your umbrella.

[ERicJ]

Merged the "playing in the rain suggestion" threads.

[Roc1Time]

Depends on the course being played but most tourney rounds last 3 hours. Unless there is lightning close by or the course is unplayable then the tourney continues. I have never seen it stopped before because it was unplayable and that was just a couple of weeks ago the river came up and swallowed the last 4 holes

[JR Stengele]

Yeah, deffinately expect the round to take anywhere from 30-45 minutes longer the usual due to weather and the fact that it is a tournament. If it is layed out well and the flow makes sense it should move at a fairly good pace assuming the td spaced out the open/adv/nov in that order.