Knowing your limits

[Monocacy]

I played a 2-day tournament in humid 100F+ conditions. Emptied both drink holders each 9-hole loop and had a blast.

Also played an ice bowl that started at a breezy 0 degrees F. Layers, glove for the off-hand, and had a blast.

But I prefer not to play in rain (too much time trying to dry off discs) or in snow deep enough to hide a disc.

 

[JuanA]

I have a lot of other activities I enjoy that require me to be inside, so once it gets below 40 I do them instead.

I save the good weather for my outdoor activities.

 

[BlueMonk]

I guess my upper limit is 90 and lower limit probably about 20. I've played in single digits and didn't enjoy it much. I actually love temps around 40 degrees if the course is dry. I get too hot easily. When the temps are at 40 degrees or so, I can put on a hoodie and I'm cold for a couple holes, but after that I feel pretty comfortable and never overheat. I have more endurance and can play all day as long as I'm not too hot.

For me, rain/wet conditions are the biggest issue. Wind takes away some of the fun, but I can live with it and it gives me an excuse to throw my Firebird, which otherwise is way too beefy for me. But cleaning mud off my disc after every thrown and stepping in puddles is the worst.

 

[ray1970]

I don't have an upper limit but that's probably because it seldom hits 100 here and the humidity seldom tops 50%.

 

[ThrowBot]

The forecast for tomorrow improved from a high of -1°F to a high of 4°F. So I'm thinking about playing glow league tomorrow.

I'd probably play down to about -10°F if there was no wind chill. Any colder than that and it's tough to breathe.

On the high end, I've frolfed on >100°F days, although it's typically dry here. I'd much rather play in triple-digit temps with no humidity, than 80°F and 80% humidity.

 

[ray1970]

On the high end, I've frolfed on >100°F days, although it's typically dry here. I'd much rather play in triple-digit temps with no humidity, than 80°F and 80% humidity.

I'll second this. I was going to play a round in southeast Texas once. It was right around 100 and the humidity was well over 90%.

I literally played the first five holes and then packed it in. When you aren't used to that kind of weather it can be brutal. I was sweating buckets and thought I might die.

 

[Kegelexercise]

Playing mostly in WI, we have a pretty wide range of temps, so my limits as to what I'd play are pretty expansive.

I honestly can't think of a time it's been "too hot" to play here in years. Maybe if we get above 100 I may start to think about backing out, but I also used to live & shoot in FL, where 90+ temps with 90+ humidity was the norm.

As for a low, there's a lot more than the temperatures that go into it. My general rule is "if I have to wear a second pair of pants, it's too cold". Call it a 10-15 degree (F) day. Is it sunny and not that much wind? No problem. I'll play in that all day. It might have to go straight up below 0 before I refuse in these conditions. On a windy, cloudy day, my lower limit on temps rises considerably (maybe high 20s or low 30s?).

Active stormy, windy rainfall or snowfall is pretty much a hard pass, regardless of temps.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

I've lived in either Indiana or Michigan all of my life. Usually the only time I get out in winter is to shake off a little cabin fever. It's for the sake of novelty and only a few times. I was more serious 20 years ago and tried to keep going out in the snow at the advice of other serious players who theorized it would lead to less regression in skill. I don't know. Without proper footwork and grip a lot of the time, I suppose it would be true but only on a limited basis for me at most. Winter v.s. non-winter seems to be different games to me especially in non-putting aspects. I suppose it could help with standstill ability and the mental game and whatnot.

So far in this thread I've only talked about true hate being rain-related, but as for how cold it can get, I'll echo what a lot of others have said. If it's sunny and calm, the air temperature can be very cold but it won't seem like it. I've been known to lay out in the sun on the deck in February in just my swimming trunks if it's dead DEAD calm, sunny and above 20. Then again, the results of my Holy Golf Discs' trajectories involve grip and footwork. I don't know. Probably 20 if all else is good? Like I said, that's only for the novelty of it.

I hate losing Discs in the snow. I lost a 9x KC Eagle in the middle of a fairway in the winter of '99-'00. Looked for like 45 minutes. Foot-deep fluffy snow. ARGH. Also lost a brand-new Banshee I had thrown maybe once or twice that same year. Bright hunter orange! Perfect throw, nowhere to be seen. Forget that.

On the other side of the coin, I do hate heat. If it's 80 and humid or worse I'm not going to enjoy myself that much. I'd be happy if it never got above 75 degrees. Nineties is death to me. I'd rather have 20 than 90 any day, and that's for all aspects of life.

 

[VictorB]

How cold does it have to get before you would rather not go out and play?

If it's below zero, it will definitely give me pause about going to play. Especially if it's windy.

I've played in -25F wind chill with ~12" snow on the ground last January, and 109F heat index last summer. When it was -50F wind chills last January, I definitely didn't play. So I guess my limit is like -30F wind chill? Extreme heat definitely bothers me more than cold. At least when it's extremely cold I don't immediately feel like I'm going to die :thmbup:

Someone mentioned cold, rainy conditions - if it's between 33-45 and raining, I'm almost certainly not playing. That's probably the most miserable conditions to get out in that I've experienced. I absolutely won't play if it's storming. I've seen caddyshack, no round of golf is worth that much

 

[Nick Pacific]

I had the pleasure of playing Toboggan's debut at the 2000 pro/am worlds. Halfway through that round, it poured and poured and poured. Not even the exquisitely tacky SE Teebird's plastic could save me; my round took a complete dump.

That course, especially back in the day before a lot of that nasty shule got cleared out, had to have been tough on a rainy day. Those old rubber pads only made things that much challenging. And those old chainstars, when wet, oh man, that course can really beat you up.

They've cleared out a lot of that shule, and with the addition of pro chainstar baskets and new rubber pads, certainly upgraded the place. Not a huge fan of the added OB out there. Part of what made the Tobog unique was that there was no OB (outside of going over the road on that "shorter" uphill hole that almost nobody ever did).

Either way it's still pretty cool that they're still having that course up every year. I feel like summer is about to start when I sneak out there at 8am a few days after Memorial day for my annual trek.

 

[Golden Tuna]

I used to run a winter league. It was 6° one day and I prayed no one else showed up - no one did and I got to go home.
I play for fun - it is not fun playing in the rain, super soggy after rain/snow, below 32°, or over 100°.

Luckily, I have an indoor, winter hobby that I can do while my friends are out there freezing.

I've played in -25F wind chill with ~12" snow on the ground last January, and 109F heat index last summer.

What I have done, and what I will continue doing are vastly different at this point in my life...

 

[VictorB]

What I have done, and what I will continue doing are vastly different at this point in my life...

I agree. I'm getting into hockey a bit with my son. So there are other thing to do inside and outside when it's cold.

I'll probably skip the hottest weather though, especially since I'm backing away from playing so competitively

 

[Fab Man]

If I'm traveling and it's a chance to bag a new course, I haven't found my limits yet. Snow, rain, mud, bugs, high wind advisories, high heat and humidity, or temperature in single digits, yep done that. I'm not sure what my limits are when I'm playing my local courses, but it mostly depends on how I feel that day and how much I've been playing lately.

 

[Zanguini]

So long as the round ends around 40 I am fine
So long as the Heat Index is below 95 I am fine
I am too old to play in the rain.

I actually like playing in the wind. I tend to play no worse in the wind than in calm conditions.

I do prefer it to be cloudy, though.

 

[B.Fairbanks.1023]

For me it kind of depends. I have mild arthritis in my fingers, so as long as it's warm enough to grip a disc I'm down to play. The wind and moisture level of the air also affect that a lot. The higher the wind or humidity, the higher the temp needs to be.
On the flip side, if it's going to be over 95 I'm staying home lol

 

[DiscFifty]

Casual rounds...any weather. Paid PDGA events.. meh...not a fan of the last man standing mentality in inclement weather. I see no joy in that style of play.

 

[jakebake91]

It's raining, I'm bored, and I'm waiting for the Viking's game to start.:|

What time do they play this weekend?? Oh wait........



And as for me, being a Wisconsin native, the cold doesn't bother me in the slightest. However, I hate playing in the snow. Tried it, know lots that do it, just not for me. So that's my limit really. Pretty sure I'd play in -30 if the course was clear. Sucks that I lose a bunch of my dg season, but, I have other winter hobbies to compensate.

 

[Plastic Thunder]

So I wished for warmer temperatures and it worked. Been 65-70 degrees here for a week or more. Winter is awesome this year.

 

[EarthRocker]

^^^^ Gonna get a might bit nipply this weekend, though. I even heard the "F" word once or twice...

(That's 'Flurries', for the uninitiated.)

Owing to having a M-F, 9-6 desk job, I don't get to play nearly as often as I'd like. In the summer, I can get a Wednesday round in after work, and then play one of two weekend days, unless I'm in a tournament. Heat or chill has no bearing on my desire to play, or my enjoyment once I'm out there. Just gotta be prepared.

Many of my DG friends are either musicians, artists, independent contractors, or 'between jobs.' Consequently, they can play any time they have the urge. I don't have that luxury, and nothing - NOTHING - pisses me off more than for those people to make a Sunday plan, only to back out because it's "too hot." Or, "It rained yesterday, and I don't wanna slog through the mud..." Dilettantes, every one of 'em.

So that's my answer: I don't care about the weather. If it's time to play, it's time to play. I'm going out. And if you don't want to, totally understandable. Just don't ask me why I grumble and doubt your commitment on Sunday. (Not anyone here. My flaky buddies.)

 

[aphilso1]

If it's sunny and only mildly windy, I'll play regardless of how cold the temperature gets here. Now granted, typically that is still at least a positive number on the Fahrenheit scale, and if I lived somewhere regularly in negative digits then my answer might be different.

Summers bother me more. I find myself not wanting to go outside for basically the entire month of July, since I really hate the combo of 90+ degrees and 80%+ humidity, which is our norm in Eastern Nebraska. I've visited drier climates and stay comfortable over 100 degrees with less humidity, but sticky heat is just disgusting. July is my least favorite month here, but most people would disagree and say January.