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Anticipating Bad Weather

By Wendy Uzelac, USGA

Course setup for multi-day events requires a lot of planning, as well as information gathering on things we cannot control, such as the weather.

Tomorrow’s forecast is for rain and possibly lots of it. Knowing this information before we begin course setup in the morning alerted us to take a close look at the proposed Thursday hole locations. We want to do our best to ensure the hole is in an area where rain water won’t collect.

We also work with the maintenance crews to do what we can beforehand to help drainage. For example, we have many squeegees on hand, as well as some super-sized squeegees called “water hogs.” The water hogs are capable of both pushing and absorbing the water. Baltusrol Golf Club, in nearby Springfield, N.J., even sent over three of its water hogs for Bethpage to utilize this week.

Another example of preparations is on the 18th fairway. This is one of the lowest areas on the golf course and it drains poorly. Underneath the fairway is a dry well, the main purpose of which is to collect the water from this area. Unfortunately, due the amount of rain in the area for the past month, the “dry well” is no longer dry and is, in fact, full. For the past few days, the maintenance crew has been pumping the water out of the dry well so that it will be able to take in more water and help the fairway drain during the championship.

These are just a couple of examples of what we are doing to plan for the rainy weather in the forecast.

There is a Decision on the Rules of Golf that clarifies when the committee may remove casual water: Removal of Casual Water and Loose Impediments on Putting Green by Committee – 33/1. It’s a decision that may be applied often this week! And for your information, the USGA has a policy for squeegees that is in place for all 13 of our national championships:

USGA Squeegee Policy

The following are options available to the Committee in the event of heavy rain creating casual water on any putting green:

(a) Squeegee nothing and let the player decide whether to proceed under Rule 25-1b(iii);

(b) squeegee putting green between groups. In some cases it may be necessary to remove the flagstick and squeegee the green while a group is waiting to play;

(c) squeegee putting green (not specific lines of putt/play) after a group has played to green;

(d) at the player’s request, squeegee his line of putt (including a reasonable distance beyond the line, i.e., at least 3 feet,) when the ball lies on the green; or

(e) squeegee a player’s line of play when casual water on the putting green materially affects the type of shot the player intends to play, e.g., a putt from off the green or a running type chip shot, but only on the authority of a Rules rover.

=0 A

Note: In exceptional circumstances any combination of the above may be utilized.

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