fbpx
playing golf in the wind

What am I allowed to use to measure the wind?

Bit breezy? Our rules guru explains what you can and can’t do when it comes to working out where the gusts are coming from

 

We’ve all been stumped by that swirling breeze – not quite knowing whether it’s helping or hindering. Conquering Mother Nature’s breath when playing golf in the wind can be a big part of getting out of a round in one piece.

We all know we can snatch a handful of grass and throw it up into the air – as dramatically as possible, of course – to try and work out the puzzle.

But what if we wanted to use a handkerchief, a tissue, or a towel to do the same job? After all, we could hold that in a hand and watch the gales rush through it.

Let’s get stuck in…

playing golf in the wind

Playing golf in the wind

There are all sorts of things covering wind, and other weather conditions, and we’ll get into some of those in a second.

But let’s cut to the chase. Don’t use artificial objects to get wind-related information. Rule 4.3a (2) says you can’t use them – and it sets down what some of these objects are. Powder, handkerchiefs, ribbons – they all fall foul if you’re using them to assess wind direction.

Coming a cropper can get messy. You’ll get the general penalty for the first breach (two shots or loss of hole in match play) and if you do it again in an act that’s unrelated to the first breach – say if you repeated the trick on another hole – the sanction is disqualification.

Now I’ve lectured you on what not to do, what can you do?

You are allowed to get any type of weather information, and that includes wind speed, you can find in a forecast and you’re also allowed to measure both temperature and humidity at the golf course.

But don’t do anything that actually measures the wind speed where you’re standing.

Got a question for our expert?

Despite the changes to the Rules of Golf in 2019 and 2023, there are still some that leave us scratching our heads. I’ll try to help by featuring the best of your queries in this column.

What do you think about these rules about playing golf in the wind? Let me know by leaving a comment on X.

Latest Posts

Houston Open prize money 2024

PGA Tour

Texas Children’s Houston Open prize money: How much does the winner bank?

Read full article - Texas Children’s Houston Open prize money: How much does the winner bank?

Shoes

Duca Del Cosma Positano Golf Shoe Review

Read full article - Duca Del Cosma Positano Golf Shoe Review

Learn from the pros

What Makes It Work? Nelly Korda Golf Swing Analysis

Read full article - What Makes It Work? Nelly Korda Golf Swing Analysis

WIN! A 36-hole golf break at Bramshaw Golf Club

Read full article - WIN! A 36-hole golf break at Bramshaw Golf Club
charley hull wins

LPGA

Is Trish Johnson right to criticise Charley Hull after another near miss?

Read full article - Is Trish Johnson right to criticise Charley Hull after another near miss?

LIV Golf

‘Let’s play for real money!’ PGA Tour veteran hopes LIV Golf invest in senior circuit

Read full article - ‘Let’s play for real money!’ PGA Tour veteran hopes LIV Golf invest in senior circuit
retief goosen roll back

News

Ban the 60-degree wedge! Does Retief Goosen hold the key to golf ball roll back?

Read full article - Ban the 60-degree wedge! Does Retief Goosen hold the key to golf ball roll back?
rory mcilroy

Features

Iain Carter: ‘Rory McIlroy’s vision looks pretty good to me’

Read full article - Iain Carter: ‘Rory McIlroy’s vision looks pretty good to me’
nick dougherty

DP World Tour

Nick Dougherty heads to Westminster to present Golf Foundation initiative

Read full article - Nick Dougherty heads to Westminster to present Golf Foundation initiative