Can You Golf on Wet Grass?

Waking up to a rain-soaked morning doesn't have to mean canceling your tee time. While a soggy course presents unique challenges, you absolutely can golf on wet grass, and playing well is a skill you can learn. This article will guide you through the essential gear, strategic adjustments, and specific techniques you need to not just survive a wet round, but to score well and even enjoy it.

Should You Even Be Out There? Course Care and Etiquette

Before we talk strategy, let's talk respect for the course. Rain-softened turf is fragile. If the course is open for play, they trust you to be a good steward of the grounds. If they've implemented a "cart path only" rule, stick to it without fail. Here’s what you need to do:

• Repair Your Pitch Marks (and more): Your ball will leave a much deeper crater on a soft green. Repair your mark correctly by pushing the turf in from the sides, never by lifting from the bottom. If you see another one, fix that too.
• Replace Your Divots: A clean divot on a wet fairway can often be replaced like a puzzle piece. Press it down firmly with your foot. If the divot explodes, use the sand/seed mixture provided if available.
• Take Extra Care with Your Feet: Avoid dragging your feet, especially on the greens. A simple scuff on a soft green can create a significant blemish that takes weeks to heal. Walk lightly.
• Stay Out of Lingering Puddles: Be mindful of your cart and your pushcart. Avoid driving through casual water or low-lying areas where the ground is completely saturated, even on the fairway. This prevents tearing up the turf.

Playing in the wet is a privilege, not a right. Following these simple etiquette rules ensures the course remains in good shape for everyone once the sun comes back out.

Gearing Up for Wet Weather Success

Feeling cold, wet, and miserable is a surefire way to play poorly. Your comfort is your top priority because it directly impacts your ability to swing freely. The right gear isn't a luxury, it's a necessity for wet-weather golf.

The Non-Negotiables: Your Waterproof Shell

Your first line of defense is high-quality waterproof gear. This means a waterproof jacket, pants, and most importantly, waterproof golf shoes. Don't confuse "water-resistant" with "waterproof." A steady rain will soak through resistant gear in a few holes. A good waterproof suit will keep you bone dry and allow you to move without feeling constrained. For your feet, nothing is worse than having wet socks by the third hole. Invest in a good pair of waterproof golf shoes with excellent traction, as you’ll be swinging on a slippery surface.

The Towel Trinity

One towel is not enough. You need at least two, preferably three.

• Towel #1: For Your Grips &, Hands. This is your most important soldier. Keep it as dry as possible by looping it through the metal spokes of your umbrella or tucking it inside your golf bag between shots. Dry hands and a dry grip are fundamental for maintaining control.
• Towel #2: For Your Clubface &, Ball. This towel will get dirty. Use it to wipe mud and grass off your club before every shot and to dry your ball on the green. A clean clubface is critical for getting proper spin and launch.
• Towel #3: The Backup. A small towel in your pocket for your hands as a final A final wipe just before you grip the club.

Game-Changing Equipment: Rain Gloves

Regular leather gloves become unbelievably slippery when wet. Rain gloves, however, are made from a synthetic material that often gets *grippier* the wetter it gets. They are arguably the single most impactful piece of equipment for wet conditions. Buy a pair (for both hands, even if you normally wear one) and keep them in your bag. You will be amazed at the confidence you have holding the club.

Strategic Adjustments for a Soggy Course

A wet course plays completely differently. The ball won’t bounce, it won’t roll, and the very ground you're standing on is less stable. Your strategy has to adapt accordingly. Forget chasing personal bests, smart, conservative golf is the name of the game.

Rule #1: Take More Club and Swing Smooth

Every single shot you hit will fly shorter, for several reasons:

• The air is heavy with moisture, creating more drag on the ball.
• The lack of roll. A drive that normally rolls 25 yards might stop an inch from its pitch mark. Your approach shots won't be running up onto the green. This means carry distance is everything.
• The grass on the clubface. A layer of water between your club and the ball reduces friction, which can decrease spin and launch the ball lower.
• The grass grabbing your club. The wet ground will literally grab your clubhead through impact, slowing it down.

The standard advice is to take at least one extra club for your approach shots, and sometimes two depending on the conditions. Instead of hitting a full 7-iron, grab a 6-iron and make a smooth, 80% swing. A smoother swing also helps maintain your balance on the slippery ground, which prevents swaying and promotes better contact - your number one goal in the wet.

Rule #2: Adjust for Cleaner Contact

Hitting the ball "fat" - catching the turf before the ball - is the most common mistake on a wet course. Because the ground is so soft, a shot you might normally get away with on a dry day will result in a huge, sod-busting divot that sends the ball nowhere.

To promote ball-first contact, a simple adjustment can help. Many players find success by moving the ball a half-ball to a full ball back in their stance versus its normal position. This encourages a slightly steeper angle of attack, helping you hit down on the ball and catch it cleanly before the clubhead bottoms out in the soggy turf.

Playing Specific Shots on Wet Grass

Let's break down how to handle situations you'll encounter around the course.

From the Fairway

Here, your focus is singular: ball first, turf second. No "sweeping" the ball. Remember to take your extra club and make a smooth, controlled swing. Don't be afraid to take a divot after the ball is gone, as this is a sign of good compression. The main objective is to avoid that dreaded fat shot. Aim for the middle of the green, as precision is much harder to come by in these conditions.

From the Wet Rough

Never has the phrase "take your medicine" been more appropriate. Wet, thick rough is like a nightmare. It will wrap around your hosel and slam your clubface shut, causing shots to come out low and pulled sharply to the left (for a right-handed golfer). A "flyer" lie is extremely rare, most shots will come out heavy and dead.

The solution: get out. Do not try a hero shot with a long iron or hybrid. Take a lofted club, like a wedge or 9-iron. Open the clubface slightly at setup to counteract the grass wanting to shut it closed, and make an aggressive-but-controlled swing to power through it. The goal is to get back to the fairway, not to reach the green.

From a Wet Bunker

Forget everything you know about playing from a fluffy sand bunker. Wet sand acts like thick, heavy mud. It's compacted and firm. The "splash" shot where you use the club's bounce to glide through the sand will not work - the club will dig in and get stuck.

Instead, play it more like a buried lie. You may want to use a less-lofted wedge (like your pitching wedge instead of your sand wedge). Square up the clubface instead of opening it to allow the leading edge to dig. You need to be far more aggressive with your swing speed to blast the ball and the sand out of there. The ball won't have much spin, so expect it to run out once it hits the green.

On the Greens

Wet greens are slow greens. Simple as that. You will need to hit your putts with significantly more pace than usual. A putt that looks like it will break a foot may only break a few inches because the water on the surface holds the ball to its line for longer. Be bold with your stroke. Focus on hitting the back of the cup, knowing that it's much harder to three-putt by going past the hole than it is by leaving three putts short.

Final Thoughts

Playing golf on wet grass is entirely doable, so long as you adjust your gear, your strategy, and your expectations. By managing your comfort, making smarter club choices, and focusing on clean contact, you can effectively navigate a soggy course and still put a good number on your scorecard.

When you're faced with one of those questionable lies in the deep, wet rough or aren’t sure how many extra clubs to take, getting instant advice from an expert in your pocket can be a game-saver. At times like these I have found that Caddie AI transforms a guess into a confident decision. I can get an immediate, smart recommendation on club selection or even snap a photo of my ball's tricky situation to receive a simple, clear plan on how to play the shot. It helps take the uncertainty out of the most challenging conditions you'll face on the course.