Nay wind, Nay rain, Nay golf.
— Old Scottish Saying
This old saying simply means that if there isn’t rain and wind, it really isn’t true Scottish golf.
Scotland, the home of golf, is also the home of elements. It is those elements that protect the integrity of the links golf courses that make up the Open rota.
On sunny days with no wind, scores can go really, really low, but you can forget about dry, sunny, windless days this week at the 145th playing of golf’s oldest championship.
The call is for real Scottish weather, wind and rain, especially on Friday and Saturday.
At Royal Troon, the wind is your friend on the first nine holes, on the final nine, it will beat you up and leave you wishing you were in the warm and dry confines of the clubhouse.
Get out your “waterproofs” laddies.
A quick check with The Weather Channel tells us that Thursday may provide the best weather, so if you don’t get it done during the first round, good luck.
Temperatures will run in the 50-60 degree range. Highest winds will come on Friday and Saturday with Saturday having wins howling in off the Firth of Clyde at 30 miles per hour, maybe higher in gusts. Friday and Sunday, maybe 20-25 miles per hour with rain a strong factor on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
It is the elements that makes this perhaps the greatest of the majors.
No need to trick up the courses like the USGA does. These courses stand on their own, a display of natural terrain, not artificially manicured. This land “links” the sea to the town, its sandy soil unfit for farming.
Perfect for golf.
So, Aye wind, Aye to the rain!
Aye! Golf!
