It's going to be wet - probably with some squishy steps- at Willowbrook Golf Course today for the TSSAA's Division II-AA state championships.
Golfers for Girls Preparatory School, McCallie and both Baylor teams know the conditions will not be optimal for scoring. But the six teams in each tournament will face the same challenges.
They'll certainly need rain gear, gloves, extra towels, maybe even a full change of clothes to deal with the elements, which could produce plugged lies, standing water and maybe even flyer lies from the fairway.
"Any time we've not had success, the weather has been bad," said Baylor coach Gary Partrick, whose boys' team won in 2012, with the girls also claiming titles that season and in 2013.
Both Baylor teams trekked up to Manchester on Saturday and had the entire course to themselves. Instead of playing in order from No. 1 to No. 18, they tested about 15 holes, including the most difficult stretch of Nos. 13-16.
"It was so much fun because I got to tell Elina (Saska) everything I knew about the course," Baylor senior Katherine Holmes said. "The last three years I've played at state, it's rained, so that's the only way I know the course."
Every team in the tournament - competition is scheduled to begin this morning and end Tuesday afternoon - had a practice round scheduled for Sunday.
"We've been practicing in the rain all week," said Rob Riddle, director of golf for GPS and McCallie. "We've practiced in the misting rain, and spitting rain and wet conditions.
"We've reviewed what we're supposed to do and what clubs we're supposed to hit."
In the girls' competition, defending champion St. Agnes, from the Memphis area, shot a 141 in its region championship. Baylor won the East/Middle Region with a 148 and GPS finished runner-up with a 159.
In the boys' competition, defending champion Memphis University School could not escape from its region. McCallie finished runner-up to Father Ryan with a 286 and Baylor shot 287 to place third in the East/Middle.
"The boys are a little more than wide open," Riddle said. "You can look at the region scores that were shot and say it's anybody's game.
"For our girls, it's probably going to be a little more challenging to beat St. Agnes and Baylor."
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6484. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/Uchiyama