The glove that completes the bag
Every Canadian golfer knows the round: it starts in drizzle, the grips get slick by the sixth hole, and your good leather glove — the one that was perfect in sunshine — turns into the problem. Leather and rain do not mix. It soaks, it slips, and it never really dries the same again. In my years as a professional golfer and teaching professional, I watched more rounds unravel from lost grip in the rain than from bad swings. The FootJoy RainGrip exists for exactly that round. This is my professional evaluation of it — an expert evaluation, not a hands-on ownership review.
How it works — and why it is different
The RainGrip inverts the usual problem. Its Sure-Grip Autosuede knit palm is designed to get grippier as it gets wetter, not slicker. Where a cabretta leather palm loses friction in the wet, this synthetic palm uses moisture to hold on. It is sold as a pair, because rain is a two-hand problem: your gloved hand holds the club, but your bare hand still has to hold an umbrella, a towel, and a wet cart rail without everything sliding around. The QuikDry exterior is built to shed water and dry quickly between shots, and elasticized bands across the back keep the fit snug without the stiff, padded feel of a winter glove.
Who this is for
Any golfer who plays through weather instead of waiting it out — league players with a tee time that does not move for rain, tournament players who cannot postpone, and anyone in a Canadian spring or fall where “chance of showers” is just the forecast. If you only play on blue-sky days, you do not need this glove. If you have ever finished a wet round death-gripping the club to keep it from twisting, you already know you do.
What I like
- Grip that improves in the wet. This is the whole product. The Autosuede palm is engineered for wet conditions — the wetter the round gets, the more secure the hold feels compared to leather. That confidence matters: a relaxed grip in the rain is worth more than any swing tip.
- Sold as a pair, as rain gear should be. Both hands covered means consistent feel on the club and a secure hand for everything else a wet round asks of you.
- It protects your good glove. At CA$40 for the pair, the RainGrip takes the soaking so your premium leather glove does not have to. One drowned StaSof costs nearly the same as this entire pair — the math protects itself.
- Quick-drying and packable. The QuikDry exterior dries fast and the pair takes up almost no room in a side pocket. This is a glove that lives in the bag all season, ready for the one round in five that turns wet.
- FootJoy fit and sizing. The same consistent sizing as the rest of the FootJoy line — if you know your FootJoy size in the StaSof or WinterSof, you know it here.
What I do not
- It is not a dry-weather glove. Judged on a sunny day, the synthetic palm does not have the second-skin feel of premium cabretta leather. That is not its job. In dry conditions, wear the StaSof.
- It is not a warmth glove. RainGrip handles wet, not cold. For a cold, dry fall round you want the WinterSof; for a cold and wet round, many players layer their choice by which problem is worse that day.
- It will sit unused for stretches. That is the nature of insurance gear. If your local forecast is reliably dry all season, this is bag weight you may rarely need.
How it compares
vs. FootJoy StaSof (~C$38, single glove): The StaSof is the feel glove — premium Taction3 leather for dry and humid conditions, and still the best all-round glove in golf. But leather in a downpour is a liability. The RainGrip is the specialist you swap to when the rain actually starts.
vs. FootJoy WinterSof (~CA$40, pair): Same price, opposite problem. The WinterSof wins on warmth, wind, and cold-weather dexterity. The RainGrip wins in genuine rain at mild temperatures. Together with the StaSof, the three cover a full Canadian season: feel, cold, and wet.
vs. playing through in your regular glove: The free option, and the expensive one. A soaked leather glove loses grip for that round and life for every round after. A dedicated rain pair is cheaper than replacing a ruined premium glove.
Verdict
Buy it if: you play league or tournament golf on a fixed schedule, you play spring and fall golf in Canada, or you are tired of one wet round ruining both your scorecard and your good glove. At CA$40 for the pair, it is the least expensive insurance in your bag.
Skip it if: you are a fair-weather-only golfer (get the StaSof and enjoy the sunshine), or cold is your only shoulder-season problem (get the WinterSof).
Sizing note: RainGrip is sold in pairs and runs true to FootJoy sizing — order your normal golf glove size, and expect a snug fit that stays secure when wet.
Related reviews: FootJoy WinterSof for cold rounds · FootJoy StaSof for everyday ones.