IMC Rating at airfields with no published approach
Nice one, Grob Driver - you lived to tell the tale, which means a job well done. I've never experienced that myself, but I've come close, and I can imagine it's not pleasant.
As for using an IMC rating at a field with no instrument approach, yes it certainly can be useful. Under IFR, you have to be at least 1000' above the nearest object within 5nm. So, if your field doesn't have a published approach, you can still use your IMC skills to fly directly overhead the field. Once overhead, you can descend (or you could descend on the way to the field) to 1000' above blah blah.... Hopefully you'll become visual in that time, and you can then switch to VFR. As an IMC-rated pilot, you can legally fly VFR with vis as low as 1500m - not something you'd ever use for a cross-country, but useful for getting into a field after becoming VFR in the vicinity.
Of course, if you can't become visual without breaking the IFR low-flying rules, that's the time to divert to your nearest airfield with an instrument approach.
FFF
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