I wonder who those pilots were...
I have been to only one met course (won't say whose) and found it of little use. It was like every other Met course... you learn wx theory but not how to apply it to real flying i.e. how to relate the data available on commonly used wx websites to what you might encounter enroute.
Having done the Met theory in the UK PPL, the FAA PPL, the FAA CPL, the FAA IR, and the UK IR, I am still not much wiser, and I use my own methods which work very well for me.
For UK VFR, below the cloud, a reasonable rule is to get tafs and metars for the route and GO if the bases are forecast at MSA+500ft for +/-1hr around the ET for each waypoint. The vis requirements will depend on how you navigate; say 5k-10k for DR and down to 1.5k (the legal min since April 2012) if using GPS. I would also avoid flying under CB bases
For IFR, I use the tafs/metars for the two ends, and various things incl. satellite IR images for enroute. This is in my
trip reports.
There is definitely a need for better wx courses, IMHO, and it should be run as a workshop where you work out some real routes and the expected wx.