Hello friends. It’s that time of year again. Dust off your lucky quarter-zips, grab your finest Lululemon ABC pants, and hell, a nice vest never hurt anybody. It’s time to gear up for one of the greatest seasons of the year: Fall golf.
That cool fall breeze that makes your cheeks get rosy. That ice-cold refreshing beverage that becomes just barely too cold to hold in your non-glove hand. That first breakfast ball, which totally should’ve been findable, getting lost under the fiery rough of fallen maple leaves.
There’s just something about these magical moments.
It’s an odd thing too, this fall golf. Many consider it to be the greatest season of the sport, yet the fall hosts no meaningful professional tournaments. It’s almost like the pros chose for it to be their summer. Their time to relax and enjoy themselves on the course. I don’t blame them one bit. I applaud them.
There’s something poetic about the whole experience. Darker, cooler mornings. The warmth of the afternoon sun on your neck. The early sunsets, forcing you to tuck into the clubhouse for one final drink as you catch the late football games.
I’ve become a fall person in my older years. As a kid, it’s hard not to love summer. No school, no obligations, just plain fun. That being said, I was always a winter guy. Skiing, ice hockey, and playing snow football for hours on end was my paradise. Plus, my Irish skin never fared too well in the summer sun.
Nowadays, the body’s supply doesn’t quite meet the youthful demand of endless ice hockey and snow football, and while I still love to ski, golf has found its own spot in my heart.
Like pre-pitch clock days at the ballpark, golf is a beautiful excuse to spend time with the people you enjoy most, and there’s something about fall golf that pulls people together more. Maybe it’s the realization that the number of rounds left in the year is growing smaller by the day. Maybe it’s work kicking back up and people needing an escape more than ever. Maybe it’s the aforementioned beauty of the season, but more likely, it’s a combination of these reasons and many more that drive friends to meet at their local course.
Whatever the reasons may be, go soak up fall golf while it’s here. Don’t get too mad when you lose a fresh sleeve of Pro Vs in the leaves. Pop open another sleeve, take a free drop, and laugh it off over a pint with your buddies afterward.
Thank you, fall golf.