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Bill Rabel of the Pine Lakes Golf Club & Penn Ohio Golf Trail shares his thoughts on why golf is so much more enjoyable in the crisp, fresh fall air.
Golfing in Northeast Ohio
Yesterday after work, I went out for a quick nine at Trumbull CC. It was the best round I played in over a month. I even birdied the par 4 #4 hole. The second hardest hole on the course. This is no small feat for me. As I drove home, I had my windows down, the 90’s on nine blaring, and I was happy. I played a round of golf, played well, wasn’t worn out, played quickly (the wife wasn’t mad I was gone too long), and was happy. I played a round of golf and came away happy. It was fall, I golfed, I was happy. This was easy. Golf is easy… ok, now I’m getting carried away.
Why Fall ‘Hits Different’
There’s something about playing golf in the fall in Northeast Ohio that brings out my best game (which is never very good). Maybe it’s the cooler, crisp air; maybe the course conditions; maybe just the kids are back in school (welp, kinda back in school this year) and life seems a bit slower again. I do know that I look forward to fall golf, it just seems the game comes a bit more easily.
Maybe that’s it, maybe things just seem easier in the fall. Golf definitely doesn’t seem like a chore or some marathon workout. The air is cool and with little or no humidity. It’s not like during the long days of summer when you feel like you need a shower coming off the putting green before the round. Putting on pants, feeling a little more professional, and not feeling like I’m stepping into a sauna to hit every shot just makes the game more enjoyable. That cooler air keeps me fresh. We all know how athletic you need to be to golf and performing at your highest level is so much easier in the cool, fresh fall air.
How Do the Golfing Conditions Change with Seasons?
In the fall, I love the course conditions. The burned-out spots, the bumpy greens, the bare tee boxes are all gone. They’re replaced with green, plush grass. I’m looking out my office window now down the 17 fairway of Pine Lakes Golf Club and the lines cut in the fairway are professional. It doesn’t seem this should be Ohio. Course superintendents love the fall and always seem to have the courses in perfect shape. Mother nature does most of the work and they’re left to cut and shape it. Even the dreaded aerating of greens has changed. More and more superintendents are pushing it back to October realizing the great playing conditions and golfers desire for fall golf. Most aren’t even pulling plugs anymore.
Is it Safe to Go Golfing Under “The New Normal”?
The other great area of fall golf is that the courses are less crowded, so social distancing is very doable. Scheduling a tee time can be quite flexible. Leagues are coming to an end and the pace of play has sped up. Those summer days of packed courses and waiting on every shot are over. This is perfect for me as I can sneak out for a quick nine-hole game or even play a quick 18, and the wife hardly notices I’m gone. And, there’s still plenty of time for apple picking in Hartford.
Finally, my game is at its “best” in the fall. I won’t say golf is easy, but the lessons all summer, the endless time at the driving range, the countless high score rounds all culminate into a wonderful mediocrity. The Pro at Pine Lakes once told me my swing looks like an Octopus falling out of a tree. I think during the fall, that Octopus has fewer arms. My slice is a little straighter, my chipping a bit truer, and my putting is still awful, but the balls look better rolling across verdant greens.
Final Thoughts
Ok, I think I’ve convinced you enough that fall is the perfect time to golf. So, get out there. Hit ‘em straight. Enjoy the weather. Enjoy golf. Enjoy the amazing courses we have in some of their best playing conditions. I’m done writing about it, I’m off to do it. Can’t waste anymore time thinking about it, need to get that Octopus back up in the tree!
Questions? Comments? Feel free to reach out to the author!
Bill Rabel
Pine Lakes Golf Club – Penn Ohio Golf Trail
Phone – 330.534.6789 or 877.534.6789 ext. 101 Fax – 330.534.5897
Email – bill@golfpinelakes.com or bill78golf@gmail.com
