Tee Thursday: Let yourself fall for Autumn golf

Summer is fleeting and for New England boaters and beach-goers that means holding on to the last moments you can Golfers While we love our warm summer months Autumn is the season we wait all year for With healthy and vibrant green fairways cooler weather that makes it all the better amazing vistas that seem to showcase foliage and oh right lower costs in the greater part places Fall is the season that gives us even more reason to play golf That disclosed there are attempts to take and things to consider when you head out for your Fall golf round Keep this in mind as you book your rounds and remember tell the fair weather golfers that it s just not that great out there We can keep it for just us Frost and dew and moisture oh my Autumn in New England can mean somewhat damp mornings and that can impact everything from your starting time to your play conditions Cooler and longer Fall nights allow the earth to cool to its dew point which is when water condenses into droplets That means you ll often find a damp playing surface early days this time of year And should it get cold enough overnight that could mean a start delay This is nothing to fret over Unfailingly call your club before heading there this time of year to check on your start time or just enjoy more practice time pre-round Wear waterproof shoes too if you don t already Expect less forgiving roll on your fairway shots and realizable slower greens And then making your round extra fun for real things will dry up and change It s nature and it s fun to learn from Leaves leaves branches and more As the Fall season progresses you re going to find more and more leaves blown in piles along fairway edges thick at the edge of the woods and even scattered all over the greens What to do There is veritably no preferred lie rule in the rules of golf but various courses do put out their own rules once leaves are falling at a brisk pace Selected give you a free drop if you lose a ball in a pile of leaves Your best bet If you are playing for fun and not in a tourney talk ahead of time with your playing partners about how they want to handle it as a group If you all agree on a free drop or you all agree on how you ll handle putting it s all good Do talk about it once leaves are falling Dressing the part Waterproof shoes are extra key this time of year as is layering Dress so you can easily shed layers as the day progresses and fingers crossed gets warmer I find it s a good idea before playing to go out in my yard wearing my layers to swing my club and be sure I can swing freely while wearing them A too-constricting wardrobe can tank a round As for your hands consider investing in both rain and winter golf gloves They re thicker and warmer and yet still have a good feel I like my rain gloves so much I wear that type on greater part rounds even in the hot summer sun You ll find that gloves designed for this weather will help you not just feel more confident but keep your grip on the club better How to play on Knowing that your distance can drop as much as to yards with the denser Autumn air means you ll know to adjust your club choices accordingly Fall is a great time to visit the driving range for a half hour before a round to get a feel for that Remember the dew as well and be sure to wipe down your irons and fairway woods before striking the ball Know too that shots out of deeper rough are going to be extra challenging when that rough is even a little wet You know what s cool about playing in the dew On greens the ball often leaves a line in the dew showing the break like a coaches drawing on a whiteboard If you re not putting first this can be a real bonus Take it all in Across the Bay State courses are in their true beauty era this time of year So while you need to keep your pace of play don t forget to take it all in To do this consider walking You ll warm up faster and have time as you walk to soak it all in From playing next to a working bog at Souther s Marsh https southersmarsh com to playing deep in the foliage at one of the countless western suburb and Berkshire courses Fall golf is a beautiful thing par birdie or even bogey