By Don Walter
The hardest months for golfers in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly Montana, are October and November.
In October, for the addicted, the end is close at hand. Some call it the silly season! Why? Golf courses will do anything to keep golfers coming, despite the chance of bad weather. They dream up tournaments like “the world’s hardest” “Iron Man” etc. Their tournaments designed to pique interest and have a fun way to wrap up the season. Addicted golfers like myself enjoy every minute and eat it up by the spoonful. My favorite is “the blender”, a one-day event where they set the course up cross-country style. On the first tee, you may play to the third green, or from #8 tee box to #13 green. It’s a blast! Plus, it’s another round of golf before the snow flies!
Closing dates are usually right at Halloween, and if the weather is nice at the end of October, the whining and bargaining begins. Players implore superintendents to not let it end. They wonder why we can’t just keep it going for another week, delay the winterization, and let us play more. Adult men and women turn into young children just begging to stay up another hour before bedtime. “Just one more day of golf this year, please?”
When November officially hits, and it’s all over, we throw our hands in the air and scurry off to our bedrooms pouting all the way. My wife says she despises November as much as I do, not because she is addicted to golf but because I am, and that reference to small upset children seems to stick around all month long. I know I am inconsolable. I watch football on TV with my golf clubs laying within arms length, picking them up at every commercial to take a small swing or putt. When Saturday comes around, I don’t have any plans, I just mope around. Eventually, I think it gets better with the passing of Thanksgiving and withdrawal symptoms subside a bit. The first sight of snow extinguishes the fire. No more driving past the course thinking it seems warm enough for a quick nine.
Hope springs eternal for most addicted golfers; there are lots of winter cures for the golfing bug. It’s just not the same, so I wait. Sure I bop down south for a few rounds, or jump in the simulator for a few swings, but deep down inside I’m waiting, waiting for the next golf season. See you on the course in 2024. MSN
