FORE!  Fall Golf in the Lakes Region

By Mark Okrant

With gorgeous surroundings ranging from lakes, to mountains, to beautiful resorts, to quaint villages, golf in New Hampshire is a pure delight. No matter whether you’re a scratch, bogey, or high handicap player, a terrible round of golf is far better than a good day at work. 

For many golfers, the end of summer signals the swan song for their golf season. How misguided can someone be? Those golfers who continue to play—despite putting away those Bermuda shorts, polo shirts, and colorful visors—experience something truly special. 

Here in central New Hampshire, the onset of cold evening temperatures does something positively magical to the deciduous trees and bushes that line the fairways. From late September until late October, the monochromatic green that characterizes spring and summer in the Lakes Region is replaced by various shades of red, orange, yellow, purple, and brown. These magnificent colors are in contrast with the emerald green of the fairways and the bold blue of the sky overhead. 

Crisp autumn air contributes immensely to the pleasure of golf. Seasonal daytime temperatures generally range from 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity readings are substantially lower than they were during the golf season’s zenith. 

Many golfers are forced to adjust to summer heat and humidity by touring the course in an electric or gas-powered golf cart. However, with the onset of cooler weather, carts remain parked in favor of three- and four-wheel pushcarts. Consequently, fall golf is a time for taking brisk walks and experiencing casual conversations.  

As one golfer explained, fall golf is a time to break out clothing that is reminiscent of the way people dress in the ancient home of the sport—Scotland. No matter what your skill level, when attired in a pair of corduroy pants or plaid trousers, a turtleneck shirt, a cardigan or V-neck pullover sweater, and a fedora or newsboy cap, one’s appearance disguises even the poorest of golf handicaps. Speaking of golf attire and gear, pro shops tend to offer excellent discounts during the fall season.

Helping to create a positive atmosphere on golf courses during fall is the absence of waiting to tee up your golf ball. With the arrival of Labor Day, players visiting from out-of-state will have gone home. This allows locals to capture those elusive attractive tee times. Courses are far less crowded during weekends; and the pace of playing eighteen holes drops from five hours to considerably less than four. Moreover, because golf course starters and rangers are less stressed, they tend to be more pleasant.

We asked 75 year-old David Deardorff to compare fall versus summer golf. “I much prefer the cool days of fall to the blistering sun of the summer season.” Furthermore, golf has taken on new meaning since he retired. Once a fanatic about working on his game, either alone or in the company of others, Deardorff now says that playing alone without good conversation with his golf partner “just doesn't seem to make as much sense.” Coming from North Manchester, Indiana, and living around the New York City metropolitan area most of his adult life, Deardorff notes with a smile that his feeling about playing fall golf in these New Hampshire hills has changed: “I’ll always find those vistas refreshing, relaxed, and colorful; but walking them at my age is 

another story.”

On the golf course, during the fall, fairways tend to allow more roll. Consequently, a golfer who struggles to hit her/his tee shots 150 yards during the summer is now capable of driving the ball 180 or more yards. Excellent golfers thrive on greens that read 11-12 on the Stimpmeter; this means the ball rolls very fast—too fast for high handicappers. For weekend players, a speed of 8 or 9 is vastly preferred. During the fall months, greens tend to be slower—therefore, mercifully more forgiving. 

The fall season ushers in some rules that are enjoyable to skilled and less talented golfers alike. One of these is “Winter rules.” With the onset of colder weather, grass in the fairways will not grow at the same rate as it did during summer. Consequently, on a number of occasions, a golfer’s shot lands in the fairway but stops on a patch of dead grass or a bare spot. According to winter rules, the golfer is allowed to move her/his golf ball between six inches and a club length. The golfer can “lift, clean, and place” the ball when faced with especially poor conditions. Be advised: a golf ball landing in a similar situation during the summer would need to be played as it lies.  

Not everything about fall golf makes golfers happy. With the end of Daylight Savings Time, days are shorter. This means that golf occasions must be planned around lesser amounts of daytime. Perhaps the two greatest negatives associated with fall play are the threat of frost and leaf falls.

Most courses do not want golfers to be driving on the fairways or walking on the tees and greens while there is frost activity. As a result, golfers may find themselves being barred from starting at a tee time they had reserved. Patience is soon rewarded, however, as 30 to 60 minutes of sunshine usually is all the time it takes to dissipate light frost. 

Cold is not always the enemy of golfers. One player reported an interesting story about playing golf in the Lakes Region following a night of very cold temperatures. Standing on an elevated tee next to a pond, he struck his tee shot only to realize that it was headed for the middle of the water. His temporary grief turned into elation when the ball bounced once, then a second time on the frozen surface, before landing safely in the fairway on the other side. 

Leaf falls are a major irritant associated with fall golf. More than one golfer has bemoaned the fact that his golf ball, which landed safely in the fairway, rolled beneath a pile of leaves—never to be seen again. In the summer, a lost ball would require that the golfer take a one-stroke penalty, then return to the place where she/he had hit the shot, before doing it again. A number of area courses have instituted a “leaf rule” during fall. In these circumstances, the golfer estimates where her/his ball probably landed, then drops a second ball while being assessed a one-stroke penalty. Where no handicap or money is involved, more charitable partners have been known to forgive the penalty altogether.  

Opportunities abound. A number of area courses will be open until mid-November, while several choose to close in October. Kingswood Golf Club (603.569.3569) is an 18-hole Donald Ross designed course located in Wolfeboro. Ridgewood Country Club (603.476.5930) is an 18-hole course in Moultonborough. Ossipee’s 18-hole layout is the Indian Mound Golf Club (603.539.7733). Oak Hill Country Club (603.279.4438) is a charming 9-hole course located in Meredith. Waukewan Golf Club (603.279.6661) is an 18-hole course in Center Harbor. The 18-hole Loudon Country Club (603.783.3372) provides beautiful foliage vistas. Lochmere Country Club’s (603.528.4653) 18-hole layout is conveniently situated just down the road from the outlet mall in Tilton. Also, Pheasant Ridge Country Club (603.524.7808) offers 18 holes in Gilford. 

Golfers are encouraged to call ahead to confirm seasonal closing dates, and to book tee times at these courses.