For those of us in the Northeast, the 2024 golf season is officially over.
This year is a sad time, but USGA's Official GHIN Service Posting scores online is prohibited. But at this point, golfers can look back on the past season, remember the good shots, the bad shots, and smile at the birdie they made while kicking a three-putt that was definitely wasted.
You don't need to look beyond your own game. My first round of the season was at Lancaster Country Club in advance of this year's U.S. Women's Open. Being shotgun, our group started at the 14th par 4, a beautiful golf hole with a dogleg right. After finding a good fairway bunker off the tee, he hit a solid 9-iron onto the green from 150 yards. It stopped about 20 feet above the hole. After that, we achieved 3 wins. It's been a pretty good start to the season. Unfortunately, that didn't last long as I three-putted on four of the next six holes and was incredibly frustrated.
So I worked on improving my lag putting and speed throughout the season. This is something Sam Burns told me at the Travelers Championship, that all amateurs should strive to improve. Speed on the green is much more important than direction. So while the golf season is more or less over for large swathes of the country, it's also a time for golfers to think about where they need to improve, whether it's off the tee, on the green, or somewhere in between. Perhaps your irons are in need of repair, but there are aspects of the game where a few sessions in a simulator over the winter can do wonders.
Still, many golf courses across the North will remain eagerly open this week, offering one last chance for glory before the winter chill sets in. I've had the good fortune of playing on Thanksgiving in years past, which is a rarity in my home state of Western New York. But this year, he won't have that opportunity and will instead reflect on his season.
Sadly, if you're from the North and lucky enough to be able to attend the game this week, here are three quick tips to keep in mind when playing on Turkey Day.
3. Club up
In cold weather, the air is denser, so the ball will not travel as far. I always bring extra clubs when I play North from late October to mid-March. A 150-yard shot immediately plays just as well as a 160-yard shot, without considering wind or elevation changes.
Of course, the wind also picks up at this time of year, making the already difficult conditions even more difficult. When playing a windy hole, you might choke trying to play a low, links-like trajectory with two or three extra clubs.
Anyway, remember that stockyards are not the same in cold weather. Club up. You won't regret it.
2. Remember the leaf rules
Ah, that's right. It's a rule that golfers want to be present all 12 months of the year.
When someone hits a ball into a pile of leaves, it's often impossible to find, like a needle in a haystack. Given that leaves seem to be everywhere now, remember the leaf rule. If you miss the fairway 5 yards to the right and the ball is stuck in that area, save everyone around you time and drop it. Of course, if you can see the ball clearly, keep playing it and keep playing.
But the Leaf Rule also helps maintain a steady pace of play, something all golfers, especially the LPGA's biggest stars, are eager to improve on.
1. Count your blessings
This year's most important tip.
If you can play golf on Thanksgiving, bless you. It's a day to reflect on the things you are grateful for, such as your family, friends, health, and good fortune. Golf also falls into this category, as not all golfers are lucky enough to tee it up on Turkey Day. But if you are one of them, consider yourself lucky. And be sure to stick together.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
