The best is yet to come

Today has all the markings of a perfect fall golf day. The morning was clear and crisp, and the rising sun turned the hills of West Suffield a bright golden yellow. As the morning progressed some gray clouds rolled in on the breeze and golfers are reaching deep in their lockers for a pullover. For some it may be a bit brisk for golf, but in my mind this is a sign that the best golf of the year is right around the corner.
Cool, sunny days, and clear chilly nights produce ideal conditions for golf. The greens and fairways will be firm, and the grass will start to slow down providing smooth, firm playing surfaces that require very little water. Combine that with a firm wind racing out of the northwest and you have the makings for a great day of golf. The forty or so days from now until the leaves begin to fall, golf will only get better. The condition of the course will improve daily, and the leaves will slowly reveal their autumn colors, making New England the best place in then world to get out and enjoy an afternoon round.
Perhaps the only thing that could make this story any more appealing is a hearty lunch of shepherd's pie or bangers and mashed in the 19th hole, washed down with a harvest ale. This will surely warm your bones as you look out the window and contemplate your next round, when you vow to atone for the errant shots you left on the course that day.
This is what I have been thinking about all summer when we were forced to endure the relentless heat and drought, feeling more like I was working in a blast furnace rather than a golf course. There is still plenty of work to be done before the leaves start to fall, but the stress level should be much more manageable, and there will be more opportunities to steal away for a day of golf.