Morning vs Twilight golf

[Moonlightgrm]

In my younger days, I was strictly a morning golfer. Now that I am retired, I love playing in the evenings after dinner. 

[bohansen]

I used to enjoy afternoon rounds, but since I’ve had kids I much prefer morning rounds so I can be home and take care of things the rest of the day. 

[Captain Hook11]

I should add this as well: Mid-week, mid-day rounds. Holy cow. We took a half day yesterday and played at 1:00 pm and finished in 3:15. It was absolutely glorious. No groups within 2 holes of us all day.

Edited June 30, 2022 by Captain Hook11

[8602081]

On 6/27/2022 at 2:10 PM, ClarkGrswld4 said:

I've done a 180 on this, used to want to play as early in the morning as possible but now I prefer twilight.

 

Reasons

Twilight golf cheaper

Lack of mosquitos much better in twilight

I tend to be tired the rest of the day when I play in the morning unless I can get a nap in

I kind of like playing with the dew but the messy shoes are annoying

 

Same thing for me..

 

Used to play First Tee  6:30 - 7 am tee time every Saturday.. Done around 10-10:30, always thought this would give me rest of the day to do other things..

Nope, After golf, all I wanted to do was nothing, so tired..

 

[Walk-it-in]

In the summer, love the mornings, the only downside is the greens can still be damp the first few holes and you have to adjust the speed of putts, especially uphill. 
 

that said, when it’s cooler, twilight is great fun where the ball seems to always fly a little further than the early mornings and the sun isn’t as brutal. 

[FormerBigDaddy]

I play whenever I can and I also belong to a club… most of the time as a husband and father I try to get out as early as possible in order to ease the burden at home on the wife for the rest of the day. 
 

However, I much prefer playing later in the day but I don’t get to do that much. In a perfect world I’d finish my last hole in the near dark. Just love the peacefulness of an empty course as the sun goes down. 

[Phreddy]

Love 'em both.  Where I play the twilight rounds are often on a largely empty course and the ambiance is hard to beat.  Give me a twilight 9 or 18 by myself, lost in the rhythm of walking and I often play my best.  The benefit of the mornings is the purity of the course.  Greens roll great.  No ball marks to repair and the greens are rolling their quickest for the day.

[straightsixes]

Twilight guy here:  

Upside for me..

I am getting older so having a full day to warm up the body helps. 

 

Building up Karma points by fixing all the ball marks on the greens. 

Let me work in the AM and then finish the day on a good note. (I am above ground and playing a game). 
 

Being able to practice/warmup prior to round helps me.  Starting out cold I might as well throw away first four holes. 
 

When it’s just you on an empty course getting in those last 2 holes to finish 18 on a very nice course that only cost $16 after 5 Pm. The frugal guy in me knows it’s a win no matter what. 
 

Downside:

 

Sprinklers.  My mental game sucks when trying to time making good decisions/good swings before the soaking. 

 

Not all courses are amazing and one maybe shouldn’t be by themselves at dusk. 
 

Losing the balls in flight/grass because you are just a little bit late to 18th hole. 
 

Sprinklers popping up on your backswing. Did I

mention the weak mental game?

 

[golfer07840]

On 1/25/2022 at 11:56 AM, Dr.Zevia said:

Which do you prefer? I rarely play in the mornings. To me the morning is a time for work and the afternoon is play time. Golf in the morning seems like a chore and the rest of the day just feels weird. 

 

I prefer twilight. Especially this time of year. 

 

Also it's heck if alot cheaper. 135$, vs 40$. Hmmm. Let me think about that. 

 

I also am not a morning person to begin with. I need to wake up, shower, have breakfast, etc. Ease into my day. 

 

I also dislike the wet grass in the morning. 

[golfer07840]

On 1/25/2022 at 12:38 PM, elsie451 said:

You can always finish a morning round, same can't be said for twilight

This is especially true in the fall. Better start playing by 2:00 come mid October. 

[golfer07840]

On 1/26/2022 at 6:50 PM, Dr.Zevia said:

Why do you want to 'get it over with?' To me golf is something to be savored.  

Agree with this. 

 

I've never understood the get out at 6 am crowd and need to be done in 2.5 hours. 

 

Unless you're really pressed for time (before work, or an afternoon family thing), I get it. 

 

But there does seem to be a section of golfers who feel it must be done in under 3 hours or you're slow. 

[golfer07840]

On 2/14/2022 at 8:48 AM, amace04 said:

Mornings, but not too early.  Usually go out around 8 or 830am on Saturdays, excellent way to get the day started.  Course is in ideal shape, greens roll true, not too hot, but starts warming up nicely after a couple holes.  I've gotta make sure to hit the range first though, I'm useless without about 25 warmup shots.

 

Plus, mornings you've usually got the better golfers, and/or retirees in carts, so the round just flies by.  Twilight brings out the casuals, and before you know it, it's taking 2h to finish 9

2 hours to finish 9? 

 

Oh the humanity..

[golfer07840]

On 6/22/2022 at 4:04 PM, samwm said:

I live in a town of 50,000. Mainly retirees and meth heads (welcome to BC).

 

As a result, every course is packed in the AM and deserted by bedtime. Which, by my estimation, is approximately 5 PM. 

 

So, my choice is simple: twilight.

 

Can often get around in 2 hours at that time of day. For me, there aren't many better uses of 2 hours than playing 18 holes. 

 

 

 

2 hours for 18 holes? 

 

Are the tee boxes literally next to the previous green? I must live in the wrong part of the country for fast golf. This 2 hours for 18 holes is a very foreign concept to me. 

 

Heck, even the scorecard says it's impossible:

 

[T.B.]

Love twilight rounds of golf.   As kids we’d play afternoon rounds and if we could play another 9 before dark.   I still prefer afternoon rounds over morning rounds. 

[phil75070]

I really like being first off every weekday morning (weather permitting). It is great for pace of play (well under 3 hours for our foursome). What I don't like is, if it isn't dew, the course is wet from watering, reducing roll/distance off the tee.

[bcjim]

On 7/5/2022 at 11:45 AM, golfer07840 said:

I prefer twilight. Especially this time of year. 

 

Also it's heck if alot cheaper. 135$, vs 40$. Hmmm. Let me think about that. 

 

I also am not a morning person to begin with. I need to wake up, shower, have breakfast, etc. Ease into my day. 

 

I also dislike the wet grass in the morning. 

Agree. And golf early = nap needed later, don't get much done, post round beer ruins the day.  Golf when I finish at dusk = beer, food, shower, bed. That's living life.

[golfer07840]

2 hours ago, bcjim said:

Agree. And golf early = nap needed later, don't get much done, post round beer ruins the day.  Golf when I finish at dusk = beer, food, shower, bed. That's living life.

I played today at 3pm. 

 

I woke up, did the morning routine. Got stuff done around the house. Grabbed lunch, went to the range, teed off, round was a typical 4:15. I picked up dinner, came home, showered, ate and now I'm hanging out at 10:25. 

 

A nice day for sure. 

 

Now, I admit, those who have little ones, that can't be their typical golf day. I'm lucky, all 3 kids are out of the house and it's just my wife and I and she likes to come along, sometimes she plays. 

 

[SnowbirdTom]

Our group is the first out on Mondays and Fridays at 7:25am on the home course.  We have to deal with dampness, mowers and holes being moved while we’re on the tee. Wouldn’t trade the camaraderie for anything, but my scramble rounds start a couple hours later and run out is much improved with dry fairways.  
 

Doesn’t make a huge hoot in the woods, I’m out playing golf and having fun 3-4 times a week!

[vtpachyderm]

Teed off at 5pm, played a relaxed foursome. Finished at around 9:15. Probably could have done it in around 4 hrs if we weren't looking for golf balls as the rough is pretty bad. Can play until about 10-11pm for the next 3 weeks, before it starts getting a bit too dark again. Having an unusually cold and wet summer, so everyone prefers to wait until the evening for the course to dry up a bit. Pic is of the group behind us finishing up on 18.

 

 

[DaddySwagMaster]

 

[Aggie]

I prefer twilight – the change in temperature on morning rounds somehow bothers me more than the declining temperature (if slight) in the evenings. Granted, that's Texas golf – pick your poison. Also morning rounds are so wet and dewy.

[juddrussell]

Mornings for me, first tee time is bliss.  I typically shoot better in the afternoon though 

[HiCapGolf]

I think I prefer evening rounds. I usually play better golf too. It’s a way for me to end the day and relax. 
 

unfortunately nobody will play with me in the evenings. They only want morning rounds. So I find myself playing solo in the evenings which I don’t mind but I like to play with the group occasionally. 

[Palmydrain]

Evenings... for me there is nothing better than finishing a round as the sun is setting. Only time I'll elect to play in the morning is if I'm trying to beat the heat... other than that I would much rather get the honey-do's done early and then finish the day with a casual 9 or 18. 

[cmrn89]

I’ve done both for a while and it’s morning hands down for me. I’d rather be able to finish my round and beat the heat than The other way around playing twilight. Twilight rounds are also crazy slow, no thanks

[PEI_Golfer]

If playing 18h, I'd rather go out early as then I have the rest of the day to do anything else I want with no need to worry about being tired at the end of the day and chasing the sunlight to get all 18h in. 

 

If only evening is option, had to beat a little range time and 9h (honestly less with 45 mins on the range to play around) as then I'm not as worried about getting finished.

[Survivor740]

Super hot where I live. But I prefer Twilight. Cheaper and body is easier to earn up that in the AM. 

[BIG STU]

Lately for me since I have recovered good it is Dew Sweeper rounds for me. Now I still have to ride due to health concerns but I love it. I have to tee off before the leagues do at 7:30. Now far as mowers and sprinklers I can dodge them. It does not matter since I am a full fledged member and it does not cost me for greens or cart fees. I can play as little or much as I like. I like the cool mornings and I take it easy and enjoy the sights and sounds. With our course being in the community I stop and talk to folks walking their dogs and such. Depending on what I am doing determines if I make the turn before they send the mens groups off if they split tee. Now twilight can be tricky. Lately due to it being hot and humid they have been closing in the afternoons. But the problem with twilight is you get a plethera of old farts that are slow and do not care because they think they are the only ones out there. They are oblivious to any one else. Being fully retired I can do as I please. Usually I can play 18 sit around and chew the fat or go to the range and be home by 10:00. Sometime I do stuff around the house sometimes if someone calls me I will go back out and play. But yeah I prefer mornings because I have always been an early riser. I also play what clubs I feel like playing that day from different tees and I also play cross country golf making up holes. I play anything from Hickory to the signature set. For example tomorrow it is persimmon and my set of 54 Hogan blades. I do not play comp anymore or keep a stipulated handicap so I do as I please

Edited August 15, 2022 by BIG STU

[HappyGilmoresBoots]

There's something about dawn patrol...nobody has been on the course yet, and when you get done, you can go about your day.

[ShortGolfer]

I've been enjoying morning rounds.