The clubs are in the boot. There’s an extra layer on the passenger seat and a fairly firm time you need to be home.
By mid-October, golf in the UK starts to feel different. The evening round takes more planning. The first tee feels cooler. A patch of sunlight across the fairway becomes a good reason to stop for a moment before taking your shot.
For anyone fitting the game around work, school runs and family weekends, autumn asks a familiar question: where can a round fit this week?
Sometimes, the answer is nine holes.
Give the shorter round a proper place
Eighteen holes can take some arranging. Nine can be easier to agree on, easier to fit into daylight and easier to enjoy without watching the clock on every green.
Book a time that leaves room for the round, the journey and whatever comes afterwards. Check sunset before choosing an afternoon slot, and allow for the course playing slowly. A relaxed finish is better than trying to squeeze the last two holes into fading light.
There is pleasure in arriving with a smaller plan and having time to enjoy all of it. A few good shots, a conversation that gets beyond the usual messages, and a walk somewhere you’re glad to be.
Dress for the first tee and the walk back
October can feel like two seasons in the same morning. You might start with cold hands and finish carrying the layer you needed an hour earlier.
Build your outfit around pieces you can add or remove easily. A polo, a comfortable middle layer and an outer layer suited to the forecast give you options as conditions change.
Before leaving, try a few practice swings wearing the full combination. Check that your shoulders can turn freely and that nothing pulls across your back. If rain is forecast, take waterproof protection rather than relying on a light jacket alone.
Then think about the rest of the day. Clothes you’re happy to wear for lunch, a family visit or the afternoon’s errands make the transition from course to everyday life a little simpler.
Make the small preparations
Autumn golf rewards a few unglamorous additions to the bag: a dry towel, a spare glove and something warm to put on afterwards.
Watch where your ball finishes, particularly around fallen leaves. Follow the club’s guidance on wet ground, trolley use and any seasonal restrictions. Small habits help keep the round moving and the course in good condition.
And if the forecast turns, give yourself another option. A session at the range or a little putting practice can still make a worthwhile hour out of the time you have.
Leave room for everything after
When family life fills the calendar, it helps to be clear about the time golf needs. Agree the plan, include the travelling time and come home when you said you would.
That makes it easier to enjoy being out there—and easier to arrange the next round.
Some weeks will have room for eighteen. Others will offer nine holes, a bucket of balls or a few putts with the children. Each keeps the game part of your life.
That is the idea behind Fore & After: a love of golf that carries on as life changes around it.
An October morning. A few holes with a friend. Home in time for the afternoon.
There is still plenty to look forward to.