Playing golf is a lot of fun — playing golf in the dark can be even better. While you’re still playing the same sport, night golf is a completely different feel that is often a bit chaotic and more casual than your typical golf round. Instead of relying on the sun to light the fairway, you’ll be relying on glow-in-the-dark golf balls or huge floodlights to track your shot.
If you have a night golf outing coming up, you’re probably interested about all the ins and outs of playing this great game in the dark. In this ultimate guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know to get ready (and even shoot low scores) when you’re playing night golf.
What Is Night Golf?
Night golf, also known as glow golf, is a version of golf played after the sun sets. You’ll usually tee off a little bit before sunset, during or after. From there, you’ll be relying on glow-in-the-dark golf balls to track your shots. In other versions, the course may actually be lit by huge floodlights that illuminate the course. You’ll usually find these types of night golf in areas where it stays warm during dark — places like Dubai have courses with this type of night golf.
Traditionally, however, you’ll be playing night golf on a relatively pitch-black golf course with balls that light up when activated. Night golf has surprisingly been around for a long time — players at the Old Course actually played golf by lantern as far back as 1871 (with dangerous consequences.) Today, night golf has become much safer and continues to grow in popularity.
If you haven’t tried it out yet, be sure to check out your local courses to see if they offer any night golf dates.
Why Play Night Golf?
At first, playing night golf might seem like a hassle. You have to use glow-in-the-dark golf balls, you’ll likely lose more than a few shots and your scores will almost certainly be lower than if you played in the daytime. So why play night golf?
It’s a Lot of Fun
First and foremost, night golf is just a ton of fun. There’s a certain energy that comes with gathering on the golf course as the sun sets, having some drinks with friends and hitting practice putts on a shadowy green. It’s much different than your typical round and there’s almost a sense of rebellion to it. You’ll be able to feel the excitement as the sun sets, darkness falls and you tee up your glow ball to hit off into the twilight.
It’s a Different Way to Play
Some people might get tired of the same old golf outing — especially if you play a lot, you could start to feel like you’re stuck in a rut or getting bored of the same old course. When you play night golf, it’s like you’re on a course you’ve never seen before. Sometimes, it feels like a completely different sport. Night golf is a great way to change up your game and offers a nice change of pace to the typical Sunday golf round.
Night Golf Takes Stress Out of the Game
If you’re someone who lets the pressure of golf get to you, then night golf could be just the game for you. There is a lot less to think about when you’re playing night golf, mainly because you can’t see much of the course. Essentially, you’ll be hitting out into pitch darkness, so all you really have to do is swing away. This takes a lot of stress out of the game and loosens you up to swing freely.
Night golf is also much more laid-back than your typical golf round. Everyone is usually there just to have a good time and watch the glow-in-the-dark golf balls streak across the sky. So all you have to do is relax, swing away and enjoy the night.
It’s a Great Outing for Friends and Family of All Skill Levels
Night golf is perfect for a night out with friends and family. Any and all skill levels are welcome — the professional golfer will probably have just as much fun as someone playing the game for the first time. A lot of night golf is about the event and spectacle — there’s a lot less of a focus on play itself. This format lends itself to all skill levels and makes it a great way to bond with people you care about.
How to Play Golf in the Dark
If you’re wondering about what all the night golf hype is about, you might be considering trying to play some glow golf yourself. Here are some ways you can play night golf.
Preparation
Like a normal golf round, golfing in the dark also requires a bit of preparation — maybe even more prep than your typical round. Here are some things to keep in mind as you plan for night golf.
Find a Night Golf Course and Date
The first thing you’ll want to do is spend some time researching your area and scouting around for courses that offer night golf. Usually, you’ll be able to find one or two courses near you that offer select dates where you can find a group and play some night golf. Check online to find night golf courses near you and call ahead to book a nighttime tee time.
Get Your Supplies
After you’ve secured the date, it’s time to make sure you have all the supplies you need. Consider buying some extra flashlights, glowsticks, and other night golf accessories to help you make the night go smoothly. Getting some glow-in-the-dark bracelets and necklaces will help create a pretty cool aesthetic and also will ensure you don’t lose your buddy on the course. You could even consider buying some fluorescent clothing so that you can stand out in the dark.
You won’t have too much trouble finding glow-in-the-dark golf accessories — there are plenty of products you can browse that will help you light up your clubs, golf balls and even golf carts.
Understand the Format
Be sure you know the format of your night golf outing before you get there. It can be challenging trying to find out what the rules are as the sun is going down. Eliminate stress by understanding where you’ll be teeing off from, the format of the round and any rules that are involved.
Prepare for the Big Night
On the morning or afternoon of your golf outing, make sure that your bag is stocked with any glow products you need and that you have enough balls to last you through the around. Style your bag and clubs with any glow accessories and pack up your car. It’s time to go night golfing.
On the Course
Once you get to the course, you’ll start to feel the energy increase as the sun gets lower and lower. Relax, have a few drinks, eat some dinner and practice on the putting green while you wait for the start. Warm up on the range and then start getting ready to play.
Find Your Group
Before it gets dark, make sure to find your group. You don’t want to wait until it’s pitch dark to start organizing your foursome. Even if you’re talking on the phone with them, it can be hard to communicate exactly where you’re at. So find your people before the sun sets and stay with them until it’s time to tee off — that way you won’t have to spend time searching for your lost buddy at the start of the round.
Wait for Sunset
One of the best parts of night golf is waiting for that sunset. For one thing, it’s usually a beautiful sight watching that sun sink below the landscape of the course. But you’ll also be able to get excited for the round and chat with your friends about any bets you have going or games you want to play once you tee off.
Stay Together and Establish Communication
After you tee off, be sure to try to stay together. Establish communication early on — if you haven’t already, make sure to exchange phone numbers to that you can find someone if they wander off into the dark.
Emphasize Safety
You are playing golf in the dark, so there is an element of danger to it (which makes it even more fun.) It will be more than safe if you take proper precautions, however — it’s a good idea to have everyone wear some glow accessories so that they can be easily seen. And make sure you’re only hitting glow-in-the-dark balls for the safety of other people playing on the course.
Have Fun
And lastly, have fun when you’re playing night golf. There’s nothing quite like playing golf in the dark and spending time with friends and family on the course. You’ll be making memories that will likely last a lifetime. So take a deep breath, swing easy and remember to have a good time.
How to Shoot Low Scores in the Dark
Now, night golf can be a lot of fun, and most times people are just looking to enjoy it and trying not to lose their ball. Still, it can be a great challenge for those who are always looking to upgrade their game. If you’re looking to take up this challenge and try to get a low score in the dark, here are some effective strategies you can try out.
Play Smart Golf
The key to night golf is to play smart. The darkness operates much like adverse weather conditions in daytime golf — as with rain, wind and cold temperatures, you’ll have to find a way to cater to these unique conditions and find your way intelligently around the course. It becomes a completely different game in the dark, so you’ll want to make sure you have a solid strategy going in.
Try to stay in the fairway as much as you can so you don’t get lost in the dark, thick tough. Shorter shots will be your friend — stick with comfort clubs that you can rely on to get you where you need to go.
Swing Easy
Glow-in-the-dark golf balls won’t travel as far as normal golf clubs, so there’s no need to try to swing out of your shoes trying to hammer these balls through the darkness. Instead, swing easy so that you have a better chance of finding your ball and staying in the fairway.
Play a Practice Round On the Course
If you have the time for it, play a practice round on the course beforehand. That way you can know the overall layout of the course and be more confident when you play it in the dark.
Know the Greens
One of the hardest parts of night golf is putting. There’s almost no way you’ll be able to accurately read the greens in the dark before you putt. If you play a practice round, try to note the specific slopes of each green. If they have a practice putting green on the course, spend some time there before sunset judging the speed.
Rely on Feel
Night golf is all about feel. You won’t be able to think your way around the putting green or the fairway when it’s pitch black. Instead, surrender some of your thoughts to the darkness and operate by feel instead.
What Do You Need for Night Golf?
As you start planning for your night golf event, you might start to wonder what you’ll actually need for a round under the moonlight. Here are some essentials to bring along for glow golf.
Glow in the Dark Golf Balls
Sometimes the course will provide you with glow-in-the-dark golf balls for night golf events. Other times, you might have to bring your own. This is one of the most fun parts about night golf — getting to choose what color ball you want, even customizing it and then teeing off and watching it streak across the night sky. Be sure to invest in quality glow-in-the-dark golf balls that you can rely on them to stay lit during the round.
Glowsticks
Glowsticks! Get as many as you want — bracelets, necklaces — and wear them or tie them around clubs, bags and even golf carts. The better you’re able to see, the better you’re able to play, so be sure to get a plentiful supply of glowsticks to accessorize with.
Flashlights
Don’t forget to bring along some trusty flashlights. Yes, your cell phone may have a flashlight built in, but that will quickly drain your battery. Try finding some good old-fashioned flashlights that you can take with you to guide you through your round.
How to Practice Golfing at Night
Now, you might be a little worried about playing golf in the dark. If your game is already shaky as it is, how is it going to get better in the pitch darkness? Even though night golf is mostly built around having fun, you could still be looking for ways to prepare for the big night. Here are some actionable steps you can to practice for glow golf.
Hit Your Local Range After Hours
After the sun sets, drive up to your local range and hit a bucket of balls. Some ranges offer after-hours range sessions where you can just get your balls from the machine and hit on your own. Others may have floodlights to light your way during open hours. Whichever way you can find, this is a great way to familiarize yourself with golfing in the dark.
Blindfold Putting
As was mentioned earlier, putting is one of the hardest aspects of playing golf in the dark. It’s nearly impossible to read greens and even know where your ball is going to go after you strike it. It’s based nearly entirely on feel — walking the green might be able to let you know the slope as well as where you’re standing when you hit the putt.
A great way to practice this is to blindfold yourself and try making some practice putts on the green. Yes, this sounds like something from Caddyshack — but it might just help you get that feel for putting and allow you to trust your putts in the dark.
Play Night Golf
And maybe the most obvious way to practice night golf is to play it — the more you play golf in the dark, the more accustomed you’ll be to it and the better you’ll become. Be warned: once you play night golf once, you’ll be trying to go back again and again.
What Golf Courses Offer Night Golf?
Looking for some golf courses near you to play? You should be able to find some with a quick online search. If you can’t find any in your area, it might be time to plan a trip to try out this experience for yourself. Here are some of the most popular night golf courses in the world.
The Links of Naples, Florida
Located in southwest Florida, the Links of Naples offers a substantially long night golf course that is open to golfers on select days.
Manor Valley Golf Course, Export, Pennsylvania
Near Pittsburgh, you’ll find one of the first lit night golf courses between New York and Chicago. The lights were installed all the way back in 1964 at Manor Valley Golf Course and are still on today — leagues still use them to play after dark.
Marina Bay Golf Course, Singapore
This is another course that offers some convenient floodlights so that your whole round is lit up. It also has the added benefit of some beautiful city views on every shot.
The Lights at Indio Golf Course, California
Palm trees, mountain views and night golf — you can’t ask for much more of an evening than this. The Lights at Indio Golf Course in California offer all of this and more. The 18-hole executive course is perfect for getting out once the summer heat has diminished.
The Track Meydan Golf, Dubai
Of course Dubai has a night golf course. With huge floodlights illuminating the course and the stunning city in the background, this is one course that should definitely be on your bucket list.
FAQs
There’s a lot to cover when it comes to night golf. You might still have some lingering queries. Here are some frequently asked questions about night golf.
How Is Night Golf Different From Normal Golf?
The main difference between normal golf and night golf is that night golf is played completely in the dark. You typically will be using glow-in-the-dark golf balls or playing under floodlights that illuminate the course.
Is Night Golf Safe?
Night golf is much safer than it was when it was first invented — back in 1871, golfers at the Old Course at St. Andrews attempted playing night golf by placing lantern lights around the greens and coating balls with toxic phosphorous paint. The paint ended up on a golfer’s sleeve and set his hands on fire, marking the end of a short but fateful night out on the links.
Today, you’ll be using glow-in-the-dark golf balls or playing under the lights. You’ll still want to take safety precautions and keep your wits about you, as it can be harder to see at night.
What’s the Difference Between Night Golf and Twilight Golf?
Twilight golf is often played as the sun is setting but before full dark, while night golf is played after the sun has gone down.
How Does Night Golf Work?
Playing with glow-in-the-dark golf balls or under the illumination of huge floodlights, you’ll be playing golf in the darkness to get your ball in the hole.
Night Golf: The Bottom Line
Night golf is a lot of fun. If you get the chance to play in a night golf outing, you should definitely do it. Or you could even start planning your trip to a night golf course today. Just be sure to get the supplies you need and have fun out on the course at night.