Fall golf has arrived, and after the hottest summer in recent history, the cooler fall temperatures will be welcomed by golfers. According to NOAA, which began keeping temperature records in 1895, nine of the ten hottest years in the U. S. have occurred since 2006. The benchmark to beat is 2024, which averaged a full 3.5 ° F above the 20th-century baseline and was the warmest year in the last 132-year history.

The hottest summer on record in Missouri occurred in 1934, with an average temperature of 86.1 ° F. More recently, NOAA’ s statistical analysis says it’ s“ very likely” 2026 will rank in the top five warmest years. That assessment was made before factoring in El Niño, which is now virtually certain. With El Niño’ s warming added, a top-two finish in 2026 makes challenging 2024’ s record plausible. Yep, our summer was very hot, but maybe NOAA’ s predictions will mean a warm winter, and we’ ll be able to play golf all winter. That would be great!

Fall golf also welcomes a few of golfers’ favorite annoyances— cart paths only on Zoysia fairways and lost balls in the fallen leaves. Cart paths only help protect the fairways from winter damage and create a healthier playing surface next year. That’ s a good thing! And a bit more exercise, like walking back and forth to the cart path, can be healthy, too!

Plus, it’ s the time of year when golfers often invoke the fictitious“ leaf rule.” The“ leaf rule” is simply intended to keep the pace of play moving. If you are 100 % confident your shot landed in an area with heavy leaf cover and, after a few minutes of searching, you can’ t find your ball, take a drop without penalty. Please don’ t search endlessly. It’ s not a family heirloom. However, if your shot entered a hazard or went out of bounds, you still must take a penalty stroke, as stated in the USGA’ s rules of golf.

Please note: According to the USGA, there is no“ leaf rule” in the rules of golf. The USGA states,“ If a ball is lost outside a water hazard( including in an accumulation of leaves), the player must proceed under Rule 27-1, incurring the penalty of stroke and distance. If accumulations of leaves seasonally create an abnormal problem, the“ Committee” may make a“ temporary Local Rule” declaring such accumulations to be“ ground under repair.” Please see Decisions 33-8 / 31 and 13-4 / 33.

So, your group, the“ Committee,” will need to make a“ temporary Local Rule” and agree to the free drop“ leaf rule” before teeing off on the first hole. Otherwise, golf balls lost in leaves fall under Rule 27-1.

Ultimately, fall and winter golf should be about having fun and keeping your game sharp for the regular season. Consider buying bright orange or yellow golf balls. They’ re cheaper than pricey Pro V1s. I find bright yellow balls much easier to spot from a distance on dormant grass in the fall, and they don’ t blend in with the leaves like orange balls. More importantly, when you lose the cheaper balls in the leaves, you won’ t feel like it’ s such a big deal.

Remember that October is turkey season and November is deer season, so hunters are out. It might be wise to refrain from searching for the golf balls you sliced or hooked into the timber. You don’ t want to be mistaken for a turkey— gobble, gobble!

Enjoy fall golf; it’ s a great time of year to play— just finish well before dusk and stay out of the wooded areas to avoid the zombie golfers in October. They get a bit pissy if living golfers hold up their rounds.

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TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE Magazine October - November 2026 | Page 6

From

The Editor

The Fall Golf Season