The Golf Season Isn't Over: How to Get the Most Out of Your Golf This Autumn

September has arrived, the evenings are getting shorter and there's already that familiar feeling that another British summer disappeared far too quickly.

For plenty of golfers, this is around the time the number of rounds starts to drop. Holidays are over, the kids are back at school and the weather becomes slightly less predictable. Before long, the waterproofs find their way back into the golf bag.

But we're not quite ready to write the season off yet.

In fact, September and early autumn can be some of the best weeks of the year to play golf in the UK. The courses are generally still in good condition, the really cold weather hasn't arrived and, once the summer rush starts to disappear, getting out for a round can become a little easier too.

So rather than putting the clubs away until next spring, here's how we'd make the most of the next couple of months.

Make the Most of the Quieter Courses

One of the nicest things about playing at this time of year is that courses can begin to feel a little quieter.

The height of summer brings society days, competitions, visitors and packed tee sheets. As we move into autumn, things often start to settle down.

For us, that's one of the best reasons to keep playing. There's something pretty hard to beat about an autumn morning on a golf course when the sun is out, the course is quiet and you're not standing on every tee waiting for the group in front.

It can also be a good opportunity to play courses you've been meaning to visit all summer. Some clubs begin changing their visitor rates as the season progresses, so it's always worth having a look around rather than playing the same course every weekend.

Accept That Your Golf Might Need to Change

This is probably where a lot of golfers make autumn harder than it needs to be.

The shot you played in July isn't necessarily the shot you should be playing in October.

As temperatures fall and the ground becomes softer, the ball isn't going to behave in quite the same way. Carry distances can change, drives don't necessarily get the same amount of run and those low bouncing approaches that worked brilliantly on a firm summer fairway might suddenly stop dead.

Rather than fighting it, adjust.

Knowing your actual distances becomes particularly useful at this point in the season. If you've spent the summer gathering data with something like a Rapsodo MLM2PRO, or tracking your rounds with a Shot Scope GPS watch, you've already got a much better starting point than simply guessing which club should get you there.

It's one of the reasons we like golf technology when it's used properly. It shouldn't complicate the game. It should remove some of the guesswork.

Don't Let 18 Holes Become Hard Work

As the ground gets softer, walking a golf course can start to feel very different.

Anyone who's pushed a fully loaded trolley through wet rough or up a muddy bank will know exactly what we mean. What felt fairly effortless in June can become surprisingly tiring later in the year.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with walking and carrying if that's what you enjoy. But if you regularly find that your legs are going by the 14th or 15th, it's worth thinking about how much energy you're using simply getting yourself and your equipment around the course.

An electric trolley such as the Bag Boy Volt takes away the effort of pushing your clubs while still allowing you to walk the course.

For golfers who want to reduce the physical demands further, that's where products such as our Birdie Pro and Birdie Glide electric golf scooters come in.

We've spoken to plenty of golfers who don't want to give up playing 18 holes; they simply don't want getting around the course to be the hardest part of their round.

And that's really what these products are about. Not replacing golf, but helping people play more of it.

Keep an Eye on the Clock

There's another fairly obvious problem with autumn golf in Britain: daylight.

Those long summer evenings disappear quickly. A casual 4pm tee time that was perfectly fine a few weeks ago can suddenly turn into a race against the sunset.

That doesn't mean afternoon golf is finished, but it does mean making the most of the time you've got. Book slightly earlier where possible, keep an eye on your pace and try not to spend five minutes discussing every yardage before hitting a shot.

Interestingly, we've had a couple of younger customers buy the Birdie Pro for exactly this reason. They don't struggle to walk the course and aren't looking for a mobility aid – they simply want to play golf more quickly. Being able to finish work, head to the course and get nine holes in before it gets dark can make a huge difference, particularly as the evenings start drawing in.

It's something we probably didn't appreciate enough when we first introduced the Birdie Pro. Golf scooters are often associated with reducing fatigue or helping golfers who struggle to walk 18 holes, but sometimes it's simply about making golf fit around a busy life.

When you've only got an hour or two of daylight left, anything that means you can squeeze in a few more holes before heading home is a win.

Prepare for Four Seasons in One Round

If you've played golf in Britain for any length of time, this won't come as news.

September can give you glorious sunshine on the first tee and horizontal rain by the back nine.

A few small changes to what you keep in the bag can make the difference between enjoying the round and spending four hours wishing you'd stayed at home.

A lightweight waterproof, spare glove and towel are obvious additions. We'd also start keeping an extra layer in the bag even if the weather looks decent when you leave home.

It's not particularly exciting advice, but being warm and dry makes golf considerably more enjoyable.

And if you're using anything electric – trolley, scooter, GPS or rangefinder – it's also worth getting into the habit of checking everything is charged the night before.

There are few things more annoying than discovering a flat battery when you're standing in the car park ten minutes before your tee time.

Look After Your Equipment

Autumn is also when equipment tends to start getting a little more abuse.

Mud, wet grass and moisture aren't particularly kind to golf equipment, especially anything with wheels, bearings, electrical connections or moving components.

You don't need to spend half an hour detailing everything after every round, but getting the worst of the mud and grass off before putting your equipment away is worthwhile.

If you own an electric trolley or golf scooter, follow the manufacturer's guidance around cleaning and battery storage and avoid simply throwing it into a damp garage covered in mud for a week.

We recently wrote more about golf scooter servicing, repairs and after-sales support, including what happens if one of our scooters ever needs attention. A little bit of preventative care goes a long way, but it's equally important to know that parts and support are available if you ever do need them.

Autumn Golf Can Actually Be Brilliant

It's easy to think of summer as the golf season.

We don't necessarily agree.

There are few better places to be than a golf course on a crisp September or October morning. The colours start changing, courses become quieter and, every now and again, Britain gives us one of those ridiculously good autumn days where you wonder why anyone has packed their clubs away.

Your scores might change. Your distances probably will. You may need another layer and there's a reasonable chance you'll come home with considerably muddier shoes.

That's all part of it.

The trick is adjusting how you play rather than waiting six months for perfect conditions to return.

Don't Put the Clubs Away Just Yet

There will be plenty of time for dark evenings, temporary greens and staring out of the window wishing it was April.

We're not there yet.

September still has plenty of golf left in it, and with the right equipment and a little preparation, there's no reason the next couple of months can't contain some of your favourite rounds of the year.

So charge the trolley, stick the waterproofs back in the bag and make the most of it.

We'll see you out there.