So you love golf but have a job that rarely allows you to get out on the course and enjoy 18-holes; well, not to worry, because “night golf” could be just the game you’ve been looking for.
Night golf can take your time-crunched hobby and turn it into an all-night love affair; metaphysically speaking. Many golfers, even those experienced players, are not even aware that night golf is a legitimate game, but that’s partly due to the lack of courses that offer the chance to play night golf.
Now I’m not going to lie and tell you that night golf can match the same experience you get from playing in perfect mid-summer conditions, but it will scratch that golfing itch, particularly if you rarely have the time to play.
In this article, we’ll take a look at everything about night golf. You’ll find information on the type of equipment and balls you need, courses that offer night golf, and the rules and regulations, but first, let’s look at what night golf actually is.
What is Night-Golf?
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In actual fact, night golf can refer to a number of different variations on the typical game of golf, but we’ll start by looking at the most popular and recognized version of the game before looking at other versions you may not have heard of.
Now, although playing golf at night seems like a relatively straightforward concept, the reality is that a ton of factors make it much more complicated than you might expect.
The most popular and well-known type of night golf is played on a regular golf course which has been set up with floodlights strategically placed in various places throughout the course. The courses also have floodlights set up over the greens. One of my favorite features is the LED flag poles which make dialing in your shot selection a lot easier.
Finding your golf ball will be the biggest challenge you face when playing night golf, but that can all be put to rest by purchasing some LED golf balls. Although the courses are well lit, depth perception and distance control are two other significant challenges you’ll face.
Does Night Mini-Golf Count?
Many night golf courses aren’t really your run-of-the-mill traditional courses; what I mean by that is the vast majority of night golf courses are called Par 3 courses, meaning they’re much shorter than a regular golf course.
Mini golf is great fun, and because the courses are shorter, you can generally finish 9-holes in about an hour or so. The main reason most night golf courses are smaller simply comes down to budget and cost-effectiveness. To run floodlights costs thousands and thousands of dollars in electricity each month, not to mention the cost of actually purchasing and installing them.
These smaller night golf courses are cool, with neon lights everywhere you look. The flagsticks are generally neon, and the balls, plus the greens, are very well lit, making putting relatively easy. Now, although night golf on these mini-courses is a lot of fun, it’s not the place if you’re looking for a serious game of golf; that being said, you could play 18-holes if you wanted to.
Mini night golf is perfect for some family fun or for those who are new to the sport and might find it more comfortable to play when no one else is around.
Night Golf Equipment
If you’ve never played night golf before, you might be surprised because it looks more like a disco rather than looking like a golf course. Neon lights are everywhere you look, as are LED golf balls you may have never even heard of, let alone seen or hit.
Let’s take a look at some of the equipment you’ll see while playing night golf and equipment you won’t be able to go without.
Floodlights
Without floodlights, you can forget about playing night golf with your friends, unless you live in Australia during the summertime when the sun sets at 9 pm.
Large industrial floodlights are used on night golf courses and help illuminate the fairways and the greens. The trouble with these floodlights is the sheer amount of money they cost to not only buy but then also to run; this is the primary reason night golf has yet to take off.
Many golf courses do have floodlights, but they aren’t very bright, and the majority of the time, they are only centered around the practice areas like the driving range and practice putting greens. If they do have lights on the course, generally, they tend to be scarce, which makes tracking your ball at night difficult, if not impossible.
So although night golf has become popular in recent years, the fact is that the vast majority of courses are not floodlit at all, and of those that are, only a small percentage stand up to the true test of golfing at night. I recommend researching the course you intend to play beforehand. One of the best ways to do this is by driving past at night; this way, you can get a fair idea of whether it’s worth spending your money or not.
Neon Markers and Tees
Ok, so the first thing you’re probably thinking of is how can you see the ball on the tee? Well, that’s where neon tees and markers come in handy. Some courses will provide you with neon tees, but you should have your own just in case they don’t; you don’t want to travel all that way only to get to the course and not be able to see the ball on the tee.
Neon tees not only allow you to make clean contact with the ball, but they also help keep the tee box in good condition because, without neon tees, players would be taking divots the size of Alaska. Floodlights are fantastic and help illuminate the fairways and greens, but there’s no guarantee the exact area you’re playing from will be adequately lit; that’s where neon tees and markers come to the fore.
Markers for the greens will be pretty much invisible, so make sure you have a neon golf ball marker; this will make things much more manageable. Just one note: make sure the neon marker you choose is big enough so that you and your playing partners can see it.
Neon Flagpoles and Lights
Instead of the traditional flagstick that you’ll see during a regular day’s play, most clubs that offer night golf use neon flagsticks, which, let me tell you, are lifesavers; without them, you’re basically hitting and hoping.
The great thing about neon flagsticks is that you can see them from the tee, which helps you plan your drive and lay-up shots to the green and pin placement. Sometimes you’ll also find the flagsticks are not neon but instead have neon lights around them to help players see the exact position of the pin.
Neon Lights for your Golf Bag
Okay, so I’ve never heard of anyone getting lost on a golf course, but that’s during the day: what about when visibility is next to nothing at night? That’s why it’s a great idea to carry or hang LED golf lights from your golf bag.
Golf courses are vast expanses of land, and at night, some areas of the course may still be pitch black even with floodlights. Hanging some lights from your bag helps other players easily identify where you are and can alert them not to play if you’re walking further down the fairway.
You can use an ordinary flashlight, but in my experience, the lumen must be extremely high for it to have an optical effect over more than 50 to 60 yards. LED lights hanging from your golf bag or belt buckle are your best bet.
Playing and Seeing your Golf Ball at Night
As we’ve mentioned, you can forget about playing night golf if the course doesn’t have adequate floodlights to illuminate the course. But then there’s the question of “tracking” your ball through the air after you hit it; this is challenging even during the day, so how do you track your ball at night?
Floodlights do help to a certain degree, and although not designed for that purpose, the dimples on the golf help reflect light making tracking the ball much easier than you think.
After you’ve teed off, be sure to keep your eyes firmly tracking on the ball and never lose sight of it; actually, the same rings true in daytime golf; most players lose their ball because they don’t track it until it lands. Neon golf balls will help, but they can be hard to track if you’ve never played night golf before.
A top tip is to imagine the sides of the fairways as giant walls, and your goal is to keep your golf ball from hitting them. Even if you have to take less club off the tee, it’s well worth it, especially if it means your ball stays in the fairway.
- 【Easy To Find & Fun Night】 The glow in the dark golf balls are very bright, you will have a lot of fun when play them at night. Our LED golf balls are easy to find when playing golf at night, also suitable for Indoor and Outdoor.
- 【Long Lasting Light Up Ball】 Constantly On (not flashing)- The golf ball will stay lit for 8 minutes after every activation. It's quite enough time for your collecting them back, Less Balls Being lost! The battery lasts 40 hrs, That means you can expect to light up the ball 300 times!!
- 【Easy To Use】 No charger needed, no UV flashlight needed. Just hit the ball and it lights up on impact and creates a colorful arc as it flies through the air. Each pack has 6 balls each one it’s own color when lit. Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Pink, and White.
- 【Perfect Gift Idea】This is the best gift for your parents, friends or children. Give them a birthday, Christmas or thank you gift, let them know what you appreciate, and they will like it. And get a lot of fun from it.
- 【Money Back Satisfaction Guarantee】 If for any reason you are not satisfied with our LED Golf Balls, simply return within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.
- What’s included: 6 Glow-in-the-dark golf balls.
- Engineered for Distance Made of rubber and synthetic resin with super elasticity and impact resistance.
- BUILT FOR GOLF ENTHUSIASTS: Super Bright LED golf balls are the ultimate gift for golfers of all ages. Whether you are hitting the links at their local muny course or practicing in their backyard, these light-up balls add excitement to the game. These are great for adults and they make fantastic golf gifts for kids too. With these glowing golf balls, night golf has never been more fun! Don't wait any longer, watch the fun unfold!
- SHARPEN YOUR GAME: Easy to find and fun to hit! With six vibrant colors, you'll be able to spot them on every shot, in low light conditions and when it’s off target. If you enjoy playing golf at night, these light-up balls are a MUST for your bag. Stop losing balls in the dark! Whether you're playing a casual game with friends or competing in a tournament, these novelty golf balls are sure to bring a whole new level of fun to your game.
- PREMIUM QUALITY: Twilight glow-in-the-dark golf balls are the perfect addition to any golf game. Made with PGA-quality materials and ultra-durable LEDs, these balls stay lit for up to 8 minutes, providing ample time for your next shot. With batteries that last up to 40 hours, these high-quality and long-lasting golf balls are sure to make your night golf experience unforgettable. Whether you're a scratch golfer or just looking for a fun night out on the course, Twilight has your back.
- LIGHT UP GOLF BALLS: Practice or play in the dark Pack includes 12 impact activated LED golf balls (3 green, 3 white, 3 red, 3 blue)
- LIMITED FLIGHT: Balls fly about 65% as far as standard golf balls and feel different off the club (they have LEDs and a battery inside)
- NIGHTTIME PLAY: Take the fun of golf into the night; The balls are impact activated with a 10 minute timer; Use for nighttime chipping or putting practice, or play a short course game with friends and family
- ULTRA BRIGHT LEDs: Each ball features an ultra bright LED core and built-in battery; Batteries are built to last approximately 35 hours and are not replaceable
3 Rules Specific to Playing Night Golf
Although these rules aren’t “written in stone,” they carry some weight when playing night golf, so it’s a good rule of thumb to practice them each and every time you play. Daytime golf is already hard enough, so when visibility drops to near nothing, it’s fair to say having a set of rules to help the game run smoothly is warranted.
You’re much more likely to enjoy your night golf experience without losing a handful of neon golf balls by following these three rules.
1. Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers
We’ve all heard the old saying “finders keepers, losers weepers,” which comes in very handy when playing night golf. After teeing off or hitting to the green, if you’re unable to find your ball in a reasonable amount of time, you can play the first ball you find, even if it might not be yours.
Now, in traditional golf, this is a big NO-NO, but playing golf at night calls for some rules to be broken, and this is one of them.
This rule helps keep the game moving in a timely manner and doesn’t slow down or frustrate the playing group behind you. Everyone has played golf and had someone in their group who takes 10 minutes after every shot to find their ball; when it comes to night golf, DON’T be that guy!!
2. Throw your Scorecard out of the Window
There’s a good reason, or several of them, why the PGA Tour doesn’t have a night golf event scheduled on the calendar; that’s because no one really takes night golf all that seriously; if you do, you might want to look for another sport.
Playing night golf is about enjoying time with friends and family, getting in some casual exercise, and maybe some extra practice. You can keep score for fun, but don’t take it too seriously because it’s not a true reflection of your game.
3. Three-Minutes and your Out
This rule simply means that if it takes you or your playing partner longer than three minutes to find your ball, then just take a drop and play another. Remember, scoring is of no concern, so you don’t even have to count the drop as a penalty stroke if you don’t want to.
Now, that doesn’t mean you can just drop your ball in a more advantageous position, say closer to the hole or away from trees. You must still drop the ball as close to where you think it went out of play; this way, everyone’s happy, and no one complains of an unfair advantage.
At the end of the day, golf is still a gentleman’s game, so be sure to make sportsmanship your top priority. Yes, we all love golf and want to win, but playing golf is about much more than winning; it’s about enjoying the great outdoors and displaying values like integrity and honesty.
Night Golf: Expert Tips
Cold Air Vs Warm Air
Just as when you play tennis, the cold air greatly affects the distance and speed your ball travels; and no, it doesn’t travel further. So it goes to reason that when playing golf at night, your ball will travel less through the air. As such, I always recommend you take one club extra than you usually would for the same distance.
Now I won’t get too scientific, but basically, cold air is much denser than warm air, and as such, your ball encounters a lot more friction than it would during a warm summer’s day.
One trick to combat the cold air is to keep your golf balls in a warm pocket holder. You can even place them on your heated seats while driving to the course. Now granted, this will only benefit the first couple of shots you play, but a few extra yards off the tee is better than nothing.
Depending on how cold the ambient temperature actually is, golf and tennis balls generally move between 10% and 20% slower through the cold air when compared to warm.
Combatting the floodlight Glare
Just as the glare from the sun can play havoc with your ability to hit the ball, the glare from the floodlights is just as diabolical, if not more so. The dimples on your golf ball act as a reflector, making it easy to find, but it’s a whole other story when the ball is sitting on the tee.
The glare can make the golf ball look double its size, which in theory should make it easier to hit, but in reality, it’s so off-putting that it takes quite a few holes to get used to. Believe it or not, I’ve actually tried using my golf sunglasses while teeing off playing night golf, and it worked pretty well; just be sure to take them straight off so you can track the ball.
Never Lose Sight of your Golf Ball
Now, this is much easier said than done but let me tell you, if you plan on playing a lot of night golf, you’ll need the eyes of a hawk. The human body is a miracle from God, and so are our eyes. After a few minutes of playing in the dark, you’ll be amazed at just how well your eyes start to adapt to the new conditions.
Another top tip is having your playing partner track your ball’s flight; it’s always better to have two sets of eyes on the ball than one. Keeping track of your ball will help speed things up and keep the game from getting frustrating; after all, no one wants to spend all night looking for golf balls.
- 【Easy To Find & Fun Night】 The glow in the dark golf balls are very bright, you will have a lot of fun when play them at night. Our LED golf balls are easy to find when playing golf at night, also suitable for Indoor and Outdoor.
- 【Long Lasting Light Up Ball】 Constantly On (not flashing)- The golf ball will stay lit for 8 minutes after every activation. It's quite enough time for your collecting them back, Less Balls Being lost! The battery lasts 40 hrs, That means you can expect to light up the ball 300 times!!
- 【Easy To Use】 No charger needed, no UV flashlight needed. Just hit the ball and it lights up on impact and creates a colorful arc as it flies through the air. Each pack has 6 balls each one it’s own color when lit. Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Pink, and White.
- 【Perfect Gift Idea】This is the best gift for your parents, friends or children. Give them a birthday, Christmas or thank you gift, let them know what you appreciate, and they will like it. And get a lot of fun from it.
- 【Money Back Satisfaction Guarantee】 If for any reason you are not satisfied with our LED Golf Balls, simply return within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.
Playing Night Golf: Is it really that Tough?
Is playing golf at night more challenging than playing during the day? In a nutshell, YES.
The first major problem that you’ll encounter is visibility or lack thereof. Now, that being said, it all depends on the course you’re playing and how many floodlights are set up. More than likely, the vast majority of areas on the course will still be in relative darkness, with only the greens and tee boxes being adequately lit.
However, when you bring the change of rules into play and a different perspective to the game, then playing night golf can be an enjoyable, stress-free way to play the game. Keeping score should be your last priority, with the focus being on enjoying time with friends or family.
If you have kids, night golf can serve as the perfect introduction to the game. Kids love the neon golf balls and tees and have an absolute blast when playing night golf. Not to mention, there aren’t many people on the course at night, so if they’re a bit slow, it won’t bother anybody.
Finding your Golf Balls at Night
The reality is that no matter how good you strike the ball or how expensive your LED golf balls are, you’re still going to lose more than your fair share; it’s just par the course; pun-intended.
Taking a small torch or flashlight is definitely worth it, but tread carefully because, depending on where you play, you might find more than what you’re looking for; in Australia and Florida, that could mean 10-foot snakes. Your best bet is to have enough neon golf balls in your bag so that you never run out, because, let me tell you, finishing your round with a regular white golf ball will only end in tears.
How to Find Night Golf Courses Near You
The easiest way to find your nearest night golf course is by doing an old-school search of the ads in your local newspaper or magazine. Most golf courses have small advertisements to help market their business, and night golf courses are no different. You can also ask people or staff at your home golf club if they know of any good facilities in the area.
Another option is to keep a lookout when you’re out and about. This is a true story; I had a night golf course literally 5 minutes from where I lived, and I didn’t know about it for nearly ten years; I only found it because I walked the dog on an alternate route one day and came across it.
Needless to say, I enjoyed many rounds of golf there, and although it was only a par 3-night course, the floodlights were absolutely fantastic, and the course was a huge success. They even had three huge floodlit practice greens and bunkers and nearly 200 practice bays with a driving range measuring 275 yards.
The 18th Hole
Well, there you have it; everything you need to know about playing golf at night. If you love golf and are strapped for time, playing golf at night can serve as an excellent way to get some practice in and relax after a hard day at the office.
You will need to purchase some neon golf balls, tees, and markers, but they’re easy to find online and make your experience much more enjoyable. Playing night golf doesn’t mean you have to play on the course either. Most driving ranges are open late and have superior lighting to any golf course.
So give night golf a try, and remember, throw your scorecards away for a fun and stress-free time.
