What it’s like to play golf after dark at Cabot Citrus Farms

Every golfer knows the thrill of chasing the sun, the time-honored practice of squeezing in more holes before the day fades forever.

I would like to recommend a newer tradition: golf after sunsetwhen the other stars are out.

This is not something you can do anywhere. Even under clear skies and a full moon, night golf depends on artificial light. Such additions to the course are relatively common in golf-crazy, land-strapped places like koreawhere unmet demand pours into the evening, and in desert climates where no one wants to play while the sun is hot.

But here in the US? Night golf is catching on, but it’s harder to come by. One place you can find it is Cabot Citrus Farms.

A destination resort on Florida’s Nature Coast, roughly an hour north of Tampa, Citrus Farms offers a dawn-to-dusk banquet of golf, with two full-length 18-holes, the Roost and Karoo, and a pair of short courses, The Squeeze and The Wedge. The Squeeze has 10 holes ranging from 100 to 550 yards. The Wedge, on the other hand, is an 11-hole, par-3 layout — and the only course on the property designed to come alive after dark.

That’s where I found myself not too long ago, hanging out with a colleague as dusk fell. Since it was cocktail hour, we had brought a few drinks with us, along with a small quiver of clubs tucked into the lightweight carry bags that come with your greens fee. There is no need to take a full group on an outing of this type. If you find yourself grinding, you’re wrong. Night golf is about going into soft mode.

You know those blinding floodlights used to illuminate construction projects on the side of roads? The Wedge doesn’t have them. Its greens and tips are cast in a soft, golden glow, just enough to let you see exactly what you need. At first, shadows can be deceiving. Is it really a ball between your legs, or a shimmering ghost? But it only takes a moment for your eyes to adjust and a few swings to realize that you’re playing the same game you’ve always wanted, freed from the pressure that often plagues you.

That, in essence, is the beauty of night golf. Once the sun is gone, the expectations go with it, leaving only the pleasures of the game. There is no point to defend. There is no pace to keep up. There’s no point in having to be anywhere else. Just the feeling that you’re getting away with something, but you’re not guilty of anything.

Our round went through. By the time we were done, cocktail hour had given way to dinner time, which seemed only right. Night golf is gravy. It also fits well with the changing shape of the game from convention to more relaxed forms: shorter courses, looser structures and experiences built less around tradition than pure enjoyment. Call it golf for a new generation, except it’s open to anyone. The Wedge exemplifies this, day and night. As the kids might say, the course is on. Literally.