I think I am pretty clever to use the driving range at night when it is less crowded. Unfortunately, there are a few folks who feel the same way. I have to put up with the same throng of people as I do during the day. Lately I have been feeling a little overburdened with some personal and work issues, and I need to unwind at night to stave off burnout. We all go through these phases. My friends and I often talk about what makes us feel this way and it takes the weight of worry off our shoulders. When you share experiences, you get suggestions for solutions or just suddenly come up with your own.

The range is beautiful at night in any case, whatever reason you choose this time to day for your round of golf. People who experience it for the first time get hooked. Sometimes I get home late and miss dinner if it had been planned for an early hour. Okay, I’m fine with reheated leftovers. I don’t play golf at night every night. It would be a discourtesy to my family. But as I mentioned, when I need a personal release, it becomes the perfect panacea. I sometimes ask friends or co-workers to join me, but in some cases I just like to be alone with my thoughts to unwind. It pays to have someone along to help you find your way back to your car if it is a dark light with not a trace of the moon. Usually the other person remembers better than I do where we left the car in the huge parking lot. I don’t relish the idea of walking around and around it before stumbling on my vehicle.

If I am alone, the best plan I have devised is to take a medical penlight with me to help me look at license plates so I can identify mine. It also helps illuminate the door lock so I can see better when I slip in the key. I was given this great penlight as a gift and love it because it is not big like a huge flashlight. Who would want to drag that around the driving range? A pen light has a lot of light if you get a good one. I love that it fits nicely in my shirt or pants pocket. Maybe someday the course will put in bright light bulbs in the parking lot, but so far it hasn’t happened. Then I can dispense with the pen light, but frankly I just like having it. It could get you out of some fixes. You never know. I like it so much that I don’t even mind putting it in my golf bag. It isn’t as easy to retrieve as from my pocket, but at least I know where it is and that it won’t fall out. So treat yourself to a medical (high-powered) pen light. I know of what I speak.