DAWN PATROL GOLF
Every weekend I would show up to the local golf course and would follow a gentleman out. Meaning he had the first tee time and I had the second. We would wave and on occasion I would wait for him to get far enough ahead of me before hitting my shot. I learned quickly not to press him so oftentimes I would just let him get a few shots ahead. I learned his name was Harry and once while beating him to the course, I waited around for him to show up so he could tee off first. He smiled at me and said I see you enjoy dawn patrol golf. I remembered that term but had no clue what it meant.
This went on for a few years. Still working the 9 to 5, I learned that that Harry played golf during the week as well whereas I lived for weekend golf. He never asked me to join him and I never did the same. Sometimes it is just nice to have time for yourself.
From time to time I wouldn’t go to the local course as a buddy would ask me to play a golf course by him. That meant sometimes a 30 mile drive but I didn’t mind. You see my local course was a 9 hole course with nearly all par 3’s except for two holes which were very short par 4’s. Great for practice with the irons and with the postage stamp greens you were almost always chipping or pitching to get on the green. So basically if you were struggling at the longer courses with the shots from within say 100 yards and putting, my local course was a great place to play and practice. I would always ask my buddy if he could setup an early morning tee time. I didn’t mind getting up at 5am for that long drive.
Tanna Farms Golf Club
One week I showed up at my local course and waited for Harry. I waited quite a while to the point the club attendant was moving around carts for the day and other golfers started to show up. Not wanting to wait any longer or have other golfer get ahead of me, I went in and paid. I was the first one out for the day. The clubhouse attendant said Harry moved out of state to Tennessee. He followed that up with I must enjoy playing Dawn Patrol golf. I had a little laugh. I remember hearing that phrase from Harry so I asked what it meant. He said it is a golfer that gets up to play at the crack of dawn. Yes, that definitely fit me.
Deer Valley Golf Course
I continued to play Deer Valley week in and week out. It would open in April and close somewhere in mid to late October. Because I enjoyed my dawn patrol golf and most times would beat the clubhouse attendant to the course, I was told if I showed up before they did I could play and then pay later.
It wasn’t always the same clubhouse attendant who worked the weekend. Sometimes it was a gentleman who retired from the fire department and enjoyed the free golf that went along with the job. At other times it was another gentleman and we would discuss our latest club purchase and show off clubs that we purchased in Sycamore, IL. Diamond Tour Golf makes some great knock off clubs and an offshoot called Sub70 Golf makes absolutely top notch golf clubs and is also out of Sycamore, IL.
It could also be his high school aged daughter who was there some weekends. I learned she played on the golf team. It didn’t matter who was in the clubhouse as I could always play first and then pay. Good or bad I got a reputation where I would be the first person out on the course and could just pay later if need be. The course opened at 7am and if sunrise was at 6:40 am, I was teeing it up at that time.
End of an Era
The picture above was taken late October 2020 at Deer Valley Golf Course in Big Rock, IL. Unfortunately it was the 2nd to last day the course was open. It seems no one knew. April of 2021 came and I went to the course expecting it to play on a gorgeous weekend. The course didn’t open. A couple of inquiries and I found the county forest preserve had taken over the land due to financial reasons and or preservation of a creek which flowed through the golf course.
I still remain sad about that course to this day. However I have a love of golf and life goes on. So I played at another somewhat local course this morning with my brother in law. Out in the farmlands. We have been playing that course quite a few weekends this summer and had the first tee time this morning. Wouldn’t you know it, he enjoys Dawn Patrol Golf as well.
