Are you FIRED UP or what? A fresh brewed golf season is on deck and if you've been percolating since early March like me, then now's your time. Do not wait - I repeat DO NOT WAIT - to try out that new driver you got for Christmas or the new edges you bought when your wife wasn't looking. It wasn't that many years ago that spring golf was markedly inferior due to wet grounds and a lack of grass but many of Maine's courses have invested heavily in better drainage systems and hardier turf that essentially means the season starts off at full throttle. The science and art of agronomy doesn't get the attention that club technology does but it's the reason the Maine season is at least 7 months long now and you won't necessarily ruin your new spikes the first time out.

I teed it up last week at Spring Meadows and was shocked by how dry it was. If you know Spring Meadows location in a low area surrounded by wetlands, you would never guess that you would see balls bouncing down fairways or into the woods this time of year. I should know better but I was expecting slop but Gin-Joe, OD, Gus and I were able to play the ball down and, because it was pre-tourist season, able to walk 18 holes holes in a tidy 4 hours. The twilight rate is only $23 or roughly 1/3 the cost of a midweek day of skiing at Sunday River. Never mind taking that prospect or client to a fancy lunch in the Old Port, take him to Spring Meadows for a round and a heaping plate of shepard's pie. You'll save money, close the deal, and still have time to run back to the office to finish the paperwork. Or, even better, hang out on the deck with the sun setting in the west and let Erin serve you another cold beverage. Tell your boss I said it was OK to do the paperwork in the morning.

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