Why September Golf Is the Best Golf You're Not Watching

There's a particular kind of morning that exists only in September. The coffee hits different. The light slants lower. And somewhere across the Atlantic, on links land that has hosted golf for over a century, players are walking fairways that most Americans have never seen but absolutely should.

The casual golf fan thinks the season ends when the FedEx Cup is decided. They'll tune back in for the Masters, maybe catch the Memorial if they're flipping channels. But those of us who truly love this game? We know September is when golf gets interesting.

Morning Golf Is the Best Golf

There's something almost illicit about watching professional golf at 7 a.m. while the rest of America is still reaching for their phones. The DP World Tour events broadcast in those early morning hours, when the grass in Ireland and England carries that silver-wet sheen and the wind off the Atlantic does things to ball flights that defy physics.

This week alone, we've got the Solheim Cup in the Netherlands—where, remarkably, thousands of fans will bicycle to the venue—and the Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links & Hotel. The field includes Rory McIlroy (defending champion), Jon Rahm, and Brooks Koepka. This isn't some consolation prize after the American golf season. This is first-class golf on courses with actual character.

McIlroy's victory last year at the Irish Open was the kind of moment that makes you understand why we watch sports at all. The roar that went up when he holed out? You could feel it through the television.

Lahinch and the Walker Cup Hangover

Last week's Walker Cup at Lahinch gave us exactly what September golf promises: drama, atmosphere, and a course that most Americans had never heard of but will now spend the next decade trying to book a tee time at.

Lahinch is widely considered the best golf course in Ireland—and I've played enough of them to tell you the debate is closer than people think, but Lahinch absolutely belongs in the conversation. Great Britain & Ireland stormed back to win for the first time in six years, and they did it on a links course that sits just steps from the nearest town pub. That's the kind of detail that matters. That's the kind of golf that makes you feel something.

The greens fee runs over $500 these days, which will give some travelers pause. But if you're flying all the way to Ireland for golf, you can splurge this once. And if not, the Cliffs of Moher are a 13-minute drive down R478. You'll be fine either way.

What's Coming Next

The BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth arrives in two weeks, and the field is absurd: McIlroy, Rahm, Patrick Reed, both Fitzpatrick brothers, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton. Wentworth's West Course is the DP World Tour's flagship venue, and the tournament has a way of producing theater.

Then comes the Presidents Cup outside Chicago. The International squad is due for a win—desperately due, actually—and there's something compelling about watching players represent regions rather than sponsors. Team golf in autumn carries a weight that regular tour events simply don't.

The PGA Tour, meanwhile, begins its Fall Series with the Biltmore Championship Asheville. It's fine. It's golf. But it's not why we're here.

The Diehard's Reward

September golf is for people who understand that a course's history matters as much as its conditioning. It's for those of us who'd rather watch golf played in sweaters with the wind howling than another sunshine-and-sponsors event in perfect conditions. It's for the fans who know that Lahinch and Wentworth and the Old Course itself weren't designed by modern architects with drainage consultants—they evolved, and they're better for it.

Football season is here. The casual fans have moved on. But if you're reading this, you're probably not casual about much of anything when it comes to golf.

Set the alarm. Make the coffee. The best golf of the year is about to unfold, and it starts before most of America wakes up.

The Takeaway

• The Solheim Cup and Irish Open this week offer world-class fields and genuine drama
• Lahinch just hosted the Walker Cup and remains one of golf's great pilgrimage courses
• The BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in two weeks features McIlroy, Rahm, and a stacked European field
• The Presidents Cup follows shortly after—the International team is overdue for a statement
• Morning European golf broadcasts are a September ritual worth embracing