After this weekend, all the kids will be back in school, and many of the visiting golfers will here only on weekends. But the golf season has a long way to go.

Courses up north and in the mountains will be open until mid-to-late-October, depending upon the weather. Others will stay open until the snow flies or until the golfers quit, whichever comes first. We won’t be able to start quite as early in the morning and play as late in the afternoon, but temperatures will be a lot more comfortable.

We took some time away from playing last weekend to drive up to Sunday River and look over the 18th hole of the course under construction there, thendrove some friends over to the Balsams so they could check out the views. Head professional Bill Hamblen was doing great business in the pro shop selling windbreakers to guests with tee times who hadn’t counted on the drop in temperatures. It was one of the few times all season we didn’t toss windbreakers in the car, but leaving with the temperatures near 90 on Friday it didn’t seem necessary. It was a reminder that at this time of year we have to be prepared to dress for just about anything unless we want to shell out at the pro shop for an item we already have at home.

Cold and windy as it was, we still had to step onto the veranda overlooking the course so our friends could get a better idea of the layout. There are few places where you can see as much of the course as that overlook at the Balsams. Unfortunately, the only way to get out there is through the dining room, and we drew some ugly looks when we came back in along with a gust of wind that blew menus out of diners’ hands. We asked for a table away from the door and enjoyed lunch with a view of the wind whipping the water beside the 10th tee.

On the way back, we drove up to Jordan Bowl at Sunday River, where we could see almost the entire 18th hole from the road. It’s a spectacular hole with four sets of tees high above the fairway that drops away and swings to the left. It appears to have a generous landing area with room to the right for slicers.

That has been one of the concerns of those familiar with Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s work at Sugarloaf. The architect told me when construction was starting that the layout would be more forgiving than the ‘Loaf, and if No. 18 is any indication, it’s true. To see the other completed holes would have required a drive down to the site of the clubhouse, so that will have to wait.

It dropped to 40 degrees Sunday morning in Newry, but by noon it was comfortable enough to play in a short-sleeved golf shirt when we stopped at Norway for a quick nine. The wind made a few shots tricky, especially the tee shot on No. 6. Aimed left of the green, the shot came around in the wind to hit the right side. It was fun to play without breaking a sweat, something to look forward to the rest of the season.

SMWGA winners

A pair of Woodlands golfers battled for the Southern Maine Women’s Golf Association title this week as two more champions were crowned. Laurie Hyndman (161) won her fifth SMWGA title with a three-stroke victory over fellow club member Mary Brandes (164). Lake Kezar’s Ellen Mueller was third at 167.

Hebron Academy athletic administrator Leslie Guenther of Norway CC was fourth at 169 in the 36-hole event. Yes, it’s called “Southern Maine,” but clubs as far north as Bethel are included.

More local golfers were involved at Fox Ridge Tuesday for the final round of the Maine Seniors. Par was a tough target with Alan Bouchard of the Woodlands shooting 70-74 to win the overall at 144. Ralph Noel’s 147 was good for victory in the 60-to-64 group and second overall. Dale Brown of Martindale won the 65-to-69 class with 154, and Stan Ayer of Waterville won 70-and-over at 158.

Hall of Fame banquet slated for Sept. 12

Plenty of big events remain on the schedule, proof that there’s a lot of golf still ahead.

The Maine Golf Hall of Fame annual tournament and induction banquet will take place Friday, Sept 12. Television golf commentator Peter Kostis, who got his start at Sanford CC here in Maine, is the lone inductee. TV personality Maury Povich, who also has strong ties to the state, will present the award. Povich’s father, Shirley, a well-known golfer and journalist, was inducted into the hall in 1994.

Also to be honored at the event will be this year’s Maine champions at all levels. The tournament will be at Sable Oaks, with the banquet at the adjacent Marriott Hotel. The public is invited to attend both events, and yours truly will emcee the evening festivities. For details, costs and so forth, call Blaine Davis at (207) 799-0983.

Sad news at Natanis

A celebration scheduled for Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro on Saturday, Sept. 6 took a tragic turn last Wednesday, when owner and General Manager Bob Browne died of an apparent heart attack while working on the course.

Browne had been the driving force in expanding the facility his father, Paul, founded in 1965. Coincidentally, Paul Browne also died of a heart attack at the course in 1982.

Last summer, a new 18 holes opened, making the Vassalboro club the only 36-hole facility north of Boston. Saturday’s scheduled celebration will now include a dedication of the new Tomahawk course to the memory of Bob Browne.

There will be a memorial service at the Riverside Congregational Church, Route 201 in Vassalboro at 8 a.m. on Saturday. After the service, the celebration of the completion of the course will start at 9 a.m. with guided tours, free golf clinics with Class A PGA pro Dick Browne, seven-time Maine women’s amateur champion Abby Spector, and range instructor Liz Wiltshire.

The dedication ceremony is set for noon, with course Architect Dan Maples, who designed the new layout, adding his remarks.

At 1 p.m., a 124-player golf tournament will start on Tomahawk, with participants selected by invitation and drawing. At the same time, there will a tournament on Arrowhead for all other players. The event is open to the public, golfers and non-golfers. For additional information or to enter the drawing, call (207) 622-3561.

Freelance writer Dave Irons lives in Westbrook.