The term dew sweeping in golf can actually mean different things to different people. Arguably, the term could go back to our beloved groundskeepers who early in the morning before the sun comes up are literally sweeping the dew off the greens to make them puttable. If you are an early morning player, you know from experience that a layer of dew on the putting surface is not good and can render a green almost unputtable. If you have never experienced this, think about making your biggest putter swing ever and watching the ball fishtail dew and only make it halfway to the cup. Many golf course groundskeepers accomplish the dew sweeping by cutting the greens with mowers. Well-mowed greens, check. Dew Swept, check. However certain golf courses have their landscape team use a long piece of bamboo or rubber to do the dew sweeping on the greens. The sweeper is either drug across the greens or swept across the greens to remove the dew from the putting surface.
Another way that the term dew sweeper is occasionally used is in the world of professional golf. Being a dew sweeper in pro golf can be a bad thing. Dew sweepers in professional golf are players who barely made the cut and are sent off early on day three. These players are essentially sweeping the dew off the course symbolically as the make their way around. So, if you’re a professional golfer you don’t want to be hitting your first tee shot as the sun comes up and you certainly don’t want to be trashed talked by your peers about your dew sweeping prowess.
For 99.9% of us, dew sweeping can actually be a truly memorable way to experience the game of golf differently than we have ever experienced it before. Your goal to be a true dew sweeper is to secure the first tee time of the day. Heading to the course and driving in the dark brings a sense of anticipation in a good way. You get this feeling that you have figured out something that most others haven’t yet. Upon arriving at the course, you’ve beat the daily rush and besides a few of the early morning locals, the course is quiet and yours for the morning. There is an obvious coolness in the air as the sun isn’t quite up yet. If you have a warm-up session, its all feel on the range or putting green. You are using all your senses since you really have limited ability to see. Then, the magic happens. The sun rises above the horizon and you get to experience the course waking up. For golfers, it’s a glorious way to start the day. Step on the first tee and you get to open the course for all who follow with the first tee shot of the day. Here are the little bonuses. You play as fast as you want. You see wildlife that is still milling around that you may not have ever seen before on that course. The colors of a sunrise over the golf course are special to those who love the game. Your course could be packed out for the day but as a dew sweeper, you can have a wait-free three hour round. No sweat. When you get done have brunch, or better yet be a weekday dew sweeper and be done by mid morning and still get in a full day of work. There are few players who have figured out the magic of the morning hours. However, for the majority of golfers who have never had the experience, it’s worth the early morning wake-up call. Even if you only do it once, it will be memorable.