A foggy afternoon and a rare day of greens maintenance meant no golfers would be on the neighborhood golf course. We were free to walk the cart path and enjoy the fog-shrouded trees.
Dense fog descends on the 4th green. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
We live not far from a private golf course. We don't play enough or earn enough to be members, and since only golfers are allowed to be on the course, we rarely visit. On a recent day of dense fog however, we went to the course, thinking we would photograph the trees from near the road.
A sign on the front gate of the club indicated the course would be closed for greens maintenance that day. That meant no golfers would be on the course and it would be safe to walk a portion of the golf cart path. "Safe" did not mean "permitted" of course, but since we would probably be there less than an hour, we decided it would be better to beg for forgiveness if we were stopped rather than ask for permission.
A golf cart path and the trees it skirts disappear into the fog. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
Fog is often very good for photography as it softens details, diminishes contrast, adds a sense of depth and lends an element of soft mystery to an image. Fog may transmit sounds better than air that is less saturated, but birds don't make as much noise when they can't see, so it feels quieter.
In familiar locales, fog isolates or envelops us in a pleasant, non-threatening way. The photo above shows a path disappearing in the fog, but it is in a groomed setting, with a planted line of trees, and a paved walkway—all of which implies a safe environment. In that familiar environment, fog can be welcomed.
That is how we felt as we strolled the grounds. We enjoyed the moist air on our face, and the sense of safe isolation. And although fog can be disorienting, we knew the path would lead us to where we wanted to go, so It was fun to see how the landscape would be unveiled.
The cart path curves around sand traps. The flag on the distant green is barely discernible in a larger image. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
After about an hour or so of walking and photography, we returned home, feeling refreshed and happy with the images we saw on the camera viewfinder. And while we may not have too many chances to enjoy the golf course grounds, it is another example of "nature nearby" and the opportunities for beneficial exposure to green spaces that exist for some of us close to home.
Trees line the golf course at the out-of-bounds marker while fog settles on the empty fairway. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
Foggy conditions enhance color saturation, emphasizing the variety of shades of green on the 8th hole. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
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