Dewsweeper is out before dawn. You arrive at the course in the dark and have your choice of parking spots. You slowly gather your bag and shoes, let out a big yawn and stretch to the sky with a little smile on your face….it’s going to be a great morning.

You stroll up to the club house and take a look around. The starter is opening up, the grounds crew is cutting the 9th green. You shoot over to the kitchen for coffee and if it’s me, a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a bagel, sliced in half, to go.

As you stand on the first tee, the glow of the sun shows slightly above the landscape. The ground is damp and the air is chill. The birds and the squirrels are still sleeping. If you’re lucky, you might catch a fox sneaking back to the den before sunrise.

It is quiet and serene, just you, your playing partners and grounds crew. If you are there to see the greens get cut and the traps get raked, well then you are likely a Dewsweeper.

The word Dewsweeper was started by Tour Professionals and it wasn’t a compliment. It meant you are way down the leaderboard and you have no chance of winning. You have the earliest tee time so there will be no fans or film crews to witness any great shots. The conditions will not be ideal, sopping wet fairways and rough. Your only job really is to sweep away the dew for the leaders that play later that afternoon.

But for amateurs, where winning is playing, Dewsweeper is a term of endearment. It is a term of respect.

To be an amateur Dewsweeper means you are first. You are today’s leader. It means you play freshly cut greens in peak condition. It means you play at a fast pace with no wait on the tee box. It means you finish all 18 before lunch and have the rest of the day to spend with family and friends.

It’s freedom. Give it a try. I know 4:30-5am wake up call sounds scary, but like the gym and church, you always feel good having done it.

Good luck! Swing easy on the front. It will be slick.