b'GOLF ALASKAGolf in Fairbanks is a gasby Crai S. Bower information, adding, When it gets cold, we warm our hands around the flaming tees. First, a disclaimer. I didnt play midnight golf in Fairbanks,Though I was too afraid to light a match where methane but this doesnt mean I missed my only in Alaskagas hovered, my Midnight Sun round was uplifting once I experience. Witness the first tee shot at the recentlyembraced certain nuances, like green grass that mimicked resuscitated Midnight Sun Golf Course, where the muskegthe fairway and, yes, bubbling water hazards. The layout demands target golf akin to finding green swatches amongis also interesting, though I admit to getting lost on the the saguaro in Tucson. But golf courses arent impostersclosing holes (aka The Icebox), where I somehow missed here. You simply golf with what nature, or more accurately,the 17th hole altogether. the permafrost, gives you.I wouldnt break out a new sleeve of Pro-Vs at Midnight Permafrost, a permanently frozen layer of earth oftenSun, but you will still have fun hacking around the tundra located just below the surface, conjures up more heavingwith a gorgeous backdrop gilded in the late evening light. than the morning after a 21-year-olds birthday party. EveryBesides, only one hole can claim the title Northern Most spring, mounds suddenly appear on previously flat ground,Hole in America. Thats the par-4 eighth, a testy 389-yard and surprising turf depressions add an un-sketched falsenumber with a green framed, appropriately, by the bush.front where the green was once pancake-flat.I didnt play midnight golf because I scheduled my early Then theres the methane thing.September trip with both drives and dark skies in mind. There are several areas on our courses where methaneFairbanks arguably presents the finest Northern Lights gas percolates, says Ray Nadon, Midnight Suns newshowcase on the planet, given its 64.8-degree latitude and owner. You can stick your tee in the ground, light it andmore reliably clear night skies. We visited Aurora Pointe, watch it burn like a flare.where staff taught guests how to Aurora hunt using I thought that Nadon was, frankly, not being entirelyonline data and offered warm drinks in a heated building. truthful. That is until Glenner Anderson, my FairbanksI grew up here, but the Aurora never grows old, Golf Course playing companion, shared the sameAnderson told me as we started our round at Fairbanks GC. Midnight golf at Midnight Sun GC under the Aurora. Life is good.Left: There is ample warning as you enter the permafrost landscape on the back nine at Midnight Sun GC. 6 GOLF ALASKA| JUN2025'