How Critical Is An Extended Season?

Are you noticing a little bite in the air when you go the car at night?

Come to think of it, is it getting dark just a tad earlier these days?

Have you noticed one or two red leaves in that tree that was all green just a few days ago?

Oh stop.

You know that winter in Canada is a death-and-taxes deal. It’s inevitable.

The problem is that winter hung on so long at the beginning of the season that, even in mid-August, it seems as if we’re just getting into full swing in the golf industry.

Maybe that wasn’t winter in the early going – more of a really sloppy spring with the cool temperatures and constant rain that plagued golf operations across the country. At times, it seemed as if summer was never coming.

I mention this not to churn up bad memories, but point out the lasting effects of such inclement weather. With back-to-school sales in full swing and the odd leaf changing colour, that bottom line may not look as grand as what you had originally predicted.

It may not just be the weather, when you consider other factors affecting golf such as participation and the overall economy, perhaps even the roller-coaster the stock market has been on recently, which may have people reining in their spending.

We can speculate all we want about the causes, but those numbers in your ledger may be glaring out at you right now. Or not.

How bad is it? That’s the topic of this week’s GNN Poll.

Hopefully, September offers some glorious weather, but as we all know, there are no guarantees. October is even more dicey and maybe we can sneak in a few good days in early November. Emphasize the maybe in that sentence because it’s may be wishful thinking.

Yet, a longer-than-usual, warm fall may be critical to your operation. Let us know with your vote below or on the GNN home page.

If you’d like to expand your thoughts, please tee it up in the Comments box below.

About Ian Hutchinson

'Hutch' is a veteran Canadian golf writer, whose history in the game includes an extensive background with Canadian golf trade publications. Hutch is also a regular contributor to publications and websites in Canada and the United States.