Mild December means good business for golf courses

PORTLAND, Ore. -- December usually means big business for the ski resorts, but most of this month, the weather has been more on the side of local golfers.

That's good news for golfers like Fritz Jossi, 90. But he was sitting around a table Thursday in the pro shop at Heron Lakes Golf Course -- not exactly what he had in mind.

"We golf the entire year around here," he said. "Once in a while, we have to cancel it out when it rains the course gets a little sloppy."

Jossi has had a good month of playing. Cancellations have been few and far between.

"Not bad at all," he said. "A little cold, but I've been hacking it around. My handicap keeps going up and up which I enjoy."

But Jossi's group decided to cancel its tee time Wednesday. He wasn't the only one to do that, though. There was just one lone golfer out there when KATU News showed up there Wednesday.

The weather, though, for the most part, has cooperated with golfers. In the past few days, though, rainy weather has hampered the time out on the golf course for golfers. However, earlier this month, Heron Lakes had more than 100 golfers out there swinging their clubs on a single day.

"We had one day where we did 20 golfers last year, and this year we did a 150 on the same exact day, so it's really weather-dependent," said Pro Shop Assistant Nick Piovanelli.

Piovanelli said the regulars have helped December business boom, which has been one of the best Heron Lakes has seen in the last couple of years.

"They're sticking around and they keep going and it keeps them happy and it brings others who are fair-weather golfers," he said. "It definitely helps business."

Once the weather clears, Jossi and his golfing buddies will be back out there, too, doing what he said they do best.

"They come out here and shoot the fat and lie about their scores and everything else," Jossi said with a smile.
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Source: http://www.katu.com/sports/Mild-December-means-good-business-for-golf-courses-136375418.html

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