Trending
It's been several years since we've experienced the amount of dry weather and consistently hot temperatures we've seen so far this summer.
Weather like this certainly has a big impact, and I can only imagine the effect it will have on our local farming communities if the trend continues much longer.
While these concerns are undoubtedly more important, the recent weather has also begun to impact local golf courses.
Every local superintendent I've talked to recently has their own story about how these drought-like conditions have been affecting their golf course. The heat and lack of rain has caused nearly every course in our area to become rock-hard, turning the landscape a unique shade of crispy brown.
Many of the superintendents in our area have begun focusing their efforts on supplying enough water to keep greens and tees healthy at this point. Golf courses in our area are subject to water allocation as directed by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, so conditions like we're currently experiencing can be extremely challenging.
Another sign of our recent lack of moisture has been the recent announcement that Blair County was placed on the state's Drought Watch list, which asks local residents to reduce individual water use by 5-10 percent each day.
With all that said, the next time you see your course superintendent, give him a special thanks for all the hard work involved in making a golf course playable in these tough conditions.
Here's hoping we see at least a few all-day rains in the near future.
British Open
There's nothing like waking up at the crack of dawn, turning on the television and being able to watch live coverage of a top-notch golf tournament, played on a links-style course.
If you're up to it, and can roll out of bed early enough this weekend, you'll be able to catch some of the action at the British Open being played at Royal Troon in Scotland.
It's one of my favorite tournaments to watch each year.
WPGA Seniors
The West Penn Golf Association held a senior event at the Links at Spring Church in Apollo earlier this week.
In the senior division, Sinking Valley's Bill Allen tied for fourth place while Keith Danner, representing Park Hills, finished 13th.
Competing in the super-senior division, Iron Masters' Ron Hinish scored 31 Stableford points to finish in third place.
55 years ago
During the third week of July in 1969, New Castle's Paul Young set a new course record at Park Hills Country Club.
Playing in a qualifying round prior to the Park Hills Classic, Young scored a round of 67 to set the record on a course that had expanded to 18 holes just a few years earlier. Young's score eclipsed the previous record of 68 set by club member Bob Palmer.
Ken Love covers local golf for the Mirror. He can be reached at GLTR777@atlanticbb.net.