With the arrival of August golfers can expect seasonal changes to start setting in at the course. While most people regard August as the dog days of summer, northern golfers know August as summer's last shot, as autumn often sets in early in the Peace Country. Its ironically fitting that the last major championship of the professional golf season, the PGA Championship, known colloquially as "Glory's Last Shot" takes place in August as well.
For those of us used to golfing late into the evening August serves as a reminder that the season is rapidly drawing to a close. The sun is rising a little later each day and going down a little sooner. On August 1st the sun rose at 5:05 AM and set at 9:11 PM. By the end of the month sunrise will be at 6:04 AM and sunset at 8 PM - a loss of daylight of over two hours! Perhaps not very noticeable to many people but pretty significant to grounds crew who start work around 6 AM. With the later sunrise also comes lower temperatures and the threat of frost. A lack of heat and light definitely puts a crimp in the amount of time available to the grounds crew before the arrival of most golfers. Fortunately August has come out of the gate with brilliant sunshine and above average temperatures!
Declining daylight and temperatures will have a great impact on the grass and plants. The most identifiable sign that fall is on its way will be the turning of the tree leaves from green to their fall colors. In dry years this change can happen earlier due to the trees being under stress from lack of water. With this year's above average rainfall the leaves may stay green longer but there are no guarantees. A two week drying trend might just stress the trees into turning early. Just like the weather, the trees operate on their schedules, more often than not leaving forecasters scratching their heads and wondering why their predictions turned out so wrong. The grass at the course changes too. The rapid summer growth eases off as the plants prepare for winter dormancy. Cutting schedules and mower heights need to be adjusted accordingly.
But let's not rush summer out the door too quickly! August is traditionally drier than July and boasts an average temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius - still quite comfortable playing conditions by any standard. For the first time in a long time there is no rain in the long range forecast and we've actually had to activate the sprinkler system. So while the season might be winding down, there is still plenty of time left for players to get out and post some great scores.
The same is not necessarily true for the PGA tour. The last major of the year - the PGA Championship will be played August 11 - 14 at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Georgia. It's fitting and perhaps ironic that this year the last major is being played just down the road from Augusta where the season's first major - the Masters is played. This situation is rare however, for like the US Open, the PGA Championship moves about the country, being played at a different course each year.
Aside from being the final major, the PGA Championship is mostly distinguished from the other major tournaments by its depth of field. Coming late in the season, this event attracts a deep and talented roster of competitors all looking for one last shot at lasting glory. Certainly this year's event has garnered considerable attention with the announcement that Tiger Woods intends to participate after injury kept him out of July's British Open. If an American does not capture this year's title it will mark the first time since 1994 that all four major championships have been held by international players.
August doesn't mark the end of the golfing season. At Links the Club Championship is scheduled for the Labour Day weekend and on the pro circuit the Tour Championship takes place September 22 -25th, so there is still lots of golf to come. However if you prefer to play in the summer sun, then August truly is glory's last shot! Better get out to the course soon and make the most of it!
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