Scott, > As far as cold and snow, you guys down south crack me up. We are supposed > to get up to 2� F today, with wind chills around -30 to -40� F. At least > when it's that cold, we don't get as much snow - only supposed to get 3-6" > today. I've got about 4' in my back yard, and for the season we are at > about 180".
Yeah, but one of the reasons I moved down here was the moderate climate (and fewer allergies than PA Dutch Country). Had 0" of snow the last couple of years...already had about 7" in the Valley this year. (Couple of feet more in the Smokies.) Usually not too hot or too cold for golf here...70s and 80s most of the summer with only a couple of 90s weeks and dropping into 70s almost every summer night. If it does get too hot outside, when I was healthy I used to just go to the Smokies and hike, where it's 20� cooler on top at 5,000+ feet elevation. Nice breezes in the gaps, too. Have been able to play all winter here most years...with only a couple of weeks of weather with temps steadily under 35�F. This year, we seem to get a couple of nice days and then two weeks of bad weather (snow, rain, cold) and no golf. When the sun is out and temp is over 45�, it's quite comfortable to play in a light mock turtleneck and windshirt. Can often get up to almost 70�, when the Gulf air is coming up the Tennessee Valley from the southwest. Not usually a lot of cold or strong wind, either, unless one of those Canadian Clippers is coming through from the northwest. In mid-January of 1985, Knoxville had a Clipper that took us to -25� and was the coldest spot in the nation...killed all my hedge hollies to the ground...but roots were OK and they all grew back to full size (about 4') in two years. Killed a lot of the garden bugs that year, too (garden bugs and plant diseases are the downside of the Mid-South). East Tennesee is a pretty nice place for golfers, or any active seniors, to retire...lots of wooded countryside, all kinds of recreation, lots of lakes, some "touristy" and historical places (great aquariums in Gatlinburg and in Chattanooga) which can be fun off-season, National Park and State Parks, moderate climate, low taxes, housing and food costs, good location for travelling...a day's drive to reach Carolina or Gulf coasts...and more and more golf courses, some of which are almost unknown and very good, most of which are reasonably priced to play. The senior rates for the Nicklaus courses at the State Parks and quite a few others are $25 with cart. There's a great GA State Park course, near Dalton, called Nob North that I can walk for $15. I can (hopefully when I get back in shape) walk our three courses for $12 and ride for $25. Where I play at Tellico Village, the 3000+ retired population is mostly from Michigan, Illinois and Indiana...the smart ones who came south out of the cold. All you working stiffs will just have to suffer a bit longer. :-) Bernie Writeto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
