On Nov. 11, in Syracuse, N.Y., we played sunny golf

/ November 12, 2014

I’ve had a new saying lately.

Syracuse is the new South Carolina.

What I mean is …

The periodic bursts of warm weather we’ve been getting this fall has been knocking me out.

On Tuesday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day 2014, it reached 65 degrees in Syracuse, N.Y. That, my friends, is not the usual sort of mid-November weather for the city 35 miles southeast of snow-making machine Lake Ontario, the city that gets an average of 123.8 inches of snow annually, No. 1 on the list of 101 biggest cities in the country as snowiest, usually the winner of the Golden Snowball Award. We get snow on Halloween. We get snow on Mother’s Day. We do not get 65 degrees on Veteran’s Day.

I wrote my weekly community blog for Syracuse Public Media site waer.org about my reaction and my day’s events. You can find my words and pictures by clicking the link below.

http://waer.org/post/when-you-get-mid-november-day-know-how-appreciate-it

One of my activities you could have guessed, if you’ve been here with any sort of regularity.

KP putts as Tater holds the pin at Radisson Greens on Nov. 22 in Baldwinsville, N.Y., northwest of Syracuse.

KP putts as Tater holds the pin at Radisson Greens on Nov. 12 in Baldwinsville, N.Y., 20 miles northwest of Syracuse.

I played golf with my great friends KP and Tater. One last round for the year, at Radisson Greens, a fine course designed by famed architect Robert Trent Jones. It was blown clear of leaves, mostly scooted back off into the woods, a very big chore and neat trick.

For our 11:14 a.m. tee time, the sun was shining. The course was crowded. The pace was slow. It took five hours to play.

I drive at Radisson Greens.

I drive at Radisson Greens.

I did not care about that. We were out in nature’s glory. KP won eight skins, Chris five, me four.

Our first game next spring will come much quicker because our last game this fall was stretched out until Nov. 12. I hope we’ll get out in March. We will if Syracuse has indeed become the next South Carolina.

The sun was low when we finished our 18 holes.

The sun was low when we finished our 18 holes.

Was it warm or cold where you lived yesterday? How did you celebrate Veterans Day? When is the latest and earliest in the year you’ve been out on the golf course?

Fish of Gold

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69 thoughts on “On Nov. 11, in Syracuse, N.Y., we played sunny golf”

  1. We had a warm day here in Ottawa one day last week as well Mark. It was about 17 c (62F). But then it got cold again – it’s -6C now, about 22F. Up and down like a roller coaster. It’s great that you got to take advantage of the wrarm weather to get in a round, maybe we’ll get a few more days like that. What struck me from your pictures, was how green the course was – pretty amazing. Nothing green is left around here now.

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  3. What does it mean you won four skins? And were you cold in those shorts? It sounds like beautiful weather there. And even though it was a slow game, it sounds like a fun time just to be outdoors. 🙂

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    • It comes from “The Skins Game.” Every hole counts as one “skin,” Rachel. Like hunting. Ugh. I never literally thought of it so thoroughly until just now. Anyway, the lowest score on each hole wins the skin. If any two golfers tie, the skin or skins carry over to the next hole. A golfer can win one hole and five or six skins at that one time. KP and Tater tied for low score on the last hole. Hence, only 17 skins total.

      No I was not cold at all in my shorts. And it was great to be outdoors the whole day. 🙂

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  4. It was mid-20s here, which you know and you also know what the ground looked like. You’re doing very well up there in Syracuse 🙂 And lol the first and last time I was on the golf course was in college. Larry took me out with friends and it must not have stuck as I’ve never returned.

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  7. Oh, that day looks lovely. Great photos! Our weather has been crazy (but Oklahoma weather is always bipolar). It was in the 70s on Monday, then it plummeted overnight and has been below freezing for the majority of the last 48 hours. I adore the cold, so I don’t mind – plus it gave me an excuse to wear a cute scarf and jacket. Of course I still complain about how chilly it is when I go outside.
    Also, it might snow this weekend and I am over the moon! Bring it on, winter!

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    • As long as you can be warm AND fashionable, bring it on, that is, right? You gave me a good chuckle withi the cute scarf and jacket line, Poet. NIce. 🙂 It is going to get cold this weekend here in Syracuse, too. We’ll both be bringint it on, it seems.

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  9. what a lucky and beautiful day for you in your own ‘south’. you are so right, your spring game is so much closer now, i like that attitude. yesterday it was really pretty here too, and today – well, it dropped to 38 degrees )

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  12. Cloudy yesterday but sunny today. No rain again yet. It is getting a bit cooler here but still nice. I don’t think I would not adapt too well to so much snow. I get a bit down when I see all the leaves off the trees here. It can get cold in the winter here though just not yet.

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  13. Good thing we blasted a giant hole in the ozone layer or we wouldn’t have this interesting weather.

    My company was closed for Veteran’s Day yesterday. My kids were in school and my wife had to work so I came into the city anyway. Sunny. Warm. No wind. Beautiful. I went art gallery hopping and then had lunch in Bryant Park. I could get USE TO THAT.

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    • I bow to your company for closing for Veterans Day. Nice little agenda you set up.

      I led my community blog on the Public Media site with a nod at global warming and the caveat that it was such a beautiful day that I wanted to write about the effect instead of the potential cause …

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  16. It was in the high 60s yesterday in CT – totally awesome! I keep hearing though that we are going to have one of the coldest winters in years and these indian summer days are making that hard to believe.

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  18. Near 70 and humid yesterday and today, with sunny skies.

    The forecast for tomorrow? 48 as the high and rainy. Typical Virginia autumn 🙂

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  20. In true, fickle North Carolina style, we’re looking at a 50 degree discrepancy over the next 48 hours. Today a high of 75…within 2 days, a low of 25. This is the way of our weather here. Last year, we had snow and 80 degrees within the same week. It keeps us on our toes. 😉

    I’m glad you had such lovely weather for golfing. 🙂

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    • That is ripe for mood swings, Nerdy. Shorts, long-johns. We’ve had that sort of fluctuation here, for sure.

      There are folks here who will play with gloves and wool hats if the snow is off the course at Liverpool Golf Course, which will open every month of the year to make the greens fees. But I am not one of them any longer. Brrrrrr.

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