Farmers' Almanac Fact or Fiction

Growing up in the golf business, I was amazed to watch the old greenskeepers, as they were called then, use an age-old way to predict weather with the "Farmers' Almanac" for the upcoming golf season. They knew whether we needed to pull the greens covers out of the rafters of the barn for a long winter or to run out and buy new hoses for the quick couplers for the next summer. My Grandpa lived by this book at home. Did it really work?

The 194-year-old Maine based publication, which claims 80 to 85 percent accuracy (I guess a good reason to listen up) and was originally published by Jacob Mann in Morristown, N.J., the "Farmers' Almanac" now boasts a prominent website, Facebook page, iPhone application and Twitter. The 2011 edition of the "Farmers' Almanac" -- not to be confused with its rival publication, "The Old Farmers Almanac," first published in 1792 -- offers the usual weather predictions, gardening tips, humor, trivia, recipes and more. But can it really help you manage your golf course? Can we learn from the old greenskeepers, or is modern technology the way to go? Could we have found out about the summer of 2010 and the winter blast that we are seeing now?

I guess only time will tell. The next time I am out, I will pick up a copy or buy an app to see if it works.