Courtesy: UltimateChase.com

There's a new study dealing with climate change and the golf industry.

I recently wrote about this subject after poring over available data and the conclusion was no surprise: climate change is resulting in rising temperatures and extended golf seasons in areas of North America where golf is not a year round activity.

For example, the information I found indicated that in the northeastern United States and Southern Ontario, golf could be a year round sport within 7 decades.

That's so far out that it's essentially meaningless for those of us who won't be around when that glorious day dawns.

But new evidence on the subject of climate change has a more immediate impact.

The study comes from a recently launched company called Weatherbill.

Weatherbill essentially sells contracts to businesses that can be impacted by weather. It's kind of a targeted insurance company.

If weather costs your business lost revenue, Weatherbill will pay out - if you have a contract with them.

Weatherbill's study examined data going back 30 years and looked for trends.

Not surprisingly, they found some.

For example, temperatures are getting hotter in the southwestern United States. Heat waves in that part of the US are lasting longer, as well.

Overall, the number of warmer days is growing, according to Weatherbill's study.

The study examined temperature trends in 195 markets in the US. 49 of those markets saw a 50% increase in the number of warm days (where the temperature rose above 45 degrees F).

Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas saw their number of warm days increase 100% over the past 30 years, Weatherbill reports.

Of course, if you own a golf course, that's good news.

The east and southeast also saw more precipitation during that 30 year span. But it has been significantly drier in the west and southwest during that time.

That's not such good news for owners in those areas of the country. In fact, on the west coast there has been a drop of 40% in consecutive days of rainfall.

Have you noticed the increasing frequency, duration and intensity of brush fires in California?

The study also documents a jump in how often it rains for three days or longer in the northeastern US. In other words, it's raining more and longer there.

So, rising temperatures and generally good precipitation levels spell a fairly healthy weather picture for golf course owners in some parts of the United States - if these trends hold.

There was a disturbing note in the study, however. The number of weather extremes is growing more frequent and severe.

That has meant heavy rains in Florida and longer heat waves in the northeast and Mountain Time Zone of the country.

What's the overall conclusion for golf course owners, then? Warmer temperatures mean more golf playing days. That is offset by a growing uncertainty in weather behavior; damaging weather is increasing and it's more difficult to predict.

It's not entirely a bed of roses for the golf industry. But it is the currenty reality and it will probably impact your golf season this year and for years to come.