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Golfers still hitting the links in WNY in Dec.

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It is now official - Buffalo has broken a 116-year record for lack of snow in December.

The latest Buffalo ever had snow was December 3rd - that was until Thursday. With no snow in the foreseeable future, it appears the record will be extended by several days, if not weeks.

For Western New York residents, the lack of snow combined with mild temperatures is almost hard to believe, especially after last year's severe winter.

Across the Niagara Frontier, golfers were out and golf courses were extending operations while offering new discounts for winter golfers.

Erie County Parks, Recreation, & Forestry is inviting winter golfers to play 18-holes with a cart for only $20 at county-owned golf courses. Plans are to keep Elma Meadows and Grover Cleveland golf courses open until the snow falls.

Hyde Park Golf Course in Niagara Falls normally closes on November 1st. This year, golfers are still heading out on a course that has good conditions. The extra-long season has also generated an extra $12,000 for the City of Niagara Falls.

It is a big turnaround for the Cataract City that spent nearly all of its $255,000 salt budget by the end of March 2015.

Now the salt barns are full, plows ready, and the city has $6,300 for salt until the new budget year begins in January 2016.

For nervous city leaders, Mother Nature's winter break is helping balance the books.  

"We are in the same fiscal year. So, people will say, 'How much money are you saving in your annual budget?' Because we had such a difficult start to the year in all of these categories including overtime for various weather related emergencies, what is happening is that this is helping us get back on an even keel," commented Mayor Paul Dyster.

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