Restaurants near PGA National are concerned over weather's impact as weekend approaches

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - It's not golf balls that restaurant owners will be watching for this weekend. It's rain, wind and cold weather.

In Palm Beach Gardens, they say those are the last things they need ahead of what could be one of the busiest weekends of the year.

At Prosecco Cafe on PGA Boulevard and right near the golf course, the last thing they want to see are empty tables in their outside seats.

"A little cold is OK, in the 70s people still sit outside and relax," said the manager of Prosecco Cafe, Devin Aanhai. "Anything below that, it just really affects us a lot."

Prosecco Cafe has a hundred seats. Fifty of them are outside.

With temperatures predicted in the 60s, they could lose half their business - during a week they count on - if no one wants to sit outside.

"This is one of the biggest weeks here, next to like a Mothers' Day week," said Aanhai.

Spoto's Water Bar normally sees a 20 percent jump during golf week.

Last year was no exception as temperatures hovered all weekend near the mid 80s.

John Spoto admits he may have to close off 40 percent of his seats and is worried of losing the effect you normally get when you drive by.

"It doesn't look like there's a big party going on, but at the same time, they know we're here," said Spoto.

There are also lingering questions of overall attendance and what that means for nearby businesses.

"We just moved here from Connecticut," said Nick Ogurick. "It's still warm to us. But you'll see people with winter hats and coats."

The weather and the presence of Tiger Woods cooperated last year to help attendance hit a record 161,000.

This year, there will be Tiger. And there will be weather.

But what kind?

"It's Irish sunshine. There's nothing wrong with it. We can take it!" said bartender Hugh Jackson at Paddy Mac's.

Attendance has grown at the tournament by sixty percent since 2011.

Restaurants who depend on those people want it to keep going in that direction.