Eaton
Up until Friday we’d had 18 mm of rain, of which 10 mm fell overnight Thursday/Friday. That takes October’s course total to just under 150 mm (6 inches), more than double the area average. Locally, on Monday afternoon a torrential rainstorm hit Chester hard. Some roads flooded briefly, but the storm managed to miss Eaton, less than 3 miles away. That’s unusual - usually Eaton’s weather is much worse than Chester.
The course managed to stay open - albeit with ‘Carry only’ in force - until Friday when it had to be closed. We've fared rather better than other local clubs (including Bromborough and Sandiway), with more than one course being closed most of the week. Sadly, next week’s forecast is not encouraging.
The course is too soft to permit machines or loaded trailers. Such traffic causes serious rutting, requiring expensive topsoil to repair. During the week Gavin managed to cut 12 fairways before having to give up. He hasn’t tried to cut the greens - although the greens themselves can take the machines the surrounds get damaged when the mower turns off after each pass. The team have done some winter housekeeping on areas accessible by paths.
Gavin has almost completed the irrigation in front of the ditch on the 12th, installing two pop-ups to improve the area between the trees. It’s complicated work which previously needed a specialist contractor but our local man has been ill for most of the year. Gavin loves a challenge and has self-taught through the process, including connecting the electrics to enable control from the sheds. It’s all connected up and has been successfully tested. He can’t refill the trenches until he can transport some weathered spoil. Re-using freshly excavated clay doesn’t work - it’s too lumpy and plasticky to settle properly.
Course Committee
5 November, 2023