Eaton Golf Club

In line with Government instructions, the bar and clubhouse catering are closed.
The Clubhouse is open for the time being but members must observe the recommended social distancing (2 metres/6.5 feet apart).
Additional information will be sent to members after the Board meeting on Monday and further Government clarification.
... Thank you for you understanding. Keep safe.
Jen Russell
Madam Chair
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Nearest The Pin Fabulous Phil’s 5 out of 5, but ‘on a string’ Ian takes the honours! I hope all of you who came down to the swing studio enjoyed the experience, I certainly did. Our NTP today was a 110-yard hole.
Special mention to Jane Moore (8’5”) and Vice-Captain Phil Davies, with his new clubs, (yes it’s true!!) who was the only player all day to hit the green 5 out of 5 times.
... However, Ian Hodgkinson was the winner following a wonderful shot that finished just 2’6” from the pin! This came after his previous shot was knocked to 9’2”! Well played Ian, I’m sure you will enjoy your prize, a free hour on the simulator.
Kind regards
Bill Tye
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Centenary 2020 Remember when.....

Macmillan Quiz - 28th February 2020

Course News Unsurprisingly, not much happening on the grass: it’s much too wet for almost any traffic. One of the team goes for a short stroll/splash over the 14th fairway to assess playability: that's currently an easy decision. The flooding at the bottom of 14 is partly due to the hollow area there, partly to what’s coming down the stream, and partly because (other than holes 6-11) the whole course slopes to, and drains into, the brook. In the early days we had a secon...d, larger culvert put under Guy Lane to clear the water faster: levels last weekend remained below the top of the culvert, so it is doing its job. The forecast after this weekend does seem to be improving, once Jorge blows through. Gavin is keep to get at least the short course into action. Look out for some firm roping off to spread out the wear, and help us by not sticking to the shortest lines.
Elsewhere there is news. The fence etc. on the 2nd boundary is now up and hawthorn plants ordered to get the replacement hedge growing. We have recovered all of the costs from the insurers. The contaminated gravel edging on the road near the clubhouse has been replaced, a drain for that area installed, and the extra stone used to surface up the overflow car park.
Gavin has appointed an additional greenkeeper, Jamie Bakewell. He gained his greenkeeping NVQ level 2 at Carden, then left to try something else but has been drawn back to the outdoor life. Assuming he is up to it we plan to put him through NVQ level 3 - he seems keen. He starts at the end of March: the extra resource will be more than welcome.
As we move into March and temperatures rise the course should recover more quickly, and as soon as there is any kind of a course to play it will be on the web site banner. There are some issue about how long it takes for each morning's input to reach the website which are being investigated. It should be updated by 07:30 each day, often earlier.
Alan Wood
29/02/2020
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200 Club Winners For March 2020 The Winners for the March draw were as follows
1st No. 57 Bill Bowler £100 2nd No. 24 Ken Sykes £60... 3rd No. 74 Dave Dawrant £40 4th No. 118 Rob Beacham £35 5th No. 103 Les Evans £30 6th No. 39 John Jardine £25
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Opening Times
Saturday 29th February, Sunday 1st March
The Clubhouse and bar will be open 12-4pm both days please pop in and have a drink.... The Pro-Shop will be open 8am-4pm on Saturday 29th February and 8am-12noon on Sunday 1st March.
There will be no Catering available over the weekend.
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Course Flood We have been closed for almost 2 weeks and from today’s forecast of another inch of rain Friday and Saturday, it is likely to continue. This is unprecedented, even in the days before we were able to drain the fairways after discovering gravel banding.
As has been noted before, at Eaton the deep impermeable clay which underlies the course prevents water draining down to the water table – it stays at the surface. The gravel banding quickly clears standing water b...ut with no grass growth in winter the (thin) layer of saturated topsoil is reliant on evaporation to dry out. Since it rains nearly every day at the moment the humidity is too high for that to happen very quickly. It’s scant consolation that others are similarly affected, although many are less protective of their course than Eaton. Today (Thursday), for example, just walking on the fairways causes quite deep footprints which fill with water – ‘casual water’, in old speak. When the ground dries these leave uneven fairways. Or, the turf slides and tears, leaving bare patches which need to grass over. Off the fairways the situation is much worse – ‘boggy’ is the best word for it. Previously we experienced a range of wet and dry winters and, other than supplementing the drainage in problem areas, we felt able to live with it. There have been winters without a single trolley ban. However, this is the second winter running that we have been severely affected by rain and we need to respond. With the amount of rain that has fallen and continues to fall, there is almost nothing we can do short of adding several inches of sand to the course, which would be absurdly expensive. We do have plans to re-band some of the fairways where it appears that the existing banding is beginning to fail, like the left side of the first fairway. More experimentally, we also think we have a way to access the original course drainage system that had been laid too deeply to be of any use. The hope is that this will improve the cut rough areas. The cost is significant but not prohibitive since the work will be done by our own team – including the new man who has just been appointed. Weather permitting we should make a start on both these ideas this autumn now the current development project is nearing completion. More immediately, we are looking at creating a short winter course which will keep to the drier fairways. Off piste you will have to take your chances. The idea is to play 10, 11, 12 then cross to the 5th fairway and play to the green as a shorter version; then play from the 6th tee to the 7th green and then down 8 and 9. Only 7 holes but better than nothing. With the current rains even that can’t be put into action, but as soon as it can it will. Watch this space!
Alan Wood
Course Director
27/02/2020
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Gruesomes & Gosmore Cup The Gruesome and Gosmore competitions
HDID has been updated and new format sheets are on the board – it allows for the inclusion / exclusion of couples who have gone through a civil partnership.
... Gruesomes - Mixed Greensomes KO (Married Couples/Civil Partnerships only)
18 holes match play for Married Couples and those in a Civil Partnership only. Both drive, choose best ball, play alternately to hole out. Draw made early April. It is a closed competition, visitors are not allowed to enter. Ladies will play the Eaton GC course off the Red tees and Gentlemen off the White tees.
Gosmore Cup - Mixed Foursomes KO
The format is non-qualifying 18 holes Mixed Foursome match play knockout for Mixed Couples (Married Couples or those in Civil Partnerships cannot play with their Spouses /Civil partner). Gentlemen drive from 1st and odd numbered tees. Ladies from even numbered tees. Alternate shots from tee to hole-out. It is a closed competition, visitors are not allowed to enter. Ladies will play the Eaton GC course off the Red tees and the Gentlemen will play off the White tees. The draw will be made early April.
You can see these conditions on HDID and also on the Mixed board in the foyer
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Carvery Sunday 8th March 2 courses - £18.50 Including Coffee and Mints
3 Courses - £21.50... Including Coffee and Mints
Please Pre-Book Through the Bar Payment on the day
Sufficient numbers are needed for this event to go ahead
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Course News We had just short of an inch of rain first week in February; something more than an inch the second week; this week another inch and with substantially more forecast at the start of next week. It’s hopeless - unless a course is built on sand where the rain goes straight through (as it does on our greens) the ground is overwhelmed, as evidenced by the local fields. Not since the early days at Eaton before we installed gravel banding have we been so badly disrupte...d. Gavin is seriously behind with winter work - he can’t get machines on the course. Even walking over it leaves very visible footprints but the turf is not actually broken so the marks soon go. We will need a couple of weeks of drying weather before the course is anywhere near ‘normal’ and it’s not looking very likely for this coming week.
On the course we have again been restricted to ‘housekeeping’ matters, like fettling up signage - there are a lot of posts to paint! WiFi is now operational at the sheds, which will be invaluable should there ever be reason to use the course watering system.
The main work has been on the roadway around the clubhouse. Contractors power washing the brick setts dislodged a load of muck and moss which has washed onto and contaminated the gravel edging. The stone has been taken out - in truth it’s needed doing for some time - and replaced with limestone. At the same time Gavin plans to put a proper drain in the verge to prevent the flooding that regularly occurs in that area. There will be some spare stone to improve the overflow car park.
We had a generally disappointing response to the advert for a new greenkeeper - plenty of applications but mostly unsuitable candidates, many of whom appeared not to have read the advert. However, late in the day a promising entry was received which we are following up. He does not 100% fit the desired profile but may well have the potential we seek.
Alan Wood
23/-2/2020
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Eaton Outlook The February edition of our newsletter Eaton Outlook is now on-line. (Members' Section / Communication)
Hard copy will be available in the clubhouse some time next week.

World Handicap System We now have a section in the Members' area of the website called "World Handicap System"
Within this you can find a presentation which gives a great deal of information.
... There is also a page of frequently asked questions for you to browse.
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