Hard to imagine that we would be saying ''when is it going to stop raining'' given the conditions we were experiencing just four weeks ago.  I got to work at 4.45am this morning just as it was starting to spit rain and checked the rain gauge at 4.55am and we had 12mm overnight.  Checked it again at 5.35am and there had been a 29mm downpour.  Suffice to say that we just don't seem to be making much headway and the courses are absolutely saturated.

 

Rainfall for the last week stands at;

4/2     6 mm

5/2     9 mm

6/2     14 mm

7/2     195 mm

8/2     47 mm

9/2     285 mm

10/2   43 mm

11/2   44 mm

12/2   42 mm

 

For a total of 685 mm or 27.4 inches in the old scale!!

 

We have been working on a blocked drain on RHS 6R for the week and finally got it cleared late Tuesday afternoon and that is helping drain a huge area of the River course, particularly 15R.  Unfortunately the only way to clear it was to excavate the existing pipe out as the 2 x blockages were 1.3 metres deep under water and there was no other option to access the pipe.  The area is roped off for now and until we dry out will not be repaired but it is quite deep so players are asked to exercise caution in that area and not enter past the safety fence.

15R fairway had been holding water all week and the photos below show it pre and post the drain being cleared.  The blockage also affected 2 and 12W and 2, 6, 14 and 16R so it was crucial to get it cleared.  We don't know what caused the blockage but it took an excavator to release it and it was at either end of the pipe.

4pm Tuesday afternoon.

7.30 am Wednesday morning even after another 42mm rain.

Oh and we just had another 30mm between 9.30 and 11.00 this morning!!