ELEMENTS have conspired to deprive Easingwold Golf Club of the prestigious York Amateur Championship.

The course was due to host the top York Union of Golf Clubs' event on June 1. But it has now been switched to Fulford GC because renovation work on greens at Easingwold has just not taken in time.

Easingwold club secretary Brian Stockley told the Evening Press that work had been carried out on improving the greens. But the efficacy of that work had been undermined by the worst combination any club could face - a lack of water and warmth.

The work at Easingwold has coincided with one of the driest winters and spring on record. There's barely been any rainfall since the turn of the year.

Said Stockley: "We carried out the work on the greens expecting there to be some rain to help them along. But the dry winter has meant we were unable to put seed or fertiliser down, which has delayed the process.

"It's not just our course. It's affected others in Yorkshire, even some on the east coast where there's been a distinct lack of rain.

"I played at Leicestershire recently and the problem was the same down there. What we have been wishing for is water and warmth and we've not had either. We've even had the situation where you could not put the sprinklers on because when you get here in the morning there's been a frost.

"And as anyone knows a sprinkler is nowhere near as good as having a damned good downpour."

Currently, there's a marked improvement at the greens at Easingwold, but not in time enough, much to the disappointment of the club, whose hosting last summer of the Yorkshire Boys' amateur championship was a major success.

Easingwold greens chairman Vince Moorhouse contacted the York Union to say it may want to switch its Amateur championship to another venue. Hence, the event will now be played at Fulford.

Updated: 11:08 Thursday, April 24, 2003