The East of Ireland Amateur tournament starts tomorrow. Today was the last day finishing course 'polish up'. Lovely sunny days and no rain throughout the week have firmed up the links very well. It will be a challenge to say the least, but if I could give any advice to the players it would be to play the links' roll.

In the morning I rolled around from hole to hole changing tee markers, filling tee divots, collecting trash and enjoying the sights. The course truly is shaping up.

I had some company on a tee box.

As I said it has been dry all week, so the whole afternoon was spent watering sodded areas. Robin Twinem and I set forth with this brilliant transportable uisce (water) supplier.

Filling up transportable tanks to irrigate sod spots

You wont find many quick couplers near the scattered sod spots, so this set up will be most efficient for getting the job done. Its no ordinary watering hose. A water pump connected to the tractors PTO allows suction from the tank and output through the watering hose.

View of PTO-drive pump, input hose (green) output hose (yellow)

The output flow can be increased or decreased by the tractor's throttle. Believe me, full throttle won't be necessary because this shoots out with force! We were able to cover each sodded area with a healthy supply of water. Though the jobs today had finished nicely, all was not well.

Robin taking over for quick photo

We were able to cover each sodded area with a healthy supply of water. Though the jobs today had finished nicely, all was not well .

The day was not perfect. A tragic loss occurred. If my Brad's Body Shop hat (from my home town of Findlay, Ohio) had not been so special to me, I would not be so devastated.

On the morning course set up I placed my hat on the empty seat beside me. Finishing the job I realized it was not on the seat nor my head. Retracing my path and asking each golf group had been unsuccessful. Still no luck in the Lost and Found but I still have hope she turns up!

Last photo taken of my Brad's Body Shop hat. The backwards hat won't help with identifying though.

On the contrary, Baltray is home to a sly fox famous for nabbing items from golfers' bags. Later I will post a blog about her. But for now Im hoping this is not an episode needing to repeat "Swiper no swiping!"

Baltray's famous fox.