If there's one golf tournament Tiger Woods might not win, the mud golf competition on Mersea Island could just be it.

There was no question of replacing the divot as golfers braved the elements to play a round of mud golf at Cudmore Country Park in East Mersea.

The event was organised by the Willow Lodge Sailing Club following on from a successful round of mud golf last year.

Golfers tee off from the beach and go into the mud for a mile-and-a-half course which takes about an hour and a half to go round.

Ron van Staalen, owner of Willow Lodge, West Mersea, said the event went well.

"There were about 25 competitors even with the bad weather forecast. We couldn't do it in April because of the foot-and-mouth crisis."

The game is played with a normal club and ball.

Mr van Straalen said: "It was quite hard because you were sinking half way up your leg. Most golfers used a five wood. It is strange, but the ball does not sink into the mud."

Tiger Woods was unavailable - but this golfer still enjoyed his unusual round

By Stephen Rawlins

Reporter's e-mail: stephen_rawlins@thisisessex.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.