A scorching way to burn up the course

CLOSE call... a golfer passes by the damaged power line. Picture by Chris Gleave

Golfers had a lucky escape when a live overhead power line landed on the fairway yesterday.

Golfers at the Brookdale club in Medlock Road, Woodhouses, were enjoying an afternoon game when the drama unfolded at about 3.15pm.

The incident cut off power to the clubhouse and neighbouring properties as the live wire scorched the fairway of the third hole where it landed. No-one was injured.

Police were called and the area surrounding the cable was cordoned off.

Club vice-captain Chris Gleave (54), from Failsworth, was on the course when it happened.

He said: “You could see the power line had gone down and landed in a group of trees. You could smell burning where it had scorched the earth.

“If it had landed on a golfer it would have killed them.

“There was no power at the clubhouse so there was no hot food and the beer, which is cooled by electric pumps, was getting warm.

“But golfers stayed on the course and played around it — it didn’t put anyone off their game.”

It is believed some homes in the Woodhouses and Ashton area were affected. Electricity North-West said contractors working on the Metrolink extension in Ashton caused the incident which cut off power to 3,000 homes in the area for nearly six hours.

A spokesman said the problem was resolved and power restored to houses at 9pm. The club’s power came back on at 11pm.