Greenland cancels Ice Golf Championship

Due to warm weather conditions in northern Greenland, organizers were forced to cancel the fifth Drambuie World Ice Golf Championship match, scheduled to take place March 28 to 30 in Uummanaq.

Unusually warm weather over the past month created ice conditions too thin for the golf course.

In December, the sea near Uummannaq usually freezes over, creating a huge two-metre-thick sheet of ice that joins Uummannaq to the mainland until the May thaw.

This year, the ice only reached a thickness of 10 centimetres, or about 10 times thinner than normal. Local fishermen were able to break through ice with their boats last week, about three months before they would generally be able to go out to sea.

“I am extremely disappointed that the championship has been cancelled and I’m not going to be competing. But what a stroke of luck — I am the championship holder for the second year running without even playing. I shall be practising and be ready to defend my title in 2004,” said Roger Beames, the 2002 Drambuie world ice golf champion.