| In the realm of golf lore and tradition, there’s nothing quite like the Open Championship. As much as I love to watch golf being played the way it’s supposed to be played, I sit and sadly think to myself, ‘if my course looked like that, I would never hear the end of it.’ You know what I’m talking about. Somehow, in the midst of the recent Championship, Graham Royden, Head Greenkeeper of Royal St. George’s, found the time to post a blog entry on the BIGGA website. Royden and his crew did a spectacular job setting up and maintaining the course throughout the tournament, as evidenced by the compliments they received from the players. Check out what he had to say HERE. Have you ever considered the ‘playing performance’ of your course? I always try to make operational decisions from the point of view of our members and guests, as I’m sure you do. But I would love to hear from anyone out there as to how you can instill this same thing in your crew. Please leave a comment for all to see and learn from! During the course of researching Royal St. George’s I came across the R&A website. No doubt it’s a mirror of the USGA, but I was intrigued by their take on golf course playing performance, golfer expectation, etc. Here’s an excerpt: “Firm, dry and healthy surfaces produce the most consistent playing conditions for a fair and desirable, yet challenging, test of golf on greens and fairways, regardless of the visual appearance of the turf.” READ MORE. Amidst the assumed chaos that must exist before any major championship, someone was able to remember to bring their camera and take a few shots during the week. Pictures of the Royal St. George’s greenkeeping crew and support team were posted on the BIGGA site. I wonder how I could get my SandPro operator to push the sand up in the Maidens bunker? Check out the pictures HERE. From the editors of Golf Digest comes a candid look in and around the Open Championship venue. The town of Sandwich, and some shots during the tournament, have a nostalgic, yet haunting feel in black and white. PHOTOS. |
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