Morning all, I thought I would share this article I read last week, It’s a bit of a chuckle but very informative and I have put my slant on it in places.

This is a very dangerous illness that some golfers suffer from sadly every April.

The symptoms are suffering from delusions and unrealistic expectations that their own golf course should look like Augusta National

It’s a fair point really I suppose ? (not !) So anyone who is suffering from this condition I thought I would aide your recovery by giving you some facts about Augusta and why no course can ever be in as good as condition this time of year especially in the UK.

1. Budget:- Between the TV money and the wealthy members, the greenkeeping budget at Augusta National is astronomical. Only the crème-de-la-crème are welcomed into the ranks of membership at Augusta, and they pay a premium for the privilege.
2. Climate:- The subtropical climate in Georgia is in stark contrast to the UK, which has temperatures far lower over the past few months. Grasses that are starting to grow slowly in April in the uk are growing from early January in Augusta. They also benefit from million dollar sub air systems under the Greens which heat the grass to make them grow.
3. Course :-Imagine closing your course between May and October, as they do at Augusta National. The grass species used on the course struggles to survive the hot Georgia summer, so closing the course means it isn’t put under undue stress, and golfers aren’t damaging the hard, dry turf.

4.Green speeds :-The green speeds at Augusta exceed 13 on the stimpmeter. The cost of getting a green to that standard is incredible, let alone the stress on the grass. That aside Club golfers playing on excessive speeds would lead to huge numbers of 3 and 4 putts. Note, we get very close to these speeds for the Club Championships.

5. Artificial aids to appearance:- We’ve all heard the myths about filters over the camera lenses to make the grass appear greener, trees being shipped in , fans hidden in trees and the azaleas being kept on ice to ensure they flower at the correct time. Some of these have been denied, but the fact is the management team at Augusta National only show you what they want you to see, and that’s the impression of golfing perfection.

6. Greenstaff and Volunteer Greenstaff :- They have more greenstaff than you can imagine, plus they then ship in 100’s of volunteer greenstaff from other courses although it is an incredible experience for those greenkeepers who are given the opportunity to get involved with one of the greatest spectacles in golf.

7. Machinery: Machine companies are happy to supply 100’s of extra machines as a gesture or tournament support as it gives them a great TV advert.

So there you have it , a few tonics to help with the condition!

I thought the above was very interesting I hope you did . Us Course Managers sound bitter and twisted, we are really not . Personally I enjoy watching the Masters as much as anybody, but I just have to remind myself firstly its an incredible unique experience and secondly the resources and machinery my excellent Greenstaff have available to them in comparison do a bloody great job!

Hopefully you agree from the pictures below taken the last couple of days

I hope you enjoy playing The Abridge Masters over the weekend. Good luck

Enjoy your Course, Enjoy your Club……It’s your’s remember!