Old Thorns Golf & Country Estate, based near Liphook in Hampshire, has had a synthetic green fitted on its picturesque premises that is fully endorsed by leading players from the world of golf.
The artificial green, the creation of the Southwest Greens Company based in south Buckinghamshire, is the first of its kind to be installed at a British golf club.
Southwest Greens have already built greens for 30 touring professionals from the major tours, including Spanish Ryder Cup heroes Sergio Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez and top US PGA pros, Dave Toms, Fred Funk and Hale Irwin. And the pros have been impressed.
And Old Thorns could have few better endorsers of its new green, which features three holes and chipping areas, than Chris DiMarco, an unlucky runner-up to Tiger Woods in last month’s US Masters, and world number two Vijay Singh.
DiMarco, who was beaten at the first hole of a play-off at Augusta, said of the green installed in the garden of his American home, “Finally, I have a putting green that rolls true and I can actually chip to it and get a natural ball reaction. The nylon green I had before was terrible; Southwest Greens definitely has the best surface.”
Vijay echoed DiMarco’s sentiments, saying: “Having a surface this good to practice on at home is incredible. My Southwest putting green performs like a tour green. It’s fantastic!”
Adam Salter, general manager of the Old Thorns Golf & Country Estate, was delighted to be the only British golf club to have such a ‘green‘ on its premises. “I‘m thrilled that we have been able to secure such a green at Old Thorns,” he said. “The greens have an excellent reputation worldwide and have proved a real hit here with members and visitors alike, especially the younger members of the club.”
Mel Macneil, Southwest Greens‘ international relationship manager, said, “Southwest Greens already dominates the world of synthetic greens, with 60 installations teams operating in five continents across the globe.
“Now, finally, Southwest Greens has come to the UK. We may be a little late to arrive but our experience is that the concept of synthetic greens will not take long to become established as the way for keen amateurs to practice their short games.”
Southwest Greens UK www.southwestgreens.co.uk
Synthetic break through at Old Thorns
