THE new look St Mellion Golf Course has been hailed by some of the South West's top greenkeepers.
St Mellion's course manager Mike Bush was delighted by the reaction last month, when dozens of golf course managers, greenkeepers and agronomists from the South West arrived to play his golf course.
Mike Bush, 34, and his team received overwhelming praise for their presentation of the resort's Nicklaus Signature golf course from the 70 BIGGA representatives who attended.
'We had a really productive and enjoyable day,' said Mike. 'Our BIGGA visitors had last seen the Nicklaus Signature Course when it was being refurbished in 2008, so the transformation was a real eye-opener for them. I think our team did a fabulous job in preparing the course in tip-top condition – much like they do day in, day out, throughout the year!'
The field of 44 golfers enjoyed perfect weather conditions, with the local Cornwall side winning this year's trophy with an impressive 9-3 win in the day's competition.
The St Mellion International Resort has just completed a £20 refurbishment based around a brand new four-star 80-bedroom hotel and leisure complex. It will host The English Open from 2011 for a minimum of three years.
George Pitts, course manager from Yelverton Golf Club, and BIGGA Secretary for Devon and Cornwall, said: 'St Mellion put on a fantastic day for us. The facilities there, and the staff, are clearly top quality.
'The two golf courses are a credit to Mike Bush and his greenkeeping team. The Nicklaus Signature Course was as good as I have ever seen it, and will be a true test of golf for the tour professionals when the European Tour comes to the South West again, next year.