Bruce Heuchan fired a five under par 67 for the clubhouse lead at the PGA Seniors Championship and immediately hailed the Stoke by Nayland Club greens.
The Canadian moved into top spot midway through day one, reeling off seven birdies with an impressive putting display marred only by bogeys on 13 and the par three 18th.
But the 53-year-old was still delighted with his display and the greens.
"The greens were fabulous - the best I've putted on all year by far, fantastic," he said.
"I hit some good shots, putted very well and only made a couple of mistakes but it was nice to be able to on some great greens. They were so smooth, the speed was great."
Heuchan from British Columbia made a great start, sinking a 10-footer on the first followed two holes later with a 25-footer on the third. In all his red-hot putter was used just 25 times.
It was a welcome tonic for Heuchan a consistent performer on the European Seniors Tour who has struggled of late.
"The year has really been a struggle, three good tournaments, the rest of the time it's been a struggle so I'm looking to finish the year on a good note," he said.
"It's a course you've got to plot your way round. The fairways are bouncy so you get good distance but you've still got to hit it straight, you don't want to be missing too many greens."
A shot adrift of Heuchan was American Peter Teravainen who shot a 68 in a round that was sparked into life by a stroke of luck on the par three 11th.
"It was kind of a slow front nine, didn't seem anything special was happening," he said.
"Then I got kind of lucky on 11, I was above the hole hit it way too hard but it hit the back of the hole and went in. That might have been a 20-footer so I thought wow that's a big break there.
"I made a beauty again on 13 maybe a 30-footer and then another long one on 14.
"I've not really been playing that well then all of a sudden they start going in.
"My caddy said you are making some really long putts, I told him I haven't made any long putts all year maybe we're catching up today."
Teravainen signs off for the season on Sunday night when he heads back to America and would relish the opportunity of putting a disappointing year behind him.
"I'm going home on Sunday night so it would be a nice way to finish."
Lurking a shot adrift is the quartet of Costantino Rocca, David J Russell, Ross Drummond and Mike Williams.
Defending champion Sam Torrance however after getting to two under slipped to one over after a run of bogeys on eight, nine and 10.