South Herts is green to go for Glenmuir

South Herts host professional Bobby Mitchell believes the club is ready to provide a tough test when they host the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship East qualifier next month.

Mitchell credits greenkeeper John Wells with creating a formidable course that will require competitors to serve up their best golf at the Totteridge venue on May 8.

The field will be targeting a place in the Peugeot supported £78,000 showpiece final at De Vere Slaley Hall in Northumberland from June 11-14.

The final will also decide who makes the Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup team to face the USA also at Slaley Hall in September.

Mitchell says the historic South Herts club, once the home of Harry Vardon - who was South Herts professional for 35 years, and whose record of six Open Championship wins is still to be beaten – is delighted to be welcoming the Glenmuir event and showing off its course.

The PGA pro enjoys a close working relationship with Wells, mirroring The PGA’s partnership with BIGGA (British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association) which promotes but the importance of both figures at golf clubs.

Mitchell has singled out Wells’ expertise in ensuring its greens will be among the slickest and trickiest on the schedule.

“I’ve been here 19 years and the greens are as good as I’ve ever seen them,” said Mitchell who will also be competing.

“I’ve known John (Wells) for years but at his previous club, his role had been moving away from the greenkeeping side of things and he wanted to get back to doing what he does best which is getting his hands dirty.

“I saw him a couple of years ago and he came here and I don’t think it’s a co-incidence that the greens doing as well as they are.”

And Mitchell believes the greens will be crucial in determining the qualifiers.

“We’re known for our slick, sloping greens and I think it’ll give the players a test. Anyone who makes level par will stand a chance of qualifying,” he added.

“We’re well known to players in the East, but it’s been a while since we hosted an event of this type so we’re really looking forward to it.”

Other players from the East taking part include Sean Clark (Royston Golf Club), Daniel Barton (Felixstowe Golf Centre), Philip Davis (Saffron Walden Golf Club), Steve Hambling (Braintree Golf Club) and Ryan Pudney (Mundesley Golf Club).