While most greenkeeping staff around the world will be used to an earlier alarm than most, the greenkeepers in charge of preparing Royal Liverpool ahead of the 151st Open Championship have adopted a unique routine to make sure the course is in perfect condition ahead of the tournament started. Just after Tuesday's preparations had been completed, Golf Monthly had the opportunity to catch up with James Bledge, Links Manager at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, as he reflected on his morning's work and the condition of the golf course two days out from the start of the 151st Open Championship.
WATCH: Links Manager James Bledge discusses his team's routine ahead of The Open Championship
"Very early starts - we've got alarm clocks going off from 3 o'clock in the morning. The team will meet up for a morning briefing, talk through the jobs for the day in detail and then get out onto the course well before first light. By today, we've got our routine nailed and we'll do the exact same thing from Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so by the time the Thursday comes of the Championship we're absolutely flying."
"Practice day is as much a day for us to practice as it is for the players. We've got people coming from all over the country to help us out this week so it's vital for us to use practice days like today to gel as a group, and we've definitely done that today."
"Weather is probably one of the most unique challenges of hosting an Open. We're obsessed with the weather and are having daily meetings with the Met Office who are giving us hourly updates on what weather is due."
"Running up to this Open we had about a six-week drought which was a big battle when trying to prepare the course. Then mother nature always bites you back so we've had a decent bit of rain over the last couple of weeks which brings its own challenges because we want to have a really fast, firm golf course which is hard to produce when there's rain about. But the course just now looks beautiful."
"This week I don't think it'll play like a typical links course where it's hard, fast and brown, but it's still firm so you'll see balls running out of fairways. The whole tagline of the Open is Forged By Nature and you'll certainly be seeing a golf course like that this week."
This year's championship sees the introduction of the brand new par-3 17th hole, a hole that will become the shortest par-3 on an Open course since 1995. While the hole has split opinions amongst players and caddies, Bledge is proud of the work his team has done to present the new hole. "The 17th hole has been a very unique experience. I think it's a remarkable golf hole that's stunningly beautiful, there are some of the best views from the hole golf course on the 17th tee and green. Our team has done a great job of growing it in and presenting it the way it is for the Championship."
