Behind every good man is a good woman, as they say.
And behind every top-class golf course is an army of green keepers - using a mixture of science, manicuring and manipulation over months to bring the course up to standard.
There is no greater stage in New Zealand golf than the open, something of which The Hills course superintendent Brendan Allen and his 24-strong team of ground staff are keenly aware.
Allen has been a green keeper for 20 years, the past three of those at The Hills.
He said New Zealand Open maintenance programmes started at the end of August, when the grass began growing.
''They're worked back from March 12, week by week by week,'' Allen said.
''Our planning is fairly meticulous. We've put fungicide applications on the fairways, greens and tees in the last couple of days, so that there are no surprises with fungal diseases and things that can certainly happen at this time of year.''
The scientific bit involves evapotranspiration (basically, the daily loss of water from the soil and evaporation from plant leaves), measured by digital moisture meters and countered by hand-hosing.
That billiard-table look for greens is difficult to achieve when some are sheltered and retain their moisture while others get all-day sun and wind from every direction, meaning they are quicker to dry out.
Come tournament week, Allen wants the greens firm, true and fast.
''Consistency is the most important thing - so every piece of every green is essentially the same.
''Essentially, you want the pros and the other players to know that if they choose the right line to the hole and they hit it on that line, it's going to go in.
''Bounce or bobble or sideways movement - you don't want that. So everything we do is about getting that out, getting consistent turf density and leaf fineness across the whole surface.''
The Australasian Tour's mandated speed for the first two days is 10ft 6in (3.2m) on the ''stimpmeter'' - an aluminium pole used to standardise the distance a ball rolls.
That is not particularly fast for The Hills - but any faster, and the greens are impossible for amateurs.
By Sunday, that speed creeps up to 11ft 6in (3.5m).
Allen wants as little water as possible on the greens right now, to get them firmer.
That is controlled by cutting frequency and rolling.
During the event, his staff will roll the greens every day.
If it rains, they will be double cut and double rolled to get them up to speed.
NZ Open coverage
We have all bases covered as the New Zealand Open brings top professional golf back to Arrowtown this week.
From tomorrow, Otago Daily Times sports editor Hayden Meikle will be covering all the action from The Hills and Millbrook - and, like many, hoping to be able to report on a New Zealand winner.
He will be accompanied by Dave Cannan, taking a break from The Wash to file his daily ''Chipping In'' column. Meikle and Cannan will also post a daily video at the ODT website (www.odt.co.nz).
Illustrations editor Stephen Jaquiery will capture the best images once the tournament tees off on Thursday morning.
