A lost helicopter pilot recently dropped in to ask for directions.  Jock Hacker McDivott , waiting to play his third shot on the 18th, was less than enamoured.

It has been pointed out by one of our members who himself moves in artistic circles, perfect or otherwise, that Michelangelo did not have the monopoly on drawing perfect circles.

In fact, during the Italian Renaissance the pavement cafes of Siena, Florence and Padua were standing-room-only with artists elbow to elbow finishing off their espressos and saying ‘Oh well, must get back to the studio and draw another perfect circle.’

All of two centuries, 22 popes and two interregna before Michelangelo put in his bid to Pope Julius II for the Sistine Chapel ceiling job, Giotto was demonstrating his credentials by drawing a perfect freehand circle for Pope Benedict XI who had a bit of interior decorating in mind.  Then along came Leonardo da Vinci and got Vitruvian Man to do star jumps inside a perfect circle he had drawn.

Raphael is reported to have gone round to visit one of his chums but found him out.  By way of a visiting card, he drew a perfect circle on the front door.

So there was a lot of it about and our greenkeepers are merely carrying on a fine long tradition of masters who take great pride in their work.

This picture of the temporary green at the 12th while the bunkers were being reconfigured reminded us of the Vatican.  When, in 1508, Pope Julius II was thinking about redecorating the Sistine Chapel (‘Your Holiness, the ceiling needs painting’), he arranged to get the usual three estimates.

When Michelangelo came to size the job up, the Pope asked him for a demonstration of his talent.  Michelangelo responded by drawing a perfect circle, freehand.

In pursuit of another enterprise, we were recently leafing through the dignified and yellowed pages of The Army and Navy Illustrated from the late 1890s when we came upon a portrait of Major General H M Bengough CB, Commanding 3rd Infantry Division.  We were struck by the uncanny likeness to a former Captain and very much respected and active current member of our Club.

Ah, these soldiers of the Empire had ramrod backs and stiff upper lips.

Work has begun on remodelling the area of the 9th Putting Green and 10th Teeing Ground.  The path from the Old A3 is being led to the right of the big tree and will go round the White end of the 10th Tee to a new golfer assembly area on the far, right hand, side of it. The old path and golfer assembly area will be turfed, the log wall on the side of the tee will go and the ground will be contoured.  Observant readers will note that the old shelter has disappeared.  No, it was not the mechanical digger wot dun it, it was the storm of 10 March.  It was lying flat on its back and all the green keepers had to do was sweep up the pieces.

You could be forgiven for not even being aware that there is an Out of Bounds area on the 6th Hole at Liphook.  It is so far over to the left of the fairway that no golfer has actually been OOB since the old King died.  However, there it is plain to see with its row of white posts.

The area is actually the Turf Nursery where David Murdoch and his green keepers go when they need fresh turf for a repair or project.  The photograph on the left shows a member of the green staff loading his truck with rolls of turf to take to surround the bunkers at the 12th Putting Green (right) that have recently had cosmetic surgery.  Whether that surgery has made them more attractive to golfers is a moot point.  They have certainly become more attractive (in the magnetic sense) to golf balls and so tougher.  Turf or tougher?