Aidan O'Hara, the greens superintendent of Mount Juliet, has gained a distinction unique in these islands. He has been certified by the Golf Course Superintendents' Association of America.

"It has been a long haul but a very rewarding one," said O'Hara yesterday. "By experiencing the incredibly high standards of the GCSAA, I came to appreciate the significant advancement that can be attained in greenkeeping at club level."

A relatively modest total of 1,600 individuals have been certified by the American body which has upwards of 16,000 members. To gain that status, O'Hara did a four-year correspondence course which included travelling to Kansas for two weeks of intensive instruction, annually.

The course culminated in a sixhour examination last August, covering every facet of the greenkeeping craft. This included a knowledge of the Rules of Golf, turfgrass management, pesticide management and financial management. Given the demanding nature of the test, there are quite a number of failures each year.

Finally, representatives of the GCSAA actually visited the Thomastown venue to examine first-hand, the quality of the greenkeeping work.