Its always great to experience something new in golf, I did that on Tuesday evening photographing the Grove golf course at night during a live broadcast by Sky television.
Late night fairway preparation.
The Hero Golf challenge was a really new fun concept to fill an hours television in front of a large live audience, with 400 people in the grandstand behind the 18th green and many more lining the length of the specially constructed 156 yard par 3 using the 18th green with a tee in the tented village.
Lights surround the green with pyrotechnics to add some spice.
It is s quick knockout format with 8 players taking part, this included host Luke Donald, Beef, Andy Sullivan, Alex Levy, Alex Noren, Bernd Wiesberger, Shane Lowry and Jeeve Milkha Singh.
If the hole score is tied then closest to the hole with the tee shot wins. The galleries are encouraged to shout and cheer, even as the player is over the ball.
The pyrotechnics fire as the player strikes the ball.
The event even included a celebrity event which raised the sound level in the crowd especially heckling of Piers Morgan, Kevin Pietersen and Shane Warne who was an easy winner after the others had failed to make the putting surface after 2 shots!
Piers Morgan suffering heckling from the crowd and Kevin Pietersen
Great fun night for all, could a modified form be golfs version of 20-20 cricket?
Luke Donald the tournament host
Winner Alexander Levy watches with Robert Lee as Alex Noren fails to get his tee shot close enough to win the final.
This was a great hours entertainment and should be included at more golf events to make it more appealing even to non golfers. It was certainly a challenge for golf course photography.
This was the best golf course image from the night