The Binalong Golf Club champion is Michael Paterson.

He’s a pretty good player, too, toting a handicap of around five.

But as good as he is, if he were to go to, say, The Lakes Golf Club and compete head to head with Tiger Woods in his pomp, “Pato” would probably be “dusted” by about 30 strokes.

Sorry, Pato – the truth is sometimes painful.

But …

Were we able to knock over Fort Knox and get Tiger to Binalong – an outstanding example of sand green golf an hour or so north of Canberra – that gap would shrink dramatically.

Of course, it’s going to be hard to topple Tiger (circa 2000).

But Pato might realistically hope to be able to at least halve that “grass green” deficit, maybe even push him if there hadn’t been much rain around for a couple of months.

In fact, if it were match play, well … probably not, but you get the point.

The bottom line is that there’s a massive degree of artistry to sand green golf.

It’s not just bash your drive as far as you can, laser a distance to the pin and dial up that number.

There are nuances that take even grizzled bush golf veterans years to master, even from hole to hole, let alone at different courses.

How far short of the green should I land my approach shot?

Is there enough sand on this green to slow my chip or putt appreciably?

The list of variables is long.

For a massive percentage of regional Australians, sand greens is golf – for example, they comprise more than a quarter of all New South Wales clubs.

So any discussion about it being an oddity is grossly myopic among those of us who have grown up in areas with ample water and population to support grass greens.

It’s a massive credit to Golf NSW, the NSW State Government through Destination NSW and, in this instance, the Binalong Community Club that there is now the chance for this to be at least partially rectified with the advent of the World Sand Greens Championship.

Already the women’s inaugural champ – Welshwoman Lydia Hall for the record – has been crowned at Walcha (near Tamworth) earlier this year.

And this weekend, barring an unlikely amateur charge, one of 80 ground-breaking Australian PGA Tour professionals will also become the answer to a future obscure trivia question.

One of those desperately hoping for the title, as much as the share of $140,000 total purse on offer, is popular Novocastrian Blake Windred.

Windred was fully blown away by his first look at the sand greens in a Thursday practice round, missing a series of 5-footers on the first green.

Today, in pro-am mode, the European Challenge Tour player took some giant leaps closer to a working knowledge of the greens – and his eyes lit up when talking about his “absolutely new experience”.

“It was so much fun. I feel like almost everyone here (at Binalong) is up and about,” Windred said.

“Often these pro-ams are quite serious and not much talking going on, but all the boys out here, it was such a good experience to be fair; I met a few different people, but the sand greens are going to be a challenge.

“I was actually just imagining having a 5-foot putt for a win on the sand greens with the TV cameras on Sunday – I would actually be quite nervous , a lot more than on a normal (grass) green.

“My first look at it, I had no clue.

“I still mostly have no clue, but I’m really pleased with the way I’m hitting it (tee to green), but now I’m not that sure how much weight that holds around a course like this.

“But I honestly think it’s going to be so much fun.

“I’m coming out here with an open mindset and to try to enjoy it, regardless of the score, because I’m not sure if how I hit it will reflect in the score, if that makes sense.

“I just want to be there when the whips are cracking on Sunday, that would be a pass mark for me.”

Windred said he took two big lessons from his round as he tries to come to terms with the sand greens – plus the advantage those who’ve played them before undoubtedly have over the sand rookies.

“I would say that if you have the opportunity to walk up on to the green (before your approach shot) and see what it’s playing like, you’ll see a few of the greens are different.

“That’s part of the challenge, actually.

“And I now also know I haven’t got it down pat at all, but that raking (`smoothing’ the line for putts) will be crucial.

“A couple of the boys are saying they shot seven or eight under today in the pro-am and I might have shot even par, so I think raking is going to be absolutely crucial.

“You can hole so many putts versus watching the ball bouncing around like a pinball machine.

“I have learnt some techniques today, but I definitely haven’t mastered anything.

“Hopefully I can learn quickly tomorrow.”

And what about the lure of being crowned world champion?

“Oh mate, the boys back home already know I will not be letting that go,” the 26-year-old said.

“That might even get in my Instagram bio!”

It doesn’t get any bigger for this generation than that.

The Men’s World Sand Greens Championship is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.