There he stood, the world's number nine ranked golfer, in green gumboots and map in hand.
Not quite the king of all he surveyed, Colin Montgomerie nevertheless held everyone's attention. And, as he perched his solid frame on what will be the 13th tee-box on the links course which he has designed for Carton House, near Maynooth, Co Kildare, he decided - there and then - that a change was required to the hole's layout.
Yesterday, two days after his triumph in the Murphy's Irish Open, Monty was back on familiar terrain. On two previous visits to the site, he had visualised the sort of course that he wanted and, since then, he has assessed that design on computer images.
Now, he was back to see for himself how work was progressing and, along with on-site architect Stan Eby, animatedly viewed the contours that lay in front of him.
That change, incidentally, on the 13th hole - which he has designed to be a classic, short par four, measuring just 339 yards - will see a reformed approach area to the green that will cause poorly positioned tee-shots either to kick left into long grass or right into sand.
But, generally, the player was effusively keen about the course, measuring 7,245 yards with a par 72, which is unfolding.
"I truly believe this will be one of the best, if not the best, links courses in Ireland, and that is saying something because you have some very good courses here," said Montgomerie, rather boldly.
"It's a joy for me to leave something with my name that I believe will be one of the best courses in Europe."
In fact, the Montgomerie design is the second of two courses being undertaken at Carton House. The other is a contrasting parkland design by Mark O'Meara and, although he possesses a competitive streak by nature, Montgomerie insisted: "I don't want to get competitive within golf courses by two people. Mark's is a parkland course in woodland, mine is a very links course. It's like in my golf game. I can only control my own golf ball. I'd love to control other people's, but I can't. And it will be up to players to play the course to actually critique the course."
It may seem ironic that Montgomerie should choose a links course for his very first signature course in Europe, especially given his record on that type on terrain which has seen him secure only one top-10 place in 11 British Opens (along with five missed cuts), but he promised this would be one links that he would be able to play.
Montgomerie's input into the actual design has many of his personal characteristics. He has even promised to sneak back some nights this week during the European Open at the K Club to see if he can spot any other changes that may be required "before it gets too late to change".
First impressions, however, suggest that this will be a course that will quickly find its way into the top echelon of courses in this country and, although essentially an inland links, it will bear many of the traditional hallmarks of coastal links courses.
For instance, the bunkers are cavernous, which comes from the player's belief that anyone who finds one should be punished. "I'm a great advocate for bunkers being a penalty. Far too many times when I have played in America, I've said, 'thank goodness I'm in here', because the rough around the bunkers are more severe than the bunkers themselves. Here it is a true links course where bunkers are a half-shot penalty," said Montgomerie.
Yet, he insisted players would find the course would be fair. "You have to have a challenge for everybody. I want people to come back for a second time, play the course again, and want to come back again.
"This land looks as if it has been here forever, and it is a wonderful piece of land to work with.
"This is the first course under my design in Europe, so I want to get it right. There's no point in me accepting any second measures. To build a course that will look as if it has been here for 100 years already is something I have always wanted to do."
