There were two games at Carnoustie yesterday: Hunt the Tiger and Assess the Course. Reports from the Tiger hunt must come later. First comes news of the condition of the course that was so unforgiving to the world’s best golfers in the 1999 Open that they lashed it with their tongues.

The deafening chorus of disapproval that arose on the Angus coast eight years ago has been replaced by the gentle hymning of angels’ voices. Then it was dubbed Car-nasty; now it could be said to be Car-nicety, with the single exception of David Frost.

“It’s easier than 1999, perhaps too easy,” the veteran South African said. “The fairways are very wide, there’s no rough. It’s a total opposite to 1999.”

Many players were out practising in the sunshine on a day when a gentle breeze presented virtually no challenge at all. Almost without exception they voiced their pleasure at the condition of the course over which the 136th Open gets under way on Thursday. “It’s perfect,” Tom Lehman, the United States captain at last year’s Ryder Cup, said, echoing the words of Vijay Singh on Friday. “It is in great shape, it’s very fair, very playable,” the former Masters and US PGA champion had said.

Aaron Baddeley, who led the US Open after 54 holes, described it as being more of a thinking man’s course than it was in 1999. “You can see why Ben Hogan won here,” he said. “I didn’t play in 1999 but I can see why six over won it, especially if that long stuff was typical.” At this Baddeley pointed at the rough and even an inexperienced eye could see what he meant. The rough is tall and swaying in the wind and from a distance it seems to have a pretty pink sheen to it.

Eight years ago Sandy Lyle paid a visit to Carnoustie three weeks before the Open. He did not like what he saw and he liked it even less when he returned for the event. Yesterday Lyle recounted how in 1999 his white golf shoes had been turned a rusty colour by walking through the rough around the 5th and 6th holes. “That was the result of water and fertiliser,” he said. “I looked a right mess.”

But the sea change that has taken place at the Angus course since Jean Van de Velde stood on the 72nd tee with a three-stroke lead and a couple of hours later Paul Lawrie won the Open after a play-off has been captured by Lyle, the 1985 Open champion. “They’ve done everything necessary,” the Scot said. “I would have been very disappointed if they had not got it right this time. But don’t think it’s not hard. They’ve turned the 12th into a par four now and it was into the wind today. I took a driver and a three-wood and I was short by 30 yards.”

Hunting the Tiger began soon after lunch and in the course of it Ben Bunny, the Australian professional, and his girlfriend were discovered on the 17th tee. “This is a great course,” the Australian said. “I took to it straight away.”

As it happens, Woods was easy to find. Just before 2pm the defending champion was spotted approaching the 1st hole. At times like these Woods is followed by a gaggle of spectators and an additional detail of bodyguards. They wore yellow shirts and were acting just like riders in the Tour de France peleton, clearing the way for Woods as he left each green and moved to the next tee. Despite the close attention of one such guard, your correspondent can report the following exchange with Tiger Woods at 2.02pm yesterday afternoon as he swept regally from the 1st green to the 2nd tee, flanked by Steve Williams, his caddie, and three of the yellow shirts.

Your correspondent: “Are you happy here this year, Tiger?”

Tiger Woods, smiling: “The sun’s out.”

YC: “Is it better than 1999?”

Steve Williams, smirking: “He’s only played one hole.”

TW: “Aren’t you supposed to be at Loch Lomond?”

YC: “Someone else is covering that for us. I’m just doing my job.”

TW: “It’s Sunday.”

YC: “I’m just doing my job.”

Four and a half hours later, Woods came off the course and paused to say: “It’s playing great. It’s fair.”

It is not too early to speculate as to what the winning score might be. It could be over par as at the Masters, where Zach Johnson was one over par, and Oakmont, where Ángel Cabrera was five over par when he won the US Open. But whatever weather conditions prevail, it does not seem as though there will be many voices echoing the rumbling of complaints that arose in 1999.