The Presidents Cup and its flotilla of attendants rolled into Melbourne's affluent south east on Monday with an arrival befitting the Queen of Sheba. On the off-chance Her Highness drops by requiring a shotgun wedding, the media centre is housed in a marquee large enough to host one. And that is by no means the largest tent on the Royal Melbourne Golf Club site. There is also a surfeit of gardeners in case Lady Chatterley arrived feeling particularly amorous and enough Argyle knitwear to clad a Scottish army.

The only thing the PGA Tour marshalled event is missing is an apostrophe. The golden bowl on offer is neither The President's Cup nor The Presidents' Cup. I tried to find out why but was met with a succession of blank stares from the helpful and friendly Tour staff. I was reminded to capitalise The and Cup though.

The hospitality extends all the way to the visiting American team. The deadly dozen will be able to practice its sharp-shooting on a golf course more befitting the American style target golf of the PGA Tour than the bump and run potpourri of a Sandbelt links.

The course, an amalgam of Royal Melbourne's East and West, looks beautiful - perhaps a bit too beautiful. Its wide rolling fairways give, like lush carpet, minimising the severity of hidden cambers and offering forgiving landing areas for elevated tee shots. The greens would more accurately be described as hazel, with hues of brown from a distance. They are not quick and as the Tour meteorologist told me (yes, the roadshow has a travelling weatherman) there is more rain forecast during the week.

Webb Simpson, the in-form American who has won twice recently on the PGA Tour, practiced his approaches to a couple of elevated greens, notably the fourth. Normally a treacherous short iron, offering the real possibility of the ball spinning back 20-30 metres off the front of the green, Simpson practiced low punched approaches to minimise any danger. Both his practice shots finished beyond the flag, neither suffering the gravitational pull of a faster surface.

He then strode up to one of his balls, umbilically engaged his belly-putter and casually stroked in a swinging 10-metre putt that arced in the shape of a shooting star.

The Shark (or Sang Eo to the three Koreans in his squad) looked in fine fettle, despite apparently being troubled by blisters following his exertions at the Australian Open last week. Speaking on the course to assistants Tim Clark and Frank Nobilo, he likened the course to Augusta National. He also pointed out this was in part because both the Royal Melbourne and the home of the US Masters were designed (or part designed at least) by the legendary Alister Mackenzie.

Greg Norman has done his best to spruik the event at every given opportunity but there is an air that the scale and prestige of The Presidents Cup has yet to translate to Victoria's public. This has clearly not been helped by the stoush, only recently resolved, between Australia's two major media outlets and the PGA Tour over the responsibilities of reporters covering the event.

Fortunately, a resurgent Tiger will be on hand on Tuesday to add some oomph to the build up. Fred Couples' Captain's pick (ahead of the most recent Major winner) looked to be the choice of the marketing team when the lists were announced. Two good rounds in Sydney last week and the greatest golfer that's ever lived could be doing more for the competition than just increasing ticket sales.

Hostilities do not commence until Thursday afternoon, with the winner lifting the eponymous trophy early Sunday evening. In-between times we should be treated to the highest quality matchplay golf seen in this country for 13 years - the last time The Presidents Cup was in town. Without an apostrophe.