Scottish Open will showcase North courses
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Nairn Golf Club captain Alex Webster gets out of a bunker.
POSITIVE side effects of this summer’s Barclays Scottish Open could include a boost in popularity for other local courses including Nairn — the host of next year’s Curtis Cup.
Officials at Castle Stuart, which will stage the Scottish Open for the first time from 7th to 10th July, have been working with staff at Nairn to promote the area in advance of both events.
Alex Webster, Nairn’s club captain, feels the relationship that also includes Royal Dornoch, mutually beneficial and could lead to big things over the coming years.
"Undoubtedly there will be more people playing golf when they come into the area during the week of the Scottish Open," Webster said.
"People will come here and stay in the area and they will want to play golf. They will play at Nairn and at Royal Dornoch, as well as Castle Stuart if they can.
"But the main thing for us is that when people come from the Central Belt and elsewhere and see the golf courses that we have, they will want to come back next year.
"I would imagine it will build into a must-play situation because they will be desperate to play up here."
Around 60,000 people are expected to attend the four-day Scottish Open, which will be televised worldwide.
Stars including defending champion Edoardo Molinari, Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington are all set to compete for the prize. Other top contenders will be reigning US Open champion Graeme McDowell, Phil Mickelson and Louis Oosthuizen.
It will be a glamorous occasion which is hoped to trigger further pluses.
"The Highlands will benefit this year but there may be an even bigger benefit in the years to come," Webster commented.
"The advertising the Scottish Open will bring and its TV coverage will be quite helpful to say the least because it will greatly enhance the area and showcase what is on offer."
Nairn’s marketing committee is aiming to ensure the Curtis Cup does not go unnoticed.
It has been working with Castle Stuart and Royal Dornoch to encourage people to come to the competition from 8th to 10th June next year.
Anyone playing the course this summer will face largely the same layout which will confront competitors.
"The green staff have been working to a five-year plan which will come to fruition in time for the Curtis Cup but there are no plans to do any major work to the course between now and then," Webster said.
"The course will be in its best possible condition for the competition but anything that is done will be minor tinkering and details."
Off the course, Nairn will celebrate its 125th anniversary next year and the 1500-member club has upgraded its clubhouse in advance.
"It was needing to be done because the room was too small and it was increasingly being used by visitors so we had to make it into a larger space," Webster added.
"It is part of a refurbishment project in preparation for the Curtis Cup which will be a busy time for the club — both socially and on the golf course.
"I would imagine that for the Curtis Cup we would be looking to replicate the size of crowds that we had for the Walker Cup in 1999, which was between 10,000 and 16,000.
"If we could get close to that over the whole event then we would be delighted."
