DEESIDE FAVOURITE TO STAGE PAUL LAWRIE INVITATIONAL

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Paul Lawrie told Scottishgolfview.com this morning that he was "very excited to be putting on a 54-hole event for Scottish pros in my home town. Date and venue still to be confirmed."
With the snow deep and crisp and even throughout most of Scotland, it's nice to while away some time, playing a guessing game about the venue.
Banchory is hardly Paul's home town but he has strong links with that golf club where he served his PGA apprenticeship under the late Doug Smart.
Favourite to be the Paul Lawrie Invitational venue must be Deeside Golf Club (pictured above) which is "two drivers and a wedge away" from his Bieldside house and where Paul's sons Craig and Michael are junior members and Paul is an honorary member.
Deeside has hosted the Scottish PGA match-play championship.
Second favourite, on the other side of the city, would have been the Balgownie links of Royal Aberdeen which has staged Northern Open championships down through the years ... but it stages the Walker Cup match next September and director of golf Ronnie MacAskill will want his course in pristine condition for the Great Britain and Ireland v United States contest.
But next door to Royal Aberdeen is another great course - Murcar Links - which has, of course, hosted many Northern Opens but, more recently, a European Challenge Tour event, the Scottish Challenge, in which Richie Ramsay rewrote the Murcar Links record books.
PS As I mentioned to Paul, what a pity (for women's pro golf) there is not someone with his philanthropic bent who, without any prompting, would think of putting on a 54-hole hole tournament for Scotland's lady pros.


SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE FIRST NEWS OF THE PAUL LAWRIE INVITATIONAL PLANS


+Any comments? E-mail them to Colin@scottishgolfview.com