HIGHLAND HIGHLIGHT WILL BE TARTAN TOUR 2012 FINALE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
The 2012 PGA Scottish Region tournament schedule will draw to a close in the Highlands with a £50,000 enterprising addition to the Tartan Tour.
It's the Tomatin three-day pro-am, to be held from October 1 to 3 over arguably the three best links courses north of Aberdeen - Royal Dornoch, Castle Stuart and Nairn.
It's been a successful concept for the Dunhill Links championship at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and the Old Course, St Andrews, but the Tomatin tournament will not have the film stars and other celebrities, of course.
Seventy-five teams of four players (one pro and three amateurs will be split into three groups of five and they will rotate round the three venues.
Michael MacDougall, pictured, the PGA of Scotland supremo, says there will be a professional prize fund in excess of £50,000 for the Tomatin three-day pro-am, which will ensure that all the top Tartan Tour men will be heading north in October.
The Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open (August 28-30) will be held for the third year in a row at the Meldrum House Country Hotel course at Oldmeldrum.
The Paul Lawrie Invitational (September 17-20) will again be hosted by the golf club nearest to his Bieldside home - Deeside GC -  after a successful inaugural event there last year. It has been moved to the tail-end of the season as a result of Paul's recent excellent performances. 
Set for a mid-May date, his inclusion in the Volvo World Match Play field in Spain that month meant an 11th-hour date move.
 The Sandy Pipey Young Masters (September 23-24) goes on again at Royal Dornoch.The Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship  returns to a July 23-26 berth with the Kings Course as the venue.

TARTAN TOUR PROVISIONAL SCHEDULE

+Some pro-am dates and venues will be added over next few weeks

APRIL

23 Patrons' spring meeting (The Duke's).

MAY

5 Portpatrick pro-am.

11 Back 9 Charity pro-am (Renaissance).

18 Teddy Bear pro-am (Gleneagles)

19 Buchanan Castle pro-am.

23 Belhaven Best/Ben shotgun pro-am (Cardross).

25 Lochwinnoch pro-am.

26 West Dunbartonshire Council pro-am (Dalmuir).

27 Bishopbriggs pro-am

28 Patrons' greensomes (Downfield).

29 Glenmuir championship qualifier (Ladybank).

30 Brother International pro-am (Turnberry).

JUNE

1 Cawder pro-am

5 Strathaven pro-am

6 Pollok pro-am

7 West Lothian pro-am

8 Eastwood invitational pro-am

9 Kemnay pro-am

15 Kirkhill pro-am

16 Portlethen pro-am

18 Virgin Atlantic national pro-am qualifier (Crieff)

20 Duff House Royal pro-am

21 Parkdean pro-am (Belleisle)

22 Airdrie pro-am

23 Bathgate pro-am

25 Open qualifying (various venues)

28 Douglas Park pro-am

29 Prestonfield pro-am

30 Hayston pro-am

JULY

2-3 Gleneagles Scottish PGA championship qualifiers (Crieff).

6 Roselle pro-am (Aberdour)

7 Drumpellier pro-am

10 Muir Deer Park Masters qualifier (Deer Park)

11 Shotts Young Professionals' pro-am qualifier (Shotts)

12-15 Scottish Open (Castle Stuart)

13 Fairways pro-am (Newmachar)

17 Patrons' pro-am (Irvine)

19-22 Open championship (Royal Lytham)

20 Turriff pro-am

21 Petrofac/Montrose Links pro-am

22 Bothwell Castle pro-am

23-26 Gleneagles Scottish PGA championship (Kings Course).

26 Virgin Atlantic national pro-am qualifier (Haggs Castle).

26-30 Senior Open championship (Turnberry).

27 Grampian Houston Junior Fund pro-am (Royal Aberdeen)

31-Aug 1 Muir Deer Park Masters pro-am.
AUGUST

2-3 Craigielaw Young Professionals' pro-am

3 McDonald Ellon pro-am

4 Kippie Lodge pro-cel-am (Peterculter)

6 Glenmuir championship pro-am Carden Park).

7-10 Glenmuir championship (Carden Park).

10 Stirling pro-am; Clan/Insch Young Professionals' pro-am; Caldwell Invitational pro-am

12 Sandyhills pro-am

14 Skin 4-ball qualifier (Musselburgh)

15 Kerr Investment qualifier (Dumfries & Galloway)

16 VSA Tartan pro-am (Aboyne).

17 Deeside pro-am

19 Easter Moffat pro-am

19-20 Shotts Young Professionals' pro-am

21 Ben pro-am (Archerfield Links)

23-26 Johnnie Walker Championship (Gleneagles)

24 Lombard pro-capt qualifier (Crail)

27 Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open pro-am (Meldrum House).

28-30 Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open (Meldrum House).

28-30 Ryder Cup (Medinah).

SEPTEMBER

1-2 Kerr Investments pro-am (Dumfries & Galloway).4-5 Carnegie Invitational pro-am (Skibo Castle)

6 RRS Discovery pro-am Downfield)

7 S and D Harper pro-am (Elgin).

10 Patrons' autumn meeting (Dalmahoy).

11-13 Scottish Young Professionals' championship (West Lothian).

14 Blue Group pro-am (Auchterarder); Buchanan Castle seniors.

17 Paul Lawrie Invitational pro-am (Deeside)
18-20 Paul Lawrie Invitational (Deeside).22 Sandy Pipey Young Masters pro-am (Royal Dornoch)

23-24 Sandy Pipey Young Masters (Royal Dornoch).OCTOBER

1-3 Tomatin three-day pro-am (Castle Stuart, Nairn & Royal Dornoch).