By Keely Levins
Yep, you’re seeing that image correctly. Lindsey Weaver opted for a pushcart instead of a caddie at the AIG Women’s British Open at Royal Troon. The 26-year-old, who played her rookie LPGA Tour season in 2018 and got her card back at Q school in 2019 for the 2020 season, usually hires local caddies. Part of the LPGA’s return protocols included disallowing local caddies. In conjunction with that, the tour allowed the option to not use a caddie at all. So now Weaver is out pushing her bag around Royal Troon, near the top of the leaderboard. She began the weekend one over, two shots off the lead, and was alone in fourth late in Saturday’s round, which included an incredible par.

But it’s not just about rolling the bag. Weaver is also raking her own bunkers, doing her own yardages, grabbing divots, reading putts, selecting clubs. Sure, these are all things any professional golfer is completely capable of doing, but when you’re out there having to do it all yourself, and you’re the only one doing it by yourself, whilst atop the leaderboard of a major, it can add up.

Weaver doesn’t seem to be feeling any heat, though. She’s comfortable doing it alone.

“I feel like it’s kind of back to the basics,” Weaver explained earlier in the week. “This is how junior golf was. This is how college golf was and on the Symetra Tour when I played there for a year. I mean, it’s still just golf. Like I’m still making the final decision at the end of the day.”

Richard Heathcote/R&A
Lindsey Weaver rakes her own bunker on the eighth hole during the third round of the AIG Women’s Open.

Though she appears to be comfortable with the pushcart instead of the caddie, there was one situation in the first round where a caddie might have been useful.

“I was in one bunker and my pushcart flew into another bunker and toppled over and I’m still trying to get a lot of the sand out of my bag,” Weaver said.

The cart flew away despite Weaver having set the brakes. She didn’t harbour any resentment towards the cart, though. It’s not the cart’s fault: it’s more than a decade old.

Weaver also didn’t get the pleasure of fist-bumping her caddie after her remarkable par.

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By Keely Levins
Sophia Popov’s season is going a lot better than it started. The 27-year-old German just missed getting her 2020 LPGA Tour card. Disappointed, she had to settle for Symetra Tour status. Now, she’s atop the leaderboard of the AIG Women’s British Open heading into Sunday’s final round at Royal Troon. In between that, a global pandemic hit, Symetra and LPGA events were cancelled, she played mini-tour events, and even caddied in an LPGA tournament.

The LPGA resumed with the Drive On Championship in Toledo, Ohio, after having to pause competition for five and a half months due to the spreading of COVID-19. Popov was at the event, but not as a player: She caddied for her best friend Anne van Dam. The following week, Popov got a start at the Marathon LPGA Classic, a surprise in itself.

“I was definitely shocked,” Popov said of getting into the field. “At the beginning, I didn’t even realise that we were going as far down as the Symetra fill, and so I didn’t even know, and I had other players telling me, Did you sign up, because I see some other Symetra players there, and I knew all right I’m No. 1 pretty much on the priority list. So if anyone gets in, it should be me.”

She took advantage of the spot in the field by finishing T-9. It was good enough to get her into the field for the Women’s British Open. While the majority of players in the Open field got on a charter and flew to Scotland to play in the Ladies Scottish Open last week, Popov hung back. She played a Symetra event that weekend instead and flew to Scotland afterwards.

Matthew Lewis/R&A
Sophia Popov plays her second shot on the 18th hole during the third round of the AIG Women’s Open.

“Honestly, for the status I have this year, I need to play Symetra events and I need to make sure I’m doing well with those, and so I didn’t want to miss too many events,” Popov explained.

She said she got one practice round in at Royal Troon and then shot a 1-under 70 to open the tournament to be in a tie for second. A one-over round on Friday kept her in that spot. Then her four-under 67 on Saturday, which included an eagle at the par-5 fourth, gave her a three-shot lead over Minjee Lee and Thidapa Suwannapura.

So how exactly does one go from caddie to major leader all within a month?

The caddying actually helped.

Gregory Shamus Anne van Dam plays a shot as her caddie Sophia Popov records the swing during a practice round prior to the LPGA Drive On Championship at Inverness Club.

“I did realise when I caddied for her, there are certain things about my game where I see similarities and course strategy-wise,” Popov said. “I think that helped me a lot. Because the next week,I thought about the course as a little bit more from a caddie perspective. I said, What is the smart decision to make here. You know, I’m someone who tends to be very aggressive. I go at pins. But do you have to be? No, not really. You can give yourself a lot of chances just with safer shots going for the middle of the green, and so definitely that helped me a lot. And I think just in general, Anne’s positive energy, I think she’s been a big influence on me the last like four or five months.”

Popov also had some positive reinforcement from playing mini-tour events. While the LPGA and Symetra tours were paused due to COVID-19, the Cactus Tour in Arizona was still playing. Popov lives in Arizona and credits getting to play in those tournaments as part of the reason for her strong play.

“I think I played eight or nine Cactus Tour events, and I won three of them,” Popov said. “So, for me, I did get a lot of confidence from that time, but it’s a mini tour. It was more competitive than it usually is, but you tee it back up on the LPGA and you’re like, let’s see where this goes because you just don’t know.”

She had no way of knowing how this unprecedented season would go or how sharp her upward trajectory would be. But now that she’s here leading a major, she knows she can handle it. The 304th-ranked player in the world can become the first German woman to win any major, and only the second German golfer to achieve the feat, following Martin Kaymer’s victories in the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.

“I was joking about it last week. I said, Well, you never know, maybe I can get myself in contention next week,” Popov said Saturday night. “Even though I was joking about it, I knew I’m capable of it.”

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By Keely Levins
The R&A addressed a rules situation that occurred Friday during the second round of the Women’s Open Championship. It occurred on the 16th hole at Royal Troon, as Lexi Thompson’s ball came to rest in the right rough, next to a tuft of long grass. It created an awkward address position.

Video of her addressing the ball started to circulate on social media, as fans questioned if the way she brushed her iron head against the long grass before she addressed and hit the ball was considered to be her improving her lie, and therefore a breach of Rule 8.1. Here’s video of the situation:

Literally just turned on the coverage of Women’s Open Championship to see this ?@mikeclaytongolf @GeoffShac @Rod_Morri pic.twitter.com/HQe4OFLh7T

— Rob Williamson (@Yeti2319) August 21, 2020

Social-media commentators made their own decisions, but the only ruling that matters is that of the R&A. After reviewing the tape, the R&A made a statement, ruling that Thompson’s actions were not in breach of Rule 8.1.

Here’s the R&A statement:

“Yesterday, as part of its normal TV review procedures, The R&A viewed Lexi Thompson’s actions prior to playing her second shot at the 16th hole in round one of the AIG Women’s Open.

Following a discussion between Chief Referee David Rickman and the player prior to her signing her scorecard it was determined that, although the player had moved a growing natural object behind her ball, it had returned to its original position.

Therefore, the lie of the ball was not improved and there was no breach of Rule 8.1.”

So while Thompson did brush her club against that tuft of grass, the grass moving back to its original position makes the motion allowable. She would’ve had to do something that improved the lie conditions for it to have been a penalty, like stamping the grass down or bending it — anything that results in the grass not returning to its original position. Since Thompson did not change the lie, she did not do anything wrong, the R&A ruled.

Thompson shot 78-75 in the first two rounds, during high winds and rain at Royal Troon.

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By Keely Levins
During practice rounds at Royal Troon, players posted photos of golf in sunny, calm, un-Scotland-like weather as they prepared for the 2020 AIG Women’s Open Championship. But the realities of Scottish golf set in during Thursday’s first round. A storm, named Ellen, is reported to hit the West Coast of Scotland (where Royal Troon is located), and then move across the country into central Scotland. Warnings for high winds have been issued, saying gusts as high as 70 mph are possible, and there are also flood warnings in parts of Scotland. So, basically, perfect golf weather, right?

Early scores in the first round showed just how brutal the wind is. At the writing of this post, only two players are under par, both at 1-under. Nelly Korda finished with a 1-over 72, a number that usually wouldn’t get you very far in an LPGA Tour event. But considering the weather, Korda is right in the thick of things, and will be if the conditions continue to be difficult through the afternoon wave.

“I had never played in that type of wind the first couple of holes. It’s definitely calmed down a little. But I had a tough time walking the first three holes,” Korda said.

The wind is so strong today, just ask @NellyKorda…

The big-hitting American hit Driver, 5-iron into the 339-yard first hole today, and still didn’t reach.#AIGWO #WorldClass pic.twitter.com/i8ifEvt4wJ

— AIG Women’s Open (@AIGWomensOpen) August 20, 2020

187 yards! Nelly Korda’s one of the longest hitters on the LPGA Tour, and routinely hit some of her drives over 300 yards on the inward nine, but into the wind on the first couple holes, it was quite the task hitting into the wind.

Golf in Scotland is expected to be tough, but if it’s hard to stay upright, this sounds like a different level of difficulty. Korda said it was a struggle to maintain her usual tempo in the gusts.

“They say, ‘When it’s breezy, swing easy,’ but you also have to get it to the hole,” Korda said. She also noted her height, 5’10”, as being another variable to cope with in the wind. “I’m tall, so the wind sways me around a bit more.”

Though the wind was hard, at least the sun was out on Thursday morning. That doesn’t look like the case on Friday, when rain is predicted along with that testy wind.

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By John Huggan
There’s not going to be an Open Championship at Royal St. George’s next week. And the British Senior Open won’t be taking place at Sunningdale one week after that. But next month the AIG Women’s British Open at Royal Troon (Aug. 20-23) will go ahead—albeit without spectators—assuming players flying to Scotland from the United States are exempted by the Scottish government from the two-week quarantine restrictions currently in place.

That looks more than likely, however, as does the playing of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Women’s Open at The Renaissance Club Aug. 13-16. Although both are “subject to the necessary approvals being secured,” a statement released by the R&A, which runs the Women’s British Open, contained a more than encouraging message from Fiona Hyslop, Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture.

“Scotland is the home of golf and so it is fitting that we are on course to host golf’s first major of 2020, the AIG Women’s British Open,” Hyslop said. “This is only possible thanks to the dedication of the R&A in working with the Scottish government and other partners to develop comprehensive plans to allow for an event of this stature to take place, set against the most challenging of circumstances. I’m especially pleased that we are able to support the return of female professional golf, underlining our commitment to equality across both sport and society.”

The field at Troon—nine times an Open Championship venue but hosting the Women’s Open for the first time—will be comprised of the leading players from the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings as well as recognizing successful players from recent tournaments staged on the world’s leading tours. Pre-qualifying and final qualifying events for the championship have been cancelled based on health and safety advice.

As has been the case on the PGA Tour, and will be on the European Tour later this month, the championship will enforce strict health and safety protocols including the creation of a biosecure zone. Only personnel essential to the event’s onsite operations—namely players, caddies, officials, and staging staff—will be inside the zone with their movements for the week limited to the golf course and designated secure hotel (likely near Glasgow Airport). All personnel will be required to return a negative COVID-19 test from an authorized testing centre and will be subject to further daily temperature checks and rigorous protocols designed to maintain the integrity of the zone and the health of those within it.

“The AIG Women’s British Open is important to the success of women’s professional golf,” said R&A chief executive Martin Slumber. “We have been working closely with our title sponsor AIG, Visit Scotland, Royal Troon and our key advisors to find a way for the Championship to be played safely this year. We believe that playing the AIG Women’s British Open is a significant step for players whose playing opportunities have been severely impacted this year.”

One player especially pleased is European Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew, who lives in North Berwick, less than five miles from the Renaissance Club.

“We are all happy to hear that women’s golf will be getting back underway in Scotland,” said the 2009 Women’s British Open champion. “With men’s professional golf back playing, it is important that we are able to follow suit, so this is really excellent news for the women’s game and I am delighted to be preparing for my national open in just over a month’s time.”

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By Joel Beall
Royal Troon has been selected to host the 2023 Open Championship.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by the R&A. It will be the 10th time Troon has been an Open venue, and 100 years since the claret jug first visited the famed links.

“We are very much looking forward to celebrating another milestone in the cherished history of the Open when we mark the 100th anniversary of the Championship first being played at Royal Troon,” Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A, said in a statement.

Although the centennial celebration made Troon a logical pick, it’s noteworthy that Turnberry and Muirfield were bypassed once again. The Open hasn’t been to Turnberry since 2009, whereas Troon hosted the event in 2016. Due to President Donald Trump’s ownership of the property, a tournament at Turnberry could become a politically charged event, a situation the R&A would like to avoid until his presidency is complete.

“Turnberry is a fantastic golf course and will be a great venue when we get there,” Slumbers said last year “It would be very complex having an Open at Turnberry at the moment. You’ve got the ownership issue of the course and the staging there. But there are a number of other courses we haven’t been to for a few years, and we are looking forward to going back to all of them.”

As for Muirfield, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers were briefly removed from the Open rota after it failed to permit women into the club. However the club amended its vote, and last year invited its first 12 female members in its 275 years of existence. Muirfield has hosted the Open 16 times, the most behind only St. Andrews and Prestwick, its last tournament coming in 2013.

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By Ryan Herrington
A future without the Old Course at St. Andrews? Or Royal Troon? According to a new report, it’s a reality golf fans could potentially face in the wake of data about the impact of global warming.

The Climate Coalition, which represents more than 130 organizations in the United Kingdom studying the effects of climate change, released a paper titled “Game Changer: How climate change is impacting sports in the U.K.” In it, the group makes the case that rising temperatures can and will have a detrimental impact on some of the area’s most popular pastimes, including golf, soccer, skiing and cricket.

According to the report, six of the seven wettest years on record in the U.K. have taken place since 2000. Citing new rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and increased storm surges, the report states that golf courses along the coasts are already dealing with the adverse effects of erosion and will continue to be faced with issues down the road.  

“Unchecked, the impacts of climate change could significantly affect the sport over the long term, particularly in Scotland,” the report states, noting that one in six of Scotland’s 600 courses are located on the coast.

The report mentions by name the Old Course at St. Andrews, the iconic Home of Golf and Open Championship venue, and Royal Troon, another cherished venue in the Open rota, as vulnerable. Other seaside courses in the U.K. that host the Open include Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool, Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Muirfield, Royal St. George’s, and Turnberry.

Related: What we saw during an early visit to Carnoustie as it preps for this year’s Open

The Climate Coalition used Montrose Links as a case study. The first reference to golf being played at there was in 1562. In the last 30 years, however, the North Sea has crept 70 meters closer to the course, according to research published by Dundee University.

“As the sea rises and the coast falls away, we’re left with nowhere to go,” Chris Curnin, director of golf at Montrose, is quoted in the report. “Climate change is often seen as tomorrow’s problem, but it’s already eating away at our course.”

Cumin notes that in 2017 a rock armour protecting the first green and second tee would no longer suffice in a severe storm. The course, with the help of the local council, was forced to take rocks from near the third tee and move them to the armour to help fortify the area and prevent a major storm from doing significant damage to the course.

The report quotes Steve Issac, the R&A’s director of sustainability, about growing concerns for the sport.

“It [climate change] is certainly becoming a factor,” Isaac says. “Golf is impacted by climate change more than most other sports. Trends associated with climate change are resulting in periods of course closures, even during summer, with disruption seen to some professional tournaments. We are witnessing different types and timings of disease, pest and weed outbreaks. The future threats are very real, with course managers having to show adaptation if we are to maintain current standards of course condition. It is something we take very seriously.”

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By Jaime Diaz
PINEHURST, N.C. — Is it possible that in the big picture—or at least in a present that needs adjustments—golf is better smaller? That was the feeling I got earlier this week at The Cradle, the newly opened nine-hole par-3 course at Pinehurst Resort, which, along with an adjacent and also new 75,000-square-foot practice putting green, comprises a kind of small-ball paradise.

The overall staging of The Cradle—so named because it sits on the site of the golf mecca’s original (1898) course—is pretty perfect. Its gently rolling 10 acres, designed by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner to replicate the sandy, love-grass-accented look of the famed No. 2 course, complete with dramatically undulating greens, is set directly outside the main clubhouse and veranda. With the holes averaging 87 yards (the longest is 127 yards and the shortest 58), most golfers will only need a few clubs in a carry bag.

Not only are the shots short, so is the time required to play them, usually less than an hour for a foursome. The all-day rate of $50 is also proportionately modest. In this era of power and par 5s nearly as long as The Cradle’s 789 yards, small can be beautiful.

Of course, championship golf has to be big—in its footprint and in providing holes muscular enough to sufficiently challenge the players who hit the ball so much longer than ever.

But even at the top levels of the game, there are signs of a new appreciation for the more artful strokes. Jordan Spieth has shown how superior wedge play can overcome bigger hitters, while the improvement of PGA Tour Player of the Year Justin Thomas and current World No. 1 Dustin Johnson can in large measure be attributed to their focusing on their proficiency near and on the green. There’s no denying that the little shots count the same as the big ones, and on firm and fast major championship setups, sometimes more.

With so many regulation 18-hole courses struggling to connect with a customer base in economic and cultural flux, par 3s means faster, cheaper and friendlier.

Accordingly, the short par 3 has been getting more attention. As it always is when the Open Championship is at Royal Troon, the 123-yard “Postage Stamp” was a star in 2016 for its genius setting and design. And at the recent Walker Cup, the 15th hole at Los Angeles C.C. North was daringly shortened to 78 yards and drew praise for its shot making challenge.

Why are these holes almost as much fun to spectate as they are to play? Because there is a purity of technique, athleticism and skill over a short distance that touring pros exhibit with the wedges. For all the talk of power, the game is still foremost about ball control. That’s never more evident than with the precision required with the most lofted irons. The crispness of the sound, the flushness of contact, the fizzing of the flight, the penetrating (not ballooning) trajectory (what Paul Azinger, one of the best wedge players ever, calls “integrity”), makes up a medley that, to me, defines a pro’s gift better than any other part of the game. In Azinger’s case, it was the foundational skill, as his instructor, the late John Redman, believed a golfer who could execute a proper pitch shot by definition possessed the essentials of a sound swing.

David Cannon/R&A
On Saturday at the Walker Cup, LA North’s par-3 15th played a mere 78 yards, but remained a challenge.

You could make the argument that playing short par 3s builds more competency for the recreational golfer trying to improve than blasting away with the longer clubs. All the more because pitch-and-putts give him or her a better opportunity to go out and play. With so many regulation 18-hole courses struggling to connect with a customer base in economic and cultural flux, par 3s means faster, cheaper and friendlier.

Even at prestigious private clubs, a par 3 is often the most popular course with the members. The par 3 at Augusta National, built in 1958, has always been a big hit, and in the last 20 years more clubs like the Olympic Club, Hamilton Farms, Sand Valley and Colorado Golf Club have added well-designed and maintained par 3s.

RELATED: The clash between modern tour pros and modern course architects

The Cradle follows a trend of alternative course openings in 2017, with the new Jordan Spieth-backed six-hole course at the University of Texas, Tom Doak’s 12-hole par 3 at Ballyneal, and Dan Hixson nine-hole pitch-and-putt at Silvies Valley Ranch.

You may note a bias toward par 3s in my commentary. Like a lot of guys my age, my first rounds were on scruffy short courses, in my case the Fleming Nine at Harding Park and Golden Gate G.C., both in San Francisco, both enduring jewels from the city’s golfing heyday.

I’ve also seen a big appetite for pitch-and-putts overseas. They can be found in a bunch of little towns in Ireland, usually teeming with an informally dressed crowd whose members tend to nonchalantly pull off very useful bump and runs. And when the Open was held at Muirfield in 2013, the so-called children’s course next to the west course at North Berwick was a big hit with visiting American pros and their families.

Courtesy of Pinehurst Resort
The Cradle’s nine holes average 87 yards with the longest hole playing 127 yards.

Accordingly, the short par 3 has been getting more attention. As it always is when the Open Championship is at Royal Troon, the 123-yard “Postage Stamp” was a star in 2016 for its genius setting and design. And at the recent Walker Cup, the 15th hole at Los Angeles C.C. North was daringly shortened to 78 yards and drew praise for its shot making challenge.

Why are these holes almost as much fun to spectate as they are to play? Because there is a purity of technique, athleticism and skill over a short distance that touring pros exhibit with the wedges. For all the talk of power, the game is still foremost about ball control. That’s never more evident than with the precision required with the most lofted irons. The crispness of the sound, the flushness of contact, the fizzing of the flight, the penetrating (not ballooning) trajectory (what Paul Azinger, one of the best wedge players ever, calls “integrity”), makes up a medley that, to me, defines a pro’s gift better than any other part of the game. In Azinger’s case, it was the foundational skill, as his instructor, the late John Redman, believed a golfer who could execute a proper pitch shot by definition possessed the essentials of a sound swing.

To me, a good par-3 course works on many levels besides just the price and the pace. A little funkiness in design and even conditioning is a plus, as the capriciousness invites improvisation. The mood should be informal and promote a hint of relaxed raucousness.

Sure, the American hunger for optimization has started a trend toward par 3s for the golfer who has everything. Such courses can be pricey, too penal to avoid slow play, and over spectacular topography that isn’t ideal for walking. There have been a few such creations.

But done right, a high end par 3 can become destination golf. And several at major resorts have pulled off that “you’ve got to play the par 3” allure. The 13-hole Preserve at Bandon Dunes by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw is thrilling. So is the short course at the Colorado G.C. by the same team.

The Cradle has immediately joined this club, and may even jump to head of the class. Hanse and Wagner have found a delicate balance between playability for the beginner to average golfer, with difficulty that will challenge and delight the better player. There are no water hazards or unplayable areas, and on most holes the tee shot can be bounced in. But getting the ball close means landing the ball precisely and with some spin, and getting up and down from off the green requires a bit of delicacy. Junior golfers who go round and round The Cradle (it’s free for kids 17 or under when accompanied by an adult) will develop a nuanced feel for the scoring part of the game. As for the kind of single-digit sticks that flock to Pinehurst, teams of them will fill the course in the shadowy early evening, perhaps a cocktail in hand, but also fueled by an obsession to conquer a first-class golfing challenge.

“I was trying to find the fun,” said Hanse, who shaped both The Cradle and the new putting green, named Thistle Dhu and inspired by the humpy undulations of the vast Himalayas putting course at St. Andrews, which it exceeds in size but not in cost [it’s free]. “All of it is right out the front door, so it sets a tone of the game truly being enjoyed. I want to hear some yell, for great shots, crazy bounces, holes in one. I want people sitting outside the clubhouse to kind of bask in this great scene. I hope it just reinforces that true golf spirit that is such a part of Pinehurst.”

And which beautifully small courses like The Cradle will spread.

The post The long view on golf’s new fascination with short courses appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By John Huggan
ABERDEEN, Scotland — Ask your average golfer to name his or her favorite holes—whether par 3s, 4s or 5s—and the responses invariably include the word “short.” Hardly anyone loves long holes. Short is where it’s at for most players. Think of the diminutive but deadly Postage Stamp at Royal Troon. Or the drivable 10th at Riviera. Or the 13th at Augusta National, the ultimate “risk and reward” par 5 because of its slightness. All are prime examples of holes beloved by all—and all are a long way from long. Indeed, the Postage Stamp is so short Dustin Johnson might just about be able to reach it in zero.

Multiplying that widely held preference for brevity by nine, former Open champion Paul Lawrie this week hosted the Scottish Par-3 Championship at his eponymous golf center on the outskirts of his home city in the northeast of Scotland. Over two days, four rounds and 36 holes, an eclectic mix of amateurs and professionals teed-up with EuroPro Tour (Europe’s third division) player Louis Gaughan picking up his first win as a professional. A birdie at the first extra hole saw the 23-year-old Scot edge out former European Tour winner Alastair Forsyth after the pair tied on four-under-par 104. Vaughan earned £3,250 for his trouble.

The 108-strong field contained two major champions, two Ryder Cuppers and cardholders from the European Tour, the Challenge Tour, the EuroPro Tour, the German Pro Golf Tour, the Alps Tour, the Ladies European Tour, the Tartan Tour and the European Senior Tour, as well as a member of the Scottish Ladies amateur team. Connor Syme, a recent quarterfinalist at the U.S. Amateur and a member of the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup side that next month will take on the United States at the Los Angeles Country Club, was also in attendance.

And here’s the thing: A good time was had by all. In a world where “takes too long and costs too much,” is golf’s most common complaint, many rounds were completed in less than three hours at a facility where an adult membership costs £300 per year (less than $400). Even more farsightedly, juniors yet to reach their teenage years can play for 12 months for one tenth of that amount.

“We were members here when my two sons were small,” said Lawrie, who purchased the picturesque 1,352-yard course that sits hard by the River Dee in 2012. “We came a lot to play a few holes and hit balls. It was ideal for them. They learned how to play on a proper layout that wasn’t too long for them. This is not a pitch-and-putt course though. You could put any of these holes on an 18-holer. Nothing is compromised. The bunkers are just as you would see anywhere and the holes ask for a nice variety of shots with anything from a 5-iron down.

“The great thing is that families can come here and enjoy themselves. Most people get around in 90 minutes or so. That’s perfect for kids. They have a good time and don’t get bored by being out there too long.”

Lawrie, the former Open champion, sees par-3 courses as fun venues for players of all skill levels. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Certainly, none of the competitors were complaining about any feelings of ennui at an event with a bright future. Already there is talk of moving to U.S. Open week in 2018 in the hope that majority of European Tour players not playing in the major would be able to compete.

“This is such a fantastic event and represents the future in many ways,” said 2005 U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell. “The dynamics of golf have changed over the last few years, and this sort of event is going to be more common. People just don’t have the five hours it takes to play most courses these days. So places like this are ideal. You can stroll round in an hour-and-a-half.

“I enjoyed it so much. I loved the variation in distances. The shortest hole is less than 110 yards and the longest is about 215. I hit everything from a 3-iron to a lob wedge. Brilliant.”

Whether this inventive but not unique format—the British Par-3 Championship has been played at Nailcote Hall in the English Midlands since 2001—has a future as part of an official tour remains to be seen, but anything that interrupts the almost constant flow of 72-hole stroke-play on courses stretched to their physical limits and beyond is surely worth considering. In the U.S., the PGA Tour Champions current plays a portion of its Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf event on the par-3 course at Big Cedar Lodge.

“Our executive director, Keith Pelley, is experimenting with a lot of different ideas, so anything is possible,” pointed out European Tour player Scott Jamieson. “This could be something he might look at. I love the shorter format. It was still 18 holes, but it was so nice to play quickly. And the golf was fun, interesting and challenging. I certainly had to call on a slightly different skill set.”

That sentiment was almost universally echoed elsewhere. Challenge Tour player Peter Whiteford, who finished T-8, was just one who celebrated the event’s “shortness.”

“There aren’t any 230-yarders out there [on the Lawrie course], holes where all you are trying to do is pump the ball into the middle of the green,” he said. “That’s boring. Here almost anything is possible. You can be as aggressive as you like really.”

All of which is great, but perhaps more important is that nine-hole facilities like the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre (one of two owned by the two-time Ryder Cup player) fill a void for those reluctant or unable to find the time and money to join a more traditional club. Unlike so many locked within that increasingly outmoded business model, the PLGC provides a welcoming environment for young people – and older citizens looking to get into the game. All those potentially intimidating rules – “Don’t do this. Don’t wear that. Don’t walk there.” – are absent. Anyone lacking experience and/or confidence is made welcome.

Fun for everyone. What a concept. With a bit of luck, it might even catch on.

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“When you have kids, your life changes and it’s like you can’t believe what you did with all the time you had before you had children,” the Swede said on the eve of the Scottish Open at Dundonald Links, a week out from his Open title defence at Royal Birkdale.

“I don’t know what I did with my time before I had the Claret Jug in my possession. And I kind of treat it like my baby, as well. So it’s a lot of similarities in that sense.”

Stenson certainly isn’t grumbling about all that’s followed his epic duel with Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon 12 months ago. Indeed, it will be tough handing back the Claret Jug, or the Golf Champion Trophy to use its proper name, when he rolls into Southport on Monday.

That said, the former Dubai-resident is looking forward to, well, looking ahead and trying to give the “baby” he doesn’t have to give back – a smaller, replica Claret Jug – a sibling for his major mantlepiece soon.

“For the year that you are the defending champion, then every week you show up at a tournament, it’s new, it’s fresh, they haven’t seen you since you won, and it’s all the pictures and all the autographs and all the interviews.

“It’s been a challenge at times. I’ve been pretty good at saying no, but you’ve still got to do a lot of things, and I’m sure that impacts your focus on your game to a degree.

“In this game, you’ve got to be in the moment and you’ve got to be focused and where you’re at now and looking forward. And you’re constantly talking about what happened six months, nine months, 12 months ago; so it’s easy to be a little stuck in the past.

“I think it’s going to be a bit of turning the page next week when I have to return The Claret on Monday, and then we’re kind of looking ahead instead of looking back.”

The future begins with a return to Ayrshire this week where Stenson goes in search of some much-needed momentum at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.

“I haven’t played my best golf this year,” admitted the 41-year-old who started well with T8 and runner-up finishes in Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively before missing five cuts in a stretch of six US starts including unwanted weekend’s off at both the Masters and U.S. Open.

“But at the same time, I don’t feel like it’s miles away. So we’re just trying to tidy up the loose ends a little bit and get going in the right direction. This week could be a very good week to do that. I think I finished about 13th or 14th last year [tied 13] at The Scottish Open [and] it wasn’t like I had to be in contention to get out what I want to get out of this week, even though it’s very nice to be up there and have a chance to win nice tournaments like this one.

“Playing links, getting a good bit of work done on the range and practise grounds, and just get that little bit of sharpness that we need to do really well.”

Stenson has returned to his bag the 2-iron he used 12 months ago for the Scottish-Open Championship fortnight.

“I want to play well. I think coming into Troon last year, I had not been in contention for the previous five or six major championships that I played, and that was kind of my key thought. If I’m going to win a major or more than one, I need to give myself chances,” said Stenson who ended 2016 ranked 4th in the world, edged up 3rd following his near thing to Sergio Garcia at the Dubai Desert Classic in early February but has since slipped to 7th.

“Again, I will try and come in with decent play and just keep working away for 3 1/2 days, and hopefully when you hit the back nine on Sunday, you’re there or thereabouts. The more chances you give yourself, the more chances you have to win.”

Stenson isn’t the only one desperate for some momentum. He’s off with Ryder Cup mate Rory McIlroy at 8.30am (11.30am UAE time) in the opening round Thursday, alongside 2015 Scottish Open champion but still major-less Rickie Fowler.

McIlroy is looking to overcome his Dubai Duty Free Irish Open disappointment

After withdrawing from the Masters with a rib/back injury and missing the cut at the U.S. Open, McIlroy arrives at Dundonald Links fresh from sitting out last weekend at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by his own Rory Foundation. The 29-year-old Northern Irishman needs something to take into Royal Birkdale as he looks to snap a winless major championship streak stretching back to the 2014 PGA Championship.

“I think playing links golf is the best way to prepare going into The Open Championship, but look, the last two weeks are huge events in their own right now, part of the Rolex Series and big ranking points, big prize money,” said McIlroy who revealed he’s been working on knockdown wedge shots in the wake of the MC disappointment at Portstewart GC in Northern Ireland.

“I feel I’ve got ground to make up this year because of not playing as much as I would have wanted, and when I have played, not getting the results that I’ve wanted to. So it’s a big week. I want to play well. I want to have a chance to win and I feel like if I get myself in contention, that’s a great confidence boost for me going into Birkdale, as well.”

McIlroy admitted it was “proving difficult” trying to stay positive because “I feel like I am good enough to win these tournaments”. But he insists he’s “close”.

“It’s hard to sit up here and stand in front of a camera every single time and say to you guys it’s close, because I sound a bit like a broken record after a few weeks. But really, it’s not far away,” the world No.4 said.

“I’m positive about it. I’m excited about my game. I feel like I’m doing a lot of good things. And again, it’s just putting it all together, not just for one day but for four days; and not just for four days, to do it week-in and week-out.”

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