Newly appointed Pitlochry Golf professional Neil Douglas has swapped 30℃ year-round heat for the vagaries of the Scottish climate.
Edinburgh-born Neil took his first steps on the pro ladder at Nairn Dunbar as a 19-year-old assistant under the watchful eye of David Torrance and has returned from a 16-year exile in the Far East.
With experienced staff ensuring the smooth-running of two successful golf academies in China and Borneo, Neil (40) and his wife Angie are looking forward to putting down roots in Perthshire.
“My academies are at Sutera Harbour Golf Club in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo, and at Yunnan in Kunming, a city of eight million people in the west of China.
“There are a few members but really Yunnan is a visitors’ golf course and they come in from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. It’s called ‘Spring City’ because the weather is nice year-round.
“Unfortunately, golf in that part of world can be very expensive. Only the very wealthy can afford golf club memberships so you are only working with kids with rich parents.
“The time just felt right to come back. You can only stand for so long out in the sun taking golf lessons. You do get a bit frazzled.
“This is the first time I have been working in Scotland since 2001. The weather is certainly a bit different from what I have been used to but I’m just putting on a couple of extra layers!
“And Pitlochry is one of the most scenic golf courses anywhere in the UK. It’s no wonder it is so popular with visitors.”
Pitlochry Golf Club www.pitlochrygolf.co.uk