Cruden Bay is an inspirational golf course, regarded by some as quirky and considered by others as a masterpiece.

Either way, this is a thrilling place to play golf because the designers used the lie of the land to fantastic effect. Rugged linksland, pebble-dashed with huge sand dunes.

Elevated tees cut high into the dunes, humped fairways bumping their way along to greens nestling in attractive dells. And all set against the backdrop of the steely North Sea.

Cruden Bay winds its way in a figure of eight through towering dunes. Many of the holes are secluded from each other by sandhills, with a feeling of intimacy. There are panoramic sea views, a stunning beach, driveable par fours, blind drives, back-to-back par threes.

With the temperature down and the sea breeze up, Cruden Bay is the sort of challenge you would expect from a top links course on this coastline. Add to that the unpredictable bounces from the many bumps and hollows, and the fact that no one had played the course before, impressive scores seemed unlikely. With Stableford points awarded in an eclectic scoring system, it was therefore encouraging to see Sparks, Jaco and Rooney coming in over 30, pipped by High at 35. But well ahead of the field, assisted by a generous handicap, was Peters, on a score of 42 points, a remarkable achievement in those conditions.