Golf: Nicol sets down roots after Linlithgow facility swings it

The former Dalmahoy assistant pro enjoyed working with a whole host of European Tour players, including Andrew Oldcorn, Richard Finch, Bradley Dredge and Paul Broadhurst.

But living out of a suitcase has taken its toll over the years and now he's set up base closer to home.

Nicol has joined a growing band of coaches at Kingsfield Golf Centre outside Linlithgow and is excited to be making full use of the excellent facilities there to help players of all abilities.

"One of the things that attracted to me to the Tour in the first place was the travelling but I worked out that I'd spent something like four of the last 15 years in hotels," said the Glasgow-born Nicol, who moved to Edinburgh when he was a toddler and went to Currie High.

"It becomes your life to an extent and I felt I had been doing it long enough. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed what was a fantastic experience and I got the chance to work with some really good players and coaches, too.

"I just became tired of the travelling and when the opportunity to base myself at Kingsfield came along - through Stephen Gallacher basically - I thought this was for me.

"I had a lengthy conversation with (owner] Robert Arkley and he talked me through his vision for the future. It sounded like something I wanted to be a part of and I am thoroughly enjoying it."

European Tour star Gallacher is a regular visitor to Kingsfield, while Adam Hunter, Kevin Craggs, Jane Connachan and David Burns are some of the other coaches who often work there along with Nicol.

"I didn't want to just be another golf pro giving an hour-long lesson, I wanted to do something different," he added.

"I've been doing some short-game schools, long-range schools, short-game masterclasses - that sort of stuff.

"It is players of varying standards. Allyn Dick (Lothians champion], for instance, has been along and he said he'd never had a lesson in his life before.

"The fact we have a fantastic short game area allows us to do that properly, which is great. There are very few decent dedicated practice and learning facilities - and that is the aim here at Kingsfield, where everything is of a high standard.

"The facilities are key. They are very important to allow me to do my job properly but even more important that golfers are learning in a proper environment."

Nicol, whose started his pro career in Guernsey before moving to Austria and then Germany, is particularly excited to be offering potential clients the V1 swing analysis.

"I send them a video clip that gives analysis and advice, reinforcing what they should be doing," he said. "If they get a bit confused they can refer back to it any time. It is massively helpful and the feedback has been fantastic. It is virtually instantaneous. The lesson can be waiting on them by time they get home and switch the computer on."

Nicol caddied for Oldcorn before helping him win the PGA Championship, the European Tour's flagship event, while Finch and Dredge also won Tour events while under his tutelage.

"Probably the best guy I ever worked with - and even I was amazed about that - was Gordon Brand Junior," he recalled.

"He could be abrupt and sharp with people but he couldn't have been better with me. He phoned me up one winter and said he wanted me to coach him the next season.

"He asked what I'd want and I told him what the structure was. He then told me what he wanted, saying, 'I want you to make me a better golfer and, if you don't, you'll get sacked!'.

"That was fine by me because at least you know where you stand in that situation.

"The modern players don't seem to have much loyalty to their coaches - it's a case of quick fix after quick fix."