At this time of the year, when the increasingly flustered golf writers are working cheek by wobbly jowl on a daily basis and thrashing away on the laptop for the next fraught fortnight, it almost feels like we are involved in a long- term relationship.

And, as most folk will testify, that can have its rewards as well as its drawbacks.

On the one hand, there's the security, companionship and unquestioning loyalty and respect. On the other, the jaw-shuddering monotony of seeing the same saggy old vision shuffling around 24/7.

This week, the hardy band of golf-scribbling brothers are in the Highlands for the domestic showpiece that is the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart. And it's good to be going back. If any venue deserved another chance to showcase itself, then it's this one. The thirst for hosting a significant contest in this neck of the woods has remained as unquenchable as that of a hard-pressed journalist in a well-stocked Inverness howff, despite the anguish of the meteorological events last year that would've driven the most ardent teetotaller to hard liquor.

When Mother Nature, who is clearly not keen on golf, unleashed her full fury on the Saturday with a downpour of quite staggering proportions, which caused landslides on the course and reduced the tournament to 54 holes, the doom-mongers who said that bringing the European Tour bandwagon to this northern outpost was asking for trouble had a field day. Admittedly, the omens don't look that great again. A couple of weeks ago, the Scottish Hydro Challenge on the second-tier Challenge Tour, being played down the A9 in Aviemore, was cut to three rounds because of torrential rain.

The soggy summer has eaten away at the morale but we may as well try to creak up our dispirited heads to look on the bright side. With a new, enthusiastic backer in Aberdeen Asset Management, which continues to invest at all levels of the game in Scotland, and a field polished by 11 major champions and the world No.1 and defending champion Luke Donald, there's plenty to be positive about.

Those involved behind the scenes at Castle Stuart have stuck by their golfing principles and their original vision of how they wanted the game to be played here, and there remains a feelgood factor about this week's venue. In these times of attritional, backs-to-the-wall golf, the general openness of the layout encourages a refreshing, attacking, strategic approach in which the rewards for good shot-making are bountiful. It's good to see a birdie blitz now and again but, equally, less rain, a bit of run, and more wind to bolster the defences would not go amiss.

Away from the headline acts in the line-up, the ties that bind the title sponsors with rookie pros James Byrne, David Law and Michael Stewart have led to the inevitable invitations for the home trio. While it presents a wonderful opportunity to test themselves at this lofty level, you always feel a bit of sympathy for those who are left to peer in from the outside having not been invited to this particular Highland fling. Byrne, Law and Stewart have yet to establish themselves on the Challenge Tour, let alone the main circuit, and are still finding their professional feet. Are they as deserving of a place in the field as, say, Raymond Russell? Probably not. The Scot, who has been floored by injury and illness in recent years, has been knocked down but keeps getting back up. He continues to show unwavering determination in his quest to climb back up the golfing ladder and his efforts paid off when he won 10 days ago on the Challenge Tour in Italy, his biggest win since he plundered the Cannes Open on the European circuit in 1996. It would've been nice to see Russell's spirit recognised and rewarded with an invitation to this week's gathering. As in most walks of life, however, it's a case of who you know.

AND ANOTHER THING

All hail the journeyman golfer. Most of us like a rags-to-riches tale now and then, and Ted Potter Jr's play-off victory in the Greenbrier Classic at the weekend was an uplifting triumph for dogged perseverance.

Back in 2004, the 28-year-old's rookie season on the second-tier Nationwide Tour produced little except for the unwanted record of 24 events played, 24 cuts missed.

Now, having earned promotion to the PGA circuit last year, the Florida rookie has a cheque for more than $1m in his back pocket, a tee time for next week's Open and a place at the 2013 Masters.

Inverness exile Russell Knox, who came up through the Nationwide Tour rankings with Potter Jr last season, suggested that "a year ago I said Ted was the best player I had ever played with".

Knox, who has endured a tough start to life at the top table, doesn't need to look far for inspiration now.