Scores at individual holes ranged from 1 to 15 in near perfect playing conditions in the first round of the £45,000 Northern Open yesterday as the new Spey Valley course introduced itself to professional tournament golf.

While the rewards are there for those who keep the ball straight, others who venture into the deep, tangly heather can just about abandon all hope.

The ace was recorded by Campbell Elliott at the 195-yard sixth, where his 5-iron tee shot with a slight draw landed short and rolled in for his eighth career ace. It helped him to a one-under-par 71, three behind the leader, Chris Doak.

The 15 came at the 432-yard seventh, where the hapless Kenneth Glen got into the heather and simply could not get out. There was a lost ball and a penalty drop to add to his indignity at a hole which proved an equal test of patience and arithmetic.

He wasn't alone. There were several scores in double digits and dozens of totals over 80 as rounds reached up to six hours with frequent searches holding up play, especially at the fifth, which is claimed to be the longest hole in Scotland. Playing 635 yards yesterday, the heather came into play for most of the distance.

Doak, 30, a former Northern Open champion and Tartan Tour No.1, described that hole as "a beast". He managed a par there and topped his round with an eagle 3 at the 17th, where he holed from 25 feet to lead by one from Dean Robertson and Ewan Davie. Having fallen to No.11 last season, when he tried unsuccessfully to mix the Tartan tour and Challenge Tour, Doak is concentrating on the domestic circuit. He also has a new attitude.

"I had a few demons to deal with," said Doak, who has won the first two order of merit events of the season and is currently No.1. "I didn't take bad shots well and that was doing more harm to me than anything, but I've matured a wee bit and can now handle these things much better. I didn't see a psychologist, I just sorted myself out."

Among the group on 70 was Steven Rettie, who has just taken over from European Tour player Craig Lee as owner of the All Golf Swing Centre in Stirling.