Given the ravages that pesky Storm Frank visited on Paul Lawrie’s golf centre back in grim, ghastly January, it’s perhaps not surprising to hear that the former Open champion wouldn’t mind expanding his golfing empire into more temperate climes. “We would like to get another one, which I hope we will, somewhere nice and warm, a winter type of place,” said the Aberdonian, who is presumably looking a bit further south than the Granite City’s Haudagain roonaboot.

The carnage that the winter blasts caused at Lawrie’s facility on the south bank of the river Dee was as deflating as it was damaging given all the work that had gone into building it into one of the north east’s premier golfing hubs. It’s been very much a case of onwards and upwards since then, of course, and with his flagship centre back in business, Lawrie recently added the Inchmarlo Golf Centre near Banchory to his burgeoning portfolio.

“It was just devastation,” said Lawrie, as he reflected on that ferocious deluge that would have had Noah in a lather. “The height of the water was up to the balcony of the coffee shop and that’s 20 odd feet. The work that the staff have done and the job they’ve done to get it open at all is just incredible. People have been there day and night.”

With a blueprint firmly in place, Lawrie is clearly eager to establish a chain of facilities which will bring benefits to both his flourishing Foundation and the wider golfing public in general.

“We’re not going to stop,” he added. “The first one provided the model and that’s what we want to move out; a family orientated place with nine holes, a driving range, a short game area, a coffee shop and a restaurant.”

Given all the various plates he juggles these days, Lawrie is still a touring professional first and foremost. It’s 20 years now since he won his first title on the main European Tour and he’ll resume his 2016 campaign this week at the Spanish Open. While the competitive fires still burn and there remains a determined will to win, there is no escaping the fact that, at 47, Lawrie is looking to the next chapter in his golfing career.

“If you see me when I don’t play as well as I would like, I’m still quite feisty but I think there has been a little bit of a changing of priorities, let’s say,” added Lawrie, who is looking forward to hosting his own matchplay tournament on the European circuit at Archerfield Links in the summer. “It’s the way things have happened, but I’m still desperate to be a full-time player. I still see the most important thing is playing. The first thing I do when I go to the golf centre in the morning is hit balls, not speak to the director of golf about the business. I’m still a player, but there are also other things going on that I wanted to happen so there is a little bit of a shift in what’s going on now.”

Lawrie still showed he could cut it on the main tour earlier in the campaign when he manoeuvred himself into a two shot lead heading into the final round of the Qatar Masters, an event he had won twice before. A closing 78, however, was a sore one to take as he slithered off the top and missed out on a ninth European Tour title.

“I couldn’t see that one happening,” admitted the two-time Ryder Cup player. “I’m usually good when I get a sniff of a chance to win but that 78 did me in. I struggled a bit for a few weeks after that. To shoot a score like that from a leading position is something I thought I’d never do. Some of the shots I hit, Davy (his caddie) and I couldn’t get our heads round it. But if you’re capable of being two shots ahead after three rounds then you are capable of winning. And if you’re capable of winning, then playing is still the most important thing.”

He may have plenty going on off the course but Lawrie still has his eye on the ball.