The 38-year-old will oversee the amateur governing body’s new-look events calendar for 2017 as he returns to the world of golf after a spell in banking.

Munro, a member at Kinross Golf Club, boasts 13 years golf industry experience working with the Ladies European Tour and the former Ladies’ Golf Union, achieving a high level of golf administration, management and rules experience.

The three-handicap golfer is an R&A qualified referee and has officiated at more than 100 professional events worldwide, including the Ricoh Women’s British Open and US Women’s Open. He was also responsible for delivering the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open during his time with the Ladies European Tour.

After working in golf from 2003 to 2015, the University of Stirling graduate is now looking forward to heading up the Events team at Scottish Golf after a spell working for Lloyds Banking Group.

“I jumped at the opportunity to return to golf,” said Munro, who started in his new role today (20 February). “I have always had a passion for the game and been proactive in broadening and developing my knowledge and experience at every opportunity.

“To head up the Events team of a newly-amalgamated governing body is a great opportunity. There are some exciting changes on the domestic events calendar this year and I look forward to evaluating them all and looking at ways we can further develop the events going forward.”

Following a review, a number of changes to Scottish Golf’s national championships are in place for this season. These include the Scottish Men’s Amateur Championship featuring strokeplay qualifying across two venues – Prestwick and Prestwick St Cuthbert – while the Scottish Boys Amateur Championship moves from its traditional early season slot to be played concurrently alongside its Girls’ equivalent, hosted by Scotscraig and Drumoig respectively.

There are also changes at handicap level in 2017, with Scottish Golf providing the opportunity for club members of all ages and abilities the chance to play on some of the finest courses in the country and win some fantastic prizes. Notably, the PING Scottish Mixed Championship is to be a unique new addition to the calendar this season, with the leading golf brand sponsoring Scottish Golf for the first time, and the showpiece final to be held over The Queen’s Course at Gleneagles.

Blane Dodds, Chief Executive for Scottish Golf, added: “Fraser has an extensive background in golf event management, having held senior roles with the Ladies European Tour and the Ladies’ Golf Union and will add a huge amount of experience to our organisation.

“With an obvious passion for golf and a wide network of contacts within the industry, I’m excited by the opportunities that Fraser can bring to the existing excellent team. With a clear focus on driving service excellence and a real desire to ensure that a first class experience is delivered for the players, volunteers and staff team alike, I’m confident that Fraser has all the attributes needed to lead the Events team going forward.”

Stuart Clayton, new Acting Head of Performance for Scottish Golf, has initiated the selection change with the governing body, which will come into effect when the Home Internationals sides are picked this summer.

The exceptions will be the Scottish Senior Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships, both of which are ‘open’ events, where competitors from other countries take part. If the Seniors’ champions are not eligible to represent Scotland, the automatic place will be passed to the respective selection committee to determine who receives the call-up.

Clayton said: “In all of our Scottish Amateur Championships, apart from the Senior Men’s, the winners will have come through head-to-head match-play format, which mirrors the style played at the Home Internationals. We therefore feel the champion will have demonstrated the capabilities required to perform well at the Homes and thus would be deserving of an automatic place.”

In August, the Men’s Home Internationals take place at Moortown, the Boys’ event at St Annes Old Links and the Ladies & Girls’ Home Internationals at Little Aston. The Senior Ladies’ go to Newport in October, with the Senior Men’s event being staged at Rosslare in September.

The updated selection policy changes come hot on the heels of several changes to Scottish Golf’s national events programme, with the new-look Scottish Men’s Amateur Championship featuring stroke play qualifying across two venues – Prestwick and Prestwick St Cuthbert – while the Scottish Boys Amateur Championship moves from its traditional early season slot to be played concurrently alongside its Girls’ equivalent, hosted by Scotscraig and Drumoig respectively at the end of June.

Players can look forward to some fantastic courses for the ‘Major’ domestic events this season, with Royal Aberdeen welcoming competitors for the Scottish Women’s Amateur, Blairgowrie hosting the Senior Women and Royal Burgess the host club for the Scottish Senior Men’s Championship.

In a further new addition for 2017, domestic Order of Merit points will now be awarded at both male and female level for the leading 16 players in stroke play qualifying for the Scottish Championships and British Championships, aided by the revised formats in the Scottish Men’s and Boys’ events.

“The awarding of points will offer a small bonus for the players, rewarding good performances in the stroke play stages, underlining it as being a key area for player development,” added Clayton.

Teams representing Scotland in the Home Internationals will continue to be supported by Aberdeen Asset Management, who celebrate 10 years of sponsorship of the national amateur squads in 2017.

The changes, which are detailed on the club’s revamped website (www.ladybankgolf.co.uk), have been championed by the club’s new secretary Gordon Simpson who took up his post last year. He presented a portfolio of far-reaching initiatives at the club’s January AGM which were subsequently passed. The decision ushers in a new era at the renowned Fife club.

“These are exciting and historic times for Ladybank Golf Club,” said Gordon. “The course has been long regarded as one of the best heathland layouts in Scotland. We now have the opportunity to create a vibrant club around that reputation by creating a club fit for the 21^st century. That requires change so a decision has been made to seize the moment and make fundamental improvements that will shape the club for the foreseeable future.”

He continued: “The idea is to become a modern, open golf club. To do that requires fresh thinking and a more customer-focused approach. In many ways, this has been one of the biggest changes to ever happen at the club.”

Ladybank Golf Club has introduced four new membership categories that reflect a key transitional phase from junior to full-member status. New categories for 18-25 year olds and 26-30 year olds have been announced with the notable lack of waiting lists. Similarly, country and overseas membership categories have been unveiled for the first time, with numbers initially restricted to 25 members in each division.

There has also been a fundamental shift in the approach to visitors at the club, which is establishing closer links with golf tour operators and key accommodation providers such as Rufflets Hotel; 2016 AA Scottish Hotel of the Year. “It is a great idea,” said Stephen Owen, general manager at Rufflets. “If our clients want to play one of the best courses in the area, we can now accommodate that. The new arrangement with Ladybank ticks a lot of boxes for us and it is easy to manage. We are relishing the opportunity to working with a prestigious club like Ladybank.”

In 2015, Ladybank was named by National Club Golfer magazine as the best course in Scotland (for under £100), describing it as “a rare beast in Fife – a tremendous inland course”. The course, originally laid out by Old Tom Morris, is a classic heathland test which is regarded by many as one of the finest layouts in Scotland.

One National Club Golfer reviewer noted: “Of its type; one of the finest courses in the land for my money. The experience here is always a rich one. Standing on the first tee, you know you are in for a treat.”

The year ahead will also be one to celebrate at Ladybank which marks 55 years since its course was expanded to its current 18-hole championship course status. Set amongst the heather, pine and silver birch trees, the original six-hole routing was laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1879.

“Ladybank has a remarkable history,” said Gordon. “It is an Old Tom layout and a seven-times host for final qualifying at The Open Championship in St Andrews. There is no doubt Ladybank has a phenomenal history, but it is also a progressive club with an exciting future. With a new-look website, revised membership categories and thriving relationships with the tourism sector, the club is looking to the future with fresh impetus and zeal. These are certainly exciting times.”