Montgomerie, currently ranked third in the world, teamed up with Enterprise Minister Henry McLeish at the Standard Life Loch Lomond Invitational tournament to launch the new drive.

Scotland is the home of golf, five out of the eight open championship golf courses in the UK are in Scotland

Henry McLeish

Scotland is not exploiting its huge golfing potential compared with its neighbour Ireland, which is said to be 10 years ahead of the game.

Mr McLeish said: "I think golf tourism is a sleeping giant. But this campaign gives us an opportunity to focus on a particular product.

"I am pleased Colin Montgomerie has agreed to launch this with me to make sure that these assets, which are world class, are exploited.

"It is about national self-confidence. Scotland is the home of golf, five out of the eight open championship golf courses in the UK are in Scotland and there are 500 public courses throughout the country.

'Forward looking'

"There is a tremendous opportunity to make things much, much better. We can't dwell on the past, but new self-confidence and new marketing, not only aimed at golfers of the world, but families and children, will work."

Colin Montgomerie, preparing to take part in the tournament, said: "We've sort of rested on our laurels.

Henry McLeish: "Golf tourism a sleeping giant"

"In saying, oh well, yes we are the home of golf, and that's fine, we'll rest on that one and concentrate on something else.

"Well, unfortuntately, that hasn't worked for us and we've got to push it more than we have in the past."

Experts estimate that golf tourism is worth about �100m to the Scottish economy, but they say more visitors could be encouraged to choose Scotland for a golfing holiday.

North America will be the main target for the initiative.

As well as highlighting the benefits of Scotland's major courses, the scheme will stress that a round on one of Scotland's 500 public courses will "not leave a hole in visitors' pockets".

The new strategy aims to:

• Develop new marketing campaigns from a �500,000 budget supplied by the Scottish Tourist Board.

• Invest in business development through a further �400,000 from Scottish Enterprise and �250,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

• Focus on attracting more women and children to courses.

• Establish regional golf development groups to improve the service to visiting golfers throughout Scotland.

• Improve the industry's market intelligence by researching golf markets and golf consumers.