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Baltic golf learners welcoming a bunch of spies (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

glacial

'baltic' is the definition.
(both can mean very cold)

'golf learners welcoming a bunch of spies' is the wordplay.
'golf' becomes 'g' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'learners' becomes 'LL' (two abbreviations for learner).
'welcoming' indicates putting letters inside (in sense of 'inviting in').
'bunch of spies' becomes 'CIA' (Central Intelligence Agency).
'a'+'cia'='acia'
'll' enclosing 'acia' is 'lacial'.
'g'+'lacial'='GLACIAL'

(Other definitions for glacial that I've seen before include "Freezing - unfriendly" , "Cold and icy" , "Of slow moving ice masses" , "Relating to ice" , "Frigid" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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