This letter documents the revisions we have developed together with Fife Planning Service as issues and concerns have arisen over the past several months.

OVERVIEW

As a true links course, Kingsbarns Golf Links (GL) will be highly attractive to local golfers and to visitors in particular because of its proximity to the sea which the course design emphasises, and yet does so prudently given the desire to accommodate an upgraded and safe Fife Coastal Route.

The benefits of Kingsbarns GL will be significant for the local region of Fife:

1. As an additional element in the fabric of links golf in North East Fife, Kingsbarns GL will support the growth of tourism for the region. A market research study done this summer shows unequivocally that quality links golf attracts visitors to Fife on golf Holidays.

2. Kingsbarns GL will directly employ more than 20 people:

• 10 Greenkeepers
• 5 Golf Shop / Practice Pitch
• 5 Food and Beverage
• 5 Administration

3. Kingsbarns GL represents an overall increase in the quality of wildlife habitat values for the project site. 41.2 hectares of arable farmland and 27.8 hectares of pasture will be transformed into a mosaic of high-fertility fairway grasses, low fertility native rough grasses, heather, broom, gorse and a mix of wetland vegetation.

4. Kingsbarns GL represents the preservation of a golf site with origins of historical significance dating back to 1793.

5. Kingsbarns GL also represents a major step towards defining and upgrading an important stretch of the Fife Coastal Route while also providing circular walks from the car park node at the end of the Sea Road. This web of circular walks will be defined and maintained as part of the golf course at no cost to the tax payer. Its association with the golf course (historical origins dating back to 1793) will result in greater enjoyment of the path user. See Exhibit One - Exerts from ‘The Fife Coastal Path, Summary Document, A Study for Fife Enterprise and Scottish Natural Heritage’.

PROJECT CONCEPT

The creative approach of Kingsbarns Golf Links is that of an understated and appropriate tribute to the rich traditions of Scottish seaside links golf. More than one years research has led to a design concept that emphasises:

• multiple lines of play, very wide landing areas
• especially for eight paired fairways
• large greens characterised by simple yet profound shapes
• terrain, undulation and angles of plat as key elements of defence
• thinking mans on-course considerations
• preferences affected by wind and pin locations
• design about asymmetry, angles and choice versus pure length or accuracy
• never indifferent to missing left or right (fairways or greens)
• course routed for variety of wind angles
• also routed for each 9 hole segment to return to clubhouse

The design implementation uses topography (principally the old sea cliff), landscape vegetation (native grasses, heather, broom, gorse and wetlands varieties), as well as the sea to create golf issues of keen interest, real or psychological. The sea, however, plays a particularly important role in the design theme:

• greens set against backdrop of sea
• line-of-play vistas of Carnoustie, Crail
• intimate adjacency or majestic vistas of sea
• arc-like shapes of land forms key to angles
• elevation differential of old sea cliff critical
• proximity to sea itself insufficient
• must offer keen interest and excitement aroused by sea

Aesthetically, the site is extraordinary for all the design nuances that can be achieved through the fundamentals of the site. Further, the soils support the prospect for superb turf

• drainage characteristics magnificent (subsoil infiltration > 10 inches per hour)
• near perfect water retention and organic content
• firm turf for ball striking and run of ball the result
• firm turf to be characterised by velvet-like fescues, bents, and other natives

As lovers of golf, we are excited by and respectful of the opportunity to contribute to the fabric of quality links golf in North East Fife and at the same time further develop the economy of the area.

CONCERNS AND RELEVANT REVISIONS

Over the past several months a number of issues have arisen and together with Fife Planning Service we have collaborated to revise the Kingsbarns plans accordingly. The concerns and relevant revisions are as follows:

1. CONCERN: Availability of golf course for local pay-as-you-play

REVISION: A pay-as-you-play element to Kingsbarns Golf Links is not only acceptable, but an important aspect of our market strategy.

2. CONCERN: Increase in traffic from the A918 along the Sea Road to and from the maintenance facility.

REVISION: Maintenance facility has been relocated closer to the clubhouse; the access from the Sea Road has been eliminated: all access to the course and its facilities will be handled through the proposed single entry road directly off the A918.

3. CONCERN: Golf holes north of Sea Road in terms of impact on current tenant farmer (John Laird) and crossing conflicts with traffic on Sea Road.

REVISIONS: Despite the fact that golf use has already been approved both north and south of the Sea Road (Consent Ref. No. 08-95-0062D dated 27/7/95), we sought to mitigate the impact.

We have engaged in discussions with John Laird over the past month which have led to a commitment on our part:

- to allow Mr. Laird to continue farming on the inland 13.5 acres of the Future Turf and Landscape Nursery free of rent for 5 years - to provide an irrigation feeder (i.e. water source) for the relocated pasture - to install a new boundary fence - to collect and manage field drainage discharges at the new boundary - to remove field dykes in impacted fields to help make the Laird’s farming activity more efficient

See our enclosed letter to John Laird.

The crossing conflict with traffic along Sea Road has also been addressed in the prior consent. Maintenance equipment (mainly mowers) crossing the Sea Road will be minimal. During the summer golf season routine maintenance crossings (a few machines at most) will occur early in the morning before golfers get started. The holes north of the Sea Road will be among the first mowed as they are holes no. 2, 3, 4 and 5. Thereafter crossings by maintenance vehicles will be intermittent and infrequent, certainly fewer than 20 crossings on any given day. Golfer crossings will be no more than 4 golfers crossing and coming back per 10 minute tee-time interval. Although two crossing location points were originally proposed, one for maintenance vehicles and one for golfers, we are agreeable to one crossing located near the nexus of the 1st green, 2nd tee, 5th green and 6th tee. We believe this to be a safe location with regard to visibility and would expect to provide sign-posting to alert traffic traveling along the Sea Road. Walkers using the inland alternative to the Coastal Route will also be routed through this crossing.

The four holes north of the Sea Road are critical to the project’s seaside links concept. The 2nd hole offers a full, straight-on view of the sea with Carnoustie visible in the backdrop. The 4th hole is defined by topography that allows the green to present itself perched at the edge of the old sea cliff with nothing but the sea as the apparent backdrop. The topography of the 5th hole allows a similar visual effect, but in this case the fairway appears to drop off into the sea as the hole turns along the edge of the old sea cliff toward the green. The elevations of the topography north of the Sea Road are uniquely suited to achieve these dramatic visual effects. This section of the course is therefore integral to the project’s concept, and the principle of this has, of course, already been established in the existing Outline Planning Consent.

4. CONCERN: Incorporation of the Fife Coastal Route with regard to safety, quality and access.

REVISIONS: From the outset we have collaborated with the Planning Service to enhance the walking experience throughout the project property. Our proposals improve considerably the existing Fife Coastal Route and at the same time introduce a variety of additional routed and paths for walkers, a veritable ‘web of circular walks’. As you know, we have met on numerous occasions with members of your department to discuss the issue of the Fife Coastal Route. You, Neil Donaldson, Jeff Moy, Deirdre Munro, Lorraine Evans, and Kathy Kinnear have all been involved in one way or another, and I think we agree that we have developed a program with considerable merit. During a meeting with Dave Morris of the Ramblers Association on 10th October we discussed:

• details of the programme developed with your staff plus further changes proposed in response to concerns raised at the 1st October public meeting in Kingsbarns.
• our desire to upgrade the coastal path and to establish a web of circular paths throughout the golf course property which would be available to the public
• our mutual concerns about walker safety
• construction of a naturally shaped and vegetated protective dune ridge to establish a greater buffer zone between the golf course and the coastal path
• the Ramblers’ desire for greater safety margins for walkers particularly from errant shots off the 3rd, 12th, 16th and 17th tees
• our desire to consult with the Ramblers during construction in order to further our goal of creating a well defined network of paths throughout the golf course which enjoy a high degree of safety and comfort for walkers compatible with sound golf course design.

The extensive work your department has carried out along with input from the meeting of 1st October and from the Ramblers has led to the following modifications on our part:

• We have agreed to define and maintain a coastal path just inland of the existing dune ridge
• We have also agreed to define and maintain an inland alternative with aesthetic values of its own, e.g. paths through a mature wood, along a beautiful burn, and along the sea cliff offering magnificent vistas of both the golf course and the sea
• We have further agreed to define and maintain a third route throughout the centre section of the property along the ridge of the old sea cliff
• During the past month, we have specifically addressed the risk issue with regard to those holes immediately adjacent to the sea. This has produced the present scheme (revised 12th October) for those holes which in our view achieves a level of safety considerably better than that typically seen throughout Scotland when walking paths and golf co-exist. The risks are minimal and in our view acceptable. In general, we have agreed to move these holes inland to provide greater buffer distances between the line of play and those walking along the coastal path
• We have also agreed to construct a natural-looking dune ridge immediately inland from the coastal path as a further protection to the coastal walkers. This dune ridge would vary in height from almost nothing in those areas of virtually no risks to heights exceeding 2m in those areas most susceptible to the risk of the odd stray golf shot. (See Revised Grassing and Landscape Plan for full details). The dune slope facing the path would be steeply banked. The inland side would tie into the grades of the golf course gradually. The dune ridge would meander and be characterised by blow-out forms throughout. Marram and Sea Lyme would be propagated to stabilise the dune. The mere existence of this protective dune structure is also likely to encourage lines of play away from the sea and coastal walkers. The paired fairways with playable area between them (holes no. 16 and 7, 17 and 6) also encourage an inland line of play.

We direct your particular attention to the following revisions:

• 12th hole: layback slope of old sea cliff and move tees and fairway inland to accommodate dune buffer between path and fairway
• 16th hole: move everyday tee and fairway inland to accommodate a protective dune buffer
• 17th hole: move everyday tee inland and turn hole modestly inland by moving green away from Cambo Sands up against the old sea cliff and add a protective dune buffer
• 3rd hole: move fairway and greens inland to provide room for a protective dune buffer.

See the revised routing and protective dune ridge details formalised in the revised grassing and Landscape Plan dated 12th October. Recall also that the backmost tees (Tournament Tees) are for tournaments and special events only as is the case for the back tees at the Old Course.

Collaboration with the Planning Service has led to a programme that both allows us to maintain the integrity of our seaside links concept while providing for the safety of those using the coastal path and beach as well as the pleasure afforded those interested in the full web of circular paths throughout the golf property.

With regard to erosion concerns, we commit to working with the appropriate specialists (ecologists, geologists and government staff), to develop an erosion plan to mitigate erosion impacts on the aligned interests of the Fife Coastal Path and Kingsbarns Golf Links.

There are, of course, a few other issues that have arisen, but we believe we have resolved these matters previously (e.g. ‘Cambo Ness’ which is documented in our Revised Grassing and Landscape Plan) and although they are important, they probably don’t warrant mention in this already-very-long-letter. Again, thank you for your forbearance in these matters. The hard work and professionalism of your department is much appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Parsinen
Managing Director
Granite Bay Scotland Inc.
14 The Links First Floor
ST ANDREWS
Fife
KY16 9NX

Note: Three Revised Grassing and Landscape Plans that document the modifications referred to in this letter are en route to you separately.