Golf development draws members

The Courier, 13 January 2000

There was good news yesterday for the £8 million tourism and business development taking shape at The Gateway in St Andrews.

The operating company, St Andrews International Limited, announced international and local membership inquiries for the St Andrews Golfing Society are continuing to be processed on a daily basis.

Over 50% of the membership received has come from the USA and the remainder from throughout Europe.

St Andrews International chief executive Geoff Lang said interest had been generated from the marketing campaign launched at the end of last year.

The development, sited at North Haugh, is due to open in May, two months before the Open Golf Championship at St Andrews.

The visitor complex will feature three parts: the St Andrews Golfing Society, which has views over the Old Course; the University of St Andrews Museum and Information Centre, which will chart the history of the university; and The Gateway Conference Venue which will provide for up to 300 delegates.

The society, to be based in an upper part of the building, will operate as a private club. For an annual subscription, members can enjoy the luxury of five-star leisure facilities, able to make use of the exclusive Teppanyaki restaurant, Sushi bar and cigar bar, golf clinic and valeting, golf retail merchandise, together with use of the business and conference facilities.

Membership of the society will also give access to tee-off reservation times on some of the finest courses in Scotland, including the new Kingsbarns links course which is due to be opened in July this year.

Mr Lang said the company had been “inundated” with inquiries, both through the company’s Internet website and via more formal means of communication.

The St Andrews Golfing Society will be exhibiting the benefits of membership at the PGA 2000 Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida, from February 4 to 7.

Further details on membership can be obtained by visiting the Internet website at www.thegateway.standrews.com