Multi-million pound plan for Gateway Centre

The Citizen, 3 May 2002

A multi-million pound golfing museum, restaurant and conference centre is planned for the Gateway Centre, St Andrews.

Entrepreneur Richard Wax, who is chairman of St Andrews Gulf Holdings and has more than 20 years’ experience of creating golf courses, said this week that be had been working on the project for seven years.

The 46,000 square feet building will be transformed into a five-floor themed restaurant, golf museum, workshop, library, university information centre and virtual office and business centre.

Mr Wax added: “It occurred to me that there was a need for a venue in St Andrews where people could resource information on golfing.”

However, he was keen to stress that the development was as much for members of the local community as tourists, golfers and business people.

The golf themed restaurant and sports bar will be situated on the top floor, screening live sports events - mainly golf but also football and rugby.

The sports bar will even feature computerised golf projectors where locals and visitors can enjoy a couple of drinks and practice their swing.

The first floor will be host to a golf workshop where people can have their swing analysed and their equipment tested to see if it is suited to their needs.

Mr Wax explained: “People need to change their equipment as they get older and, in some cases, a set of clubs used by a golfer two years ago might not be suitable to their needs now.”

The first floor will also incorporate a golf library which will have a large selection of golf books and videos for the enthusiast.

On this floor there will also be a virtual office and business centre where businessmen and women coming to St Andrews can stay in touch with their office across the world.

The first floor will also be the communications hub to 30,323 golf clubs worldwide and around 50 million golfers, nearly all of whom regard St Andrews as the home of the game.

On the ground floor will be a tourist information centre with a golfing emphasis. Golfing groups will be able to call in and have a course recommended for the size of their party.

Also on this floor will be the University of St Andrews Information Centre, providing information for people contemplating a degree at the ancient seat of learning.

There will also be a coffee bar on the ground floor.

The lower ground floor will be transformed into a custom-designed conference centre primarily for golf conferences, but available for other meetings also.

The basement floor will host an extensive museum of golfing artefacts - some of which date back to the 15th century and never have been available for viewing before - and ancient photography.

Mr Wax said that the development would prolong the golfing season in St Andrews, bringing extra business to hotels, restaurants and other establishments in the area.

He also said that the development would further increase St Andrews’ reputation as the home of golf and provide golfers with an atmospheric night out at special times of the year like the Ryder Cup.