Scholarships to the fore for golf resort

Michael Alexander, The Courier, 14 October 1999

The leisure and tourism industry in Fife was given a boost yesterday when it was announced that five one-year scholarships are to be awarded to students at further education colleges in the Kingdom.

The awards are being made by Dr Don and Mrs Nancy Panoz, the owners of St Andrews Bay Development Ltd., which is behind the controversial £50 million golf resort, spa and conference centre now being developed at Kingask, two miles southeast of St Andrews.

Four of the scholarships will be known as the Nancy C. Panoz Scholarship. They will be awarded to students who demonstrate outstanding merit on a full or part-time course in hospitality or tourism at each of Lauder, Glenrothes, Fife and Elmwood colleges.

In addition a one-year progression prize to be known as the Donald E. Panoz Scholarship will be awarded to a student at Elmwood studying golf management and green keeping.

Details were announced yesterday as ground breaking work officially got underway at the Kingask site.

Special guests included 1999 European Ryder Cup team vice-captain Sam Torrance, who co-designed the planned golf courses, architect Bruce Devlin and Fife Council convener John MacDougall.

Billed as the largest tourism-related investment currently in Scotland, the Kingask project is expected to create a total of 775 associated jobs.

The 209-bedroom golf hotel, two golf courses, health spa and conference centre are to be built on a 520-acre cliff-top site with dramatic views overlooking St Andrews, the North Sea and the Angus hills beyond.

The project is expected to inject more than £14 million into the Fife economy in its first year of operation alone.

It is envisaged that about 500 people will be employed in the construction phase whilst 275 jobs will be created when the £50 million resort is complete.

Controversy has surrounded the project to date. Opponents had said that such golf developments could turn the St Andrews area into a theme park. St Andrews Community Council also accused planning chiefs on Fife Council of ignoring the area’s local plan, and strategic, traffic and tourism studies which opponents said were all against the development.

But yesterday business and tourism leaders welcomed the scheme as a unique opportunity for Fife and Scotland as a whole to create a high quality leisure resort and destination.

Speaking at the launch, Dr and Mrs Panoz promised a “magnificent facility” and expressed delight that they were able to boost local colleges through the scholarships.

Dr Panoz said, “When we first saw this site we knew instantly that it was the perfect location to bring our hotel and golf course plans to life.

“We are delighted that work has now officially commenced on this development.”

Sam Torrance said he had been shocked when he was first asked to design the courses. Until now he had always turned down such offers to concentrate on his playing and was proud to be part of the Kingask team. However, he expressed sadness that fellow designer and former golf pro, the late Gene would not be able to see the development when it was complete.

Yesterday’s launch was also addressed by Fife Council convener John MacDougall. While he said it might be an understatement to say that the scheme’s passage through the planning process had been 'difficult', he offered assurances that all concerns had been taken on board and that the development had been approved in a “fair and just manner.” He expressed confidence that the complex would be an asset to the whole of Fife.

Speaking the day after Scottish Industry Minister Henry McLeish said that golf should be the key to driving forward Scotland’s international tourism industry, his message to any other businesses with thoughts of investing in Fife was simple - ”We want to talk to you.”

Kingdom of Fife Tourist Board chief executive Patrick Laughlin said the Kingask resort would add greatly to Fife’s international appeal. He said, “It gives a new facet to Fife’s tourism product particularly in the field of conferences and meetings and allows us to attract additional business to this area and to Scotland.”

Golf tourism already contributes £18 million to the local economy each year.

Once complete, the Kingask resort will join the Panoz’ collection of hotels and resorts throughout the world including Diablo Grande in California, Chateau Elan in Georgia and the Raceway Hotel In Florida.