Major golf development is unveiled

The Courier, 20 April 1998

St Andrews' position at the forefront of world golf has received a significant boost with the weekend announcement of multi-million pound plans for the development of a major new golf course facility and a 200-bedroom hotel complex.

Behind the ambitious initiative, which is expected eventually to create more than 300 jobs in the town, is the American company Ambanc International Golf.

The plans centre on 385 acres of prime arable land on the Kingask Estate, located two miles south-east of the town, which commands spectacular views across St Andrews Bay, the town itself and north across the Tay estuary to Carnoustie and beyond.

Outlining details of the proposals during a visit to St Andrews over the weekend, John McDonnell, AIG chief executive officer, said, "We are all very excited about this venture, which will have a tremendous economic benefit for St Andrews.

"We have for some time now been consulting with planning and environmental agencies in Fife to ensure the St Andrews Bay development will be in sympathy with the needs and wishes of the community and will enhance what is already a valuable and ecologically sensitive site."

Mr McDonnell added that the plans for the stunning clifftop site had already received outline planning consent for two championship standard golf courses and a hotel.

"It is expected to be largely complete by the year 2000, when the Open Championship returns to the Old Course in St Andrews," he said.

AIG, which is part of the giant Ambanc Companies, has its headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, and the company is confident that the development will offer a significant contribution to the local economy, said Mr McDonnell.

He continued, "St Andrews is the Mecca of golf but in order to maintain its status requires more hotel accommodation.

"We intend to fill that gap and, at the same time, plan to create two exceptional golf courses in traditional Scottish style."

The courses will be conceived by top Australian golf course designer and PGA tour veteran Bruce Devlin, who has designed more than 140 courses worldwide.

The AIG Group has also decided to include in the design process USA golfing legend Gene Sarazen, who has a particular love of golf in St Andrews and, despite being 96 years old, remains active in the design of golf courses.

Partnering AIG in the process is hotelier Don Panoz, whose Chateau Elan Resort, near Atlanta, Georgia, is renowned as one of the most elegant destinations in North America.

Don Panoz, who built the Elan Pharmaceutical Company in Ireland over 25 years, is also known worldwide for his Panoz Automative Manufacturing Company, which produces classic sports and racing cars.

The land for the development has been purchased from local farmer Andrew Logan.

The company hope to have final local authority approval for the project by the end of this year.