£50 million golf plan for Kingask

Craig Nisbet, The Citizen, 21 August 1998

Plans for a £50 million hotel, conference centre and golf course development on the outskirts of St Andrews were unveiled this week.

In what will be the biggest ever single investment in the area, St Andrews Bay Development Ltd are proposing to build Scotland’s largest hotel alongside two golf courses at Kingask just two miles east of the town.

Fife Councillors, officials and representatives of a wide spectrum of local groups were told this week that the new development could create over 300 permanent jobs once completed in the year 2000.

American businessman Dr Donald Panoz told a reception, hosted by Fife Council, that the development will be along the lines of his similar operations in Georgia and California, and designed to attract Blue Chip corporate business as well as tourists.

Three months ago the company completed the purchase of Kingask Farm which lies between the main St Andrews to Crail Road and the shoreline. Since then they have taken options on adjoining land to create a site of some 500 acres stretching almost to Boarhills.

Since the early 1990s Kingask Farm itself has enjoyed outline planning permission for two golf courses and a small scale hotel development. Since the beginning of the project Dr Panoz and his Scottish team have been in close consultation with local environmentalists, community councils and other bodies.

This week’s reception, hosted by Fife Council Convener John MacDougall, brought these groups together with the developers and planning team to see the outline proposals on paper.

Dr Panoz explained that the development will include the central hotel and conference complex with an additional 80 executive lodges which will be operated on a shared ownership basis. It will also include a leisure complex and Spa. Local planning consultants Montgomery Forgan and Dundee architects, the Parr Partnership, will design and supervise the hotel and clubhouse construction.

“We have something very special here” said Dr Panoz, as he outlined the features of the magnificent site, which rolls down to the shoreline and offers commanding views over St Andrews and St Andrews Bay.

Saying that the location had to be treated with “respect,” he outlined plans for the main hotel building which will be visible from St Andrews, sitting on a plateau on one of the highest points of the area.

Behind the golf course design will be golfing legend Gene Sarazen who was in St Andrews this week to look at the site and meet with local groups. Now aged 96, Gene was involved with the design and construction of the Legends Course at Dr Panoz’ Chateau Elan complex near Atlanta and the Legends West layout at Diablo Grande in California. Chateau Elan is renowned as one of the most elegant resort destination in North America.

The company are now at a stage where they hope to put formal plans to Fife Council in a matter of weeks and, if approved, work will begin on the site in the Spring of next year. Dr Panoz said that it was possible that the development could be completed in time for the Open Championship in St Andrews in the summer of 2000.

Describing the proposals as “exciting and ambitious” Council Convener John MacDougall said that in terms of inward investment the proposal was right for the St Andrews area. Saying that the type of businesses looking to establish in the St Andrews area meant that opportunities for young people and jobs were few and far between, he added: “Here we have something that has a presence in the area, is part of the economy and has been welcomed in the past.”

Mr MacDougall also said that he saw the project as being of benefit to Fife as a whole as it would attract businesses to the area who might otherwise never see Fife. He commended the developers on the way that they had been open with their proposals and involved local groups from the start.

“Now it is up to the community to decide if they want all this and, if not, to say why and try to address their concerns.”