Torrance excited at thought of St Andrews project

The Courier, 23 December 1998

Scotland's Ryder Cup hero Sam Torrance will join a quality team of leading stars of the sport in the design of the golf course developments at the St Andrews Bay complex, part of a £50 million hotel, conference and leisure project, it was announced yesterday.

American legend Gene Sarazen, who is now aged 96, and Australian Bruce Devlin will co-partner the Scottish star in the design of the two top quality l8-hole courses at the Kingask Estate, on the outskirts of the town.

And, with negotiations under way to include the greatest-ever player in the modern game, Jack Nicklaus, in the team, everyone connected with the programme has expressed increasing excitement at the opportunities being presented and the spectacular nature of the golf courses’ clifftop setting.

Sam Torrance said yesterday, “This is the finest site I have ever seen for a golf course, both aesthetically and turf-wise. It is a truly magnificent setting and I fully urge Fife Council to back this exciting proposal.”

The golf courses, 208-bedroom luxury hotel and conference facility will cater to blue chip company conferences, creating 500 fobs in the construction phase and 300 quality permanent posts thereafter.

According to American business man, Dr Don Panoz, chairman of the St Andrews Bay Development Company Ltd., more than £14 million will be generated into Fife’s economy in the first year alone.

Guests at the complex will extend the tourist season into a 12-month operation, pouring millions of pounds in additional spend into local hotels, restaurants and shops.

The company recently produced radically altered proposals for the Kingask Estate site, taking account of the objections of local residents and organisations.

These major modifications represent a 30% reduction in the size of the original proposal, cutting the number of bedrooms in the traditionally-styled hotel from 240 to 208 - effectively removing a whole storey - and reducing the number of Scottish ‘manors’ - executive type lodges - from 10 to five.

lain MacKinnon, operations director for St Andrews Bay Development Ltd., added yesterday, “The fact that we have such big names as Torrance, Sarazen, Devlin, and possibly Nicklaus, underscores the quality of the scheme.

“We aim to offer a world-class development that complements St Andrews, yet affording limited visual impact on the town, and which will enhance the north-east Fife environment. The company has taken full account of local concerns and hope that the alterations in planning will allow this superb development to go ahead.”

St Andrews Bay Development Ltd. aim to have the complex up and running in time for the Millennium Open on the Old Course in St Andrews in June 2000.

Support for the multi-million plans, meanwhile, has come from Colin Welsh, the SNP’s prospective candidate for the Scottish Parliament for North East Fife, who stressed yesterday that the generation of millions of pounds a year in supplies and wages to the local economy - allied to the additional revenue for local business through the extension of the tourist season - would prove a welcome boost.

He also highlighted the creation of the new jobs and pointed out that it would be the biggest inward investment project in Scotland, outside the construction of the new Parliament building in Edinburgh.

Mr Welsh said, “We will never have an opportunity like this again.

“To reject these proposals would not only be shortsighted and damaging to the local economy, but would send out a message to all future potential investors that they are not welcome in north-east Fife.

“I realise that my comments will not be welcomed by those opposing the Kingask plans, but I feel strongly that the wider benefits to the community, particularly our young people, need to be acknowledged.

“As well as employment there are tremendous learning opportunities to be had with staff requiring skills’ training in order to provide the quality of service that visitors will expect. This will create a pool of skilled staff that can only enhance the reputation and quality of product available to visitors to our area.”

Mr Welsh is now urging those who share his views to write to the planning authority in support of the company’s amended plans.

“We can ill afford to miss out on this enterprising initiative. It is vital for economic regeneration that these new plans now receive wide public support,” he concluded.