The Golf Course has been built very close to the well used beaches and coastal path. Visitors have been commenting on this fact.

The developer had promised, publicly, that he would improve and maintain the original coastal path but already parts of that path have been re-located onto the foreshore. One way or another, the safety of walkers and beach users could be said to have been compromised thanks to recent 'revisions' to the approved scheme.

The council appears to have allowed several 'revisions' to the approved scheme - the repositioning of tees and lines of play, the lowering of safety specifications for protective dunes, the already mentioned re-routing of parts of the coastal path.

The Ramblers' Association maintain their objection to this scheme, and they foresee problems - where members of the public, choosing to exercise their right to recreation on the foreshore, refuse to move. At holes where the lines of play clearly cross over the foreshore, golfers may simply have to stop playing.

The 'pay as you play' option available to golfers might not always exist. Comments made by the promoters suggest that KGL may wish to remove this option. Conditions have been written so as to safeguard this option for five years.

There have been concerns raised in the village regarding traffic on the Sea Road. KGL were required to create a new access road for all golf traffic, but they have yet to find a way to encourage all golf traffic to use that new access.

Given this background, it is possible that several issues will attract press attention once the golf course is up and running. We will place relevant news articles here.

A price too far   more

Malcolm Campbell, The Scotsman, 13 January 2001

Two totally unrelated stories caught my eye this week. The first came in a rather intriguing press release, which emanated from that stretch of Irish coastline just south of Dublin where the delightful golf club known as The European lies.

St Andrews could turn into Costa del Golf   more

Auslan Cramb, The Telegraph, 17 July 2000

The Open returns to St Andrews this week amid claims that the town is becoming part of a bland, over-developed "Costa del Golf".

Keep resort glitz out of St Andrews   more

Golf Week, 1 May 1999

Anyone who doubts the sacred nature of golf at St. Andrews need only stand at the first tee of the Old Course, awaiting word from the starter to “play away, please.”