Historic Course Re-born

Doug Proctor, Sunday Post

The home of golf is to have one of its original jewels restored. The resurrection of Kingsbarns Links, just outside St. Andrews, has been given the green light. It's sure to rival the Old Course itself for a place in the hearts of golf lovers the world over.

Gordon Begg, a retired merchant banker and golf fanatic, has been the driving force behind Kingsbarns re-incarnation.

As we walked over the Links, where golf was first played over the original nine-hole course before Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815, I realized why he had spent so much money chasing his dream.

There is one hole in the 18-hole layout which I confidently predict will become world-famous from the first day cameras are able to record it.

It is a 210-yard par three, where the tee shot must carry across the shoreline and land on a small target area surrounded on three sides by the North Sea.

Blustery East Coast winds promise to reduce some players to nervous wrecks before they complete it!

Gordon admits this was his goal. "You can still see the old course at Kingsbarns, which was never re-constructed after being used for maneuvers during the last war," Gordon told me.

It's a traditional Scottish links, and we aim to re-model it as the ultimate tribute to Scottish traditions. "So many of America's finest golf courses were created by Scottish designers at the beginning of the century. Now we will start the nest millennium with, perhaps, the last pure links ever to be built in Scotland.

"Kyle Phillips, a prominent American architect who specializes in the true traditional golf-course designs, has come up with a wonderful lay-out which will totally complement one of the world's oldest clubs.

"The American company who have helped me take my dream to fruition are equally passionate to re-establish Kingsbarns. They want to make it a world-famous links. This truly is an exciting development for Scottish golf. After walking the layout twice in different conditions, I simply cannot wait to play it. Links golf IS golf, as far as I'm concerned."

With seven holes playing directly down on the shoreline and the rest all having splendid views of the North Sea and distant Angus coastline, Kingsbarns will become a new 'must play' for Scottish golfers and everyone else!