Search for new golf course site as pressure grows

The Courier, 21 May 2002

Golfing managers in St Andrews are stepping up their hunt for more land to develop another 18-hole golf course in the town.

Increasing pressure on the St Andrews golf links - currently Europe’s largest golfing complex with five 18-hole courses, a nine-hole course and a modem practice centre facility - has become apparent in recent years and St Andrews Links Trust is actively pursuing moves to secure additional land.

The trust has conceded that the current set-up is approaching capacity. It yesterday revealed that during last year the six courses in the town attracted a record number of rounds of 215,000, despite a generally poor year for the Scottish tourism industry.

The figure is over 7000 rounds more than the previous highest total set in 1997.

It compares with 197,475 in 2000, the last Open Championship played in St Andrews - the number drops during an Open year due to course closures - and 201,462 in 1999.

Trust general manager Alan McGregor said the new record in 2001 confirms forecasts revealed by the organisation’s capacity and population working party, set up in 1998. to consider the future of golf in the town.

He said the growth in play on the links was due to factors including improving quality of the courses, the rise in the town’s population, the willingness of more people to travel to play golf, and the rising number of golf courses in the local area drawing even more visitors.

Recent golf course additions, among them the Torrance course at the £50 million St Andrews Bay Resort, the Kingsbarns links, Drumoig near Leuchars, and the Duke’s Course at St Andrews, have all encouraged even more visitors to want to play golf in St Andrews.

The record number of rounds played during 2001 came despite the problems experienced with foot-and-mouth disease and the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US.

Mr McGregor said, “While it is often the case that the links are busy after an Open Championship. year, 2001 was not a good year for tourism generally and the St Andrews links were certainly affected. However, these figures show the power of St Andrews to attract golfers even in difficult circumstances.”

In 1999, for the first time, the links’ administrators introduced limits on the the number of yearly tickets available for golfers living outwith the town.

However these limits were reached two years ago, despite being set well above the 1998 levels.

He continued, “The existing courses are heading for capacity as predicted and the probable need for a seventh golf course was identified three years ago. The search for suitable land has been continuing and I am optimistic that the project will progress further in the near future.”

It has been understood that trust members have been in negotiations for some time with landowners “close to St Andrews.”

During 2001 the number of rounds played at St Andrews by local players rose dramatically to 123,500, while visitors from all over the world accounted for 91,500 rounds, also a significant increase.

This compared with 108,050 rounds played by yearly ticket holders in 2000 and 79,243 rounds by visitors.