Links Trust's golf course land deal

The Courier, 20 February 2003

After several months of negotiation, St Andrews Links Trust announced yesterday that it has successfully concluded the deal to purchase land for a seventh golf course.

The land in question is over 200 acres of farmland at Brownhills and Kinkell to the south-east of St Andrews, around one mile from the town centre.

It is a clifftop location, but does not include the cliffs, the braes or the coastal footpath.

Chairman of the trust, Dr Duncan Lawrie, said yesterday, ‘We intend to use the land for the creation of a high quality golf course, in keeping with the standards expected at St Andrews.

“We shall be entering into consultations with appropriate local and national organisations about issues relevant to building a golf course in that area after we receive the specification from the planners on the issues we have to address.”

The seventh golf course at Europe’s largest golfing complex is being created in response to increasing demand to play, the links from local golfers, explained Dr Lawrie.

Over the last four years alone, demand for yearly tickets from golfers residing around the town and further away has risen by over a third.

The consultations focusing on the trust’s plans will include discussions with the relevant community councils in the area, the conservation pressure group of St Andrews Preservation Trust, local golf clubs, the Green Belt Forum and rights of ways groups.

Scottish-born golf course architect David McLay Kidd has been commissioned by the trust to design the new course.

Among Mr Kidd’s recent projects have been the highly acclaimed Bandon Dunes in Oregon, USA, and the new heathland course, Queenwood, in Surrey.