Trust explains decision on course

The Courier, 30 March 2004

The reasons behind the thinking of the conservation pressure group, St Andrews Preservation Trust, in not opposing the controversial plans by the town’s golf administrators to develop a seventh 18-hole course have been fully outlined in its latest publication for members.

In the message to members of the Preservation Trust, it is explained how the trustees reached a decision not to object to the golf course plans.

The trust’s policy on golf course developments has always been in accordance with the national planning guidelines set out by government. They state that a golf course is an acceptable use of land in the countryside - even within the Green Belt - provided that it does not come with proposals for “associated development” which on their own would be unacceptable in the countryside.

A spokesperson said, “This was the thinking that led us to oppose so vigorously the Kingask development - golf courses with a 240-bedroom hotel, spa, conference facility and plenty more - to the point of contributing handsomely to the Judicial Review appeal which arose from it.” The trust treated the Scooniehill application for the golf courses with accommodation for 160 club members, etc, in the same way, with the members speaking at both the departure hearing and the public inquiry.

The organisation also took the same approach to the Feddinch application by the St Andrews International Golf Club, which is also due to be considered by the east area development committee today. The trust spoke against the Feddinch application at a departure hearing in January.

Added the spokesperson, "Trustees treated the St Andrews Links Trust seventh golf course application in exactly the same way, and decided on planning grounds they had little cause for objection. Very little will be seen from the town of the clubhouse, car park or the course itself.

"And, let us not forget that - besides the difference in the scale of the development between the links trust proposal and these other purely commercial enterprises - the seventh golf course would be open to all who wish to play it.

“This is in the best tradition of Scottish golf, while it is proposed that Feddinch would be so exclusive that only club members - mostly from overseas, therefore resident on site - would be able to play the course. What would this do for local golf or trade?”

St Andrews Links Trust maintains that the new course is required to meet the spiralling local demand, particularly over the last decade. During the last four years alone, demand for yearly tickets from golfers residing around the town and further away has risen by over one-third.

The existing six courses have been under pressure for a number of years, with rounds played almost reaching the capacity limit in 2001 at 215,000 at the St Andrews links, the largest public golf complex in the world.

In 1999, the trust introduced limits on the number of yearly tickets available for those living outside the town. These limits were reached two years ago.

Included in the multi-million pound plans by the trust for the clifftop site to the south-east of St Andrews is an 18-hole course, a 40-seater restaurant, a greenkeepers’ shed, a clubhouse and ancillary buildings.

Last December Scottish golf course architect David McLay Kidd was appointed to design the seventh course. Among his credits is the completion of two highly acclaimed courses - the heathland course, Queenwood, Surrey, and Bandon Dunes in Oregon, USA, which has been chosen to host the 2007 US Mid-Amateur.