£15m Fife golf development plan

Gordon Berry, The Courier, 30 October 2002

Development pressure on St Andrews intensified further yesterday as plans for a £15 million golf and leisure development were lodged with Fife Council.

The St Andrews International Golf Club is targeting 244 acres of land at Feddinch, in countryside to the south of the town, for a private club for both UK and overseas members.

It has been revealed that Macdonald Hotels has agreed in principle to manage daily operations, and that the main contractor designate would be Trentham, the firm which built the Links Clubhouse just behind the West Sands.

Yesterday the developers said that, if approved, the project would create almost 80 jobs. They also emphasised that no start will be made on site until £7 million has been committed in membership sales.

Using a figure of 60% occupancy, the developers have estimated that by 2009, gross visitor spend will have risen to around £2.25 million.

The application for outline consent envisages creation of an 18-hole golf course, a clubhouse with 40 two-bedroomed suites, dining room and bar, and leisure facilities including a gym, swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi.

The St Andrews International Golf club failed some time ago to gain approval for a site at Scooniehill, a major reason for refusal being the appearance of new buildings on the skyline.

Yesterday company spokesman Alistair Doig said the current plans envisaged use of the site of the existing Feddinch Mains steading and improvement of the B-listed farmhouse that will become an integral part of the development.

He said as much stone as possible from the dilapidated steading would be used in the clubhouse, which would occupy an area no greater than the steading boundary.

Mr Doig said the club would cater for members from the UK and overseas. International membership will provide the right to play golf, use all facilities and have guaranteed accommodation rights.

“Despite being the world’s golfing Mecca, there is not a private golf club with its own course within or in the vicinity of St Andrews.

“Given this gap in the market, membership of an exclusive and private residential golf club based at St Andrews and providing a home from home will be an attractive prospect for those eager to share the St Andrews experience,” he said.

On the question of viability, Mr Doig said the company was prepared to enter into a legal agreement to the effect that that no work would begin until £7 million is committed in membership. It would also, he said, put in place a performance bond that would guarantee completion of the development.

He said a number of independent sources had provided “ample evidence” to show unmet demand and a high saleability factor. These included one of Europe’s most successful membership sales companies, Premier Resorts, and US company Doug Mason Golf.

On the question of the green belt which will surround St Andrews as part of the new structure plan, Mr Doig said the development would accord with statements made in the plan that green belts had a positive role to play in providing opportunities for access to the countryside. He pointed out that even the rejected Scooniehill application was said by the council’s planning officer to be “compatible with green belt objectives.”