Enough is enough

JUST what Scotland needs – another golf course.

Editorial, The Scotsman, 9 May 2000

There are only 500 dotted around the countryside, after all, so Peter de Savary’s desire to build one more is understandable. So many golfers complain about the difficulty in obtaining a tee time, they will be relieved to hear they could soon rub shoulders with the likes of Michael Douglas or Jack Nicholson at Skibo Castle.

Farmers pitch in to block luxury club’s golf plans

Donald Fraser, The Scotsman, 9 May 2000

The millionaire entrepreneur Peter de Savary is facing heated opposition to plans to turn a farm into a second championship golf course at his exclusive Skibo Castle.

Farmers object to his plan to convert 374-acre Pulrossie Farm, near Dornoch, Sutherland, into a second 18-hole golf course for the Carnegie Club, based at the castle he owns on the shores of the Dornoch Firth. They say that taking out prime farmland for another golf course would be damaging and there are plenty of courses nearby.

The Sutherland branch of the National Farmers’ Union of Scotland has formally objected, says that the change of use from agricultural land to leisure "would cause a permanent and far-reaching loss to the fragile farming and crofting economy of the area. This loss would be of an irreversible and damaging nature. "

The union also says that the course would be of no local benefit locally because it is designed for rich visitors. Many of the numerous courses in the area are under-used and underfunded, it says.

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The Carnegie Club has one top-quality, 18-hole course, which has been used by top players including Greg Norman and Fred Couples. Sam Torrance was married at the club and a host of other celebrities, including Michael Douglas, Jack Nicholson and Robert Carlyle, have been guests.

The club is named after the Scots-born Pittsburgh steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie, who built Skibo Castle as his "heaven on Earth" retirement home almost 100 years ago. He spent the equivalent of an estimated £200 million, in today’s terms, on the estate.

Mr de Savary supervised the spending of more than £15 million during the 1990s to restore restoring it to its Edwardian glory. As well as golf, it offers guests fishing, shooting and other country pursuits.

Mr de Savary, who spent millions in the 1980s trying to win the America’s Cup yachting competition for Britain, hopes that the development will attract international golf tournaments to his club, while allowing the members of the Carnegie Club access to the existing course.

The application for outline planning permission for the course goes before the Highland Council’s planning committee on Monday and is being recommended for approval.

The application also includes proposals to convert Pulrossie farmhouse, the neighbouring Black Park Cottages and steadings into accommodation for essential staff and maintenance personnel.

The Scottish executive’s rural affairs department has not objected to the planning application, but has pointed out that the farm tenant and his family would be displaced from their home and livelihood, if the championship course is built.

The present tenant of Pulrossie Farm is Graham Burnett, who inherited the tenancy from his father Mike, a former councillor and Liberal parliamentary candidate. Mr Burnett was unavailable for comment yesterday.

A spokesman for Mr de Savary’s 7,500 acre Skibo Estate said he did not want to comment, other than to confirm the application for planning consent, as "delicate negotiations" were ongoing with "a third party". But a statement made on behalf of Mr de Savary to the Highland Council claims that the course is "essential".

His agent states that the trend among foremost golfing nations is to have two quality golf courses at each venue.

The Skibo Estate letter adds: "This is particularly true of Scotland’s nearest competitor Ireland, which has recently leapfrogged us in popularity, especially with American golfers.

The Carnegie Club was opened at Skibo Castle in 1996 and is the centre of a small chain of quality "residential sporting clubs", with one in the English Midlands and another in South Carolina.

The support statement continues: "To maintain the standing of Skibo as pre-eminent amongst the Carnegie clubs and to promote the importance of Scottish golf ... and north of Scotland golf in particular ... to a national and international audience, this second championship course is essential."

It continues by pointing out that the Carnegie Club employs up to 100 people directly and adds that the course "will be sensitively designed, carefully managed and will provide additional employment", as well as providing golfers with a contrast with the present links course at Skibo.