Links Trust committed to continuing investment

The Citizen, 9 June 2000

Improving service to golfers and continuing investment feature highly on the agenda for the St Andrews Links Trust in its latest annual report.

In the past 10 years, the organisation, which now employs close on 200 staff, has seen major investment culminating in the completion earlier this year of the Eden Clubhouse with the refurbishment and expansion of the administration offices at Pilmour also carried out.

In the Autumn of last year, management of the shops on the links was brought under the trusts direct control, with the creation of the limited company, St Andrews Links Golf Shops.

Trustee chair, Bill Ritchie and Links management committee chair, Alistair Nicoll, said demand to play the Links would continue to rise according to research.

Recent figures confirmed that, with more yearly tickets than ever sold last year. New developments around the town would also add to the pressure.

Limits and waiting lists for some yearly tickets were introduced in 1999 with the former Ordinary Ticket being restricted to local golf club members.

A new Open Links Ticket was introduced for non-club members living outside St Andrews.

The trust was currently looking into the possible development of a sixth 18-hole golf course which it viewed as an asset in coping with future demand.

Bigger than ever crowds were expected for the Open next month with worldwide interest also anticipated for the World Shotgun 2000 this month held as a global celebration of the game which began in St Andrews 600 years ago.

Accounts for the trust showed that there was a surplus of £366,574 after development spending with total income rising by £543,000 to £6.2 million and expenditure by £460,000 to £5.8 million.

Income from golf rose by 11 per cent last year from £4.7 million to £5.2 million, much of that coming from increased green fees which went up by six per cent at £3.3 million. Other golfing revenue rose by 28 per cent to £1.3 million with non-golfing income increasing by £30,000 to £951,000.

However maintenance costs were up 20 per cent, the report stated, from £1.2 m to £1.6 m, due to intensive course preparation for the Open Championship, preparation of a new turf nursery and exceptional grass growth in spring and summer requiring more mowing.

Staffing levels were raised throughout the organisation, resulting on spending on links services and clubhouses going up by 24 per cent from £840,000 to £1,042,000.

Development spending was down by the same amount, however, due mainly to costs of the first phase of the new irrigation scheme.

Costs of resurfacing roads and pathways and refurbishing toilets more than doubled reaching £144,000.

The redevelopment of Pilmour and other fixed assets saw a rise in investment in buildings to £1.84 million.

The number of rounds played over the links was down to 201,462 compared to 205,447 in 1998. Bad weather in December caused a drop of 2,500 the report explained. Total played over the old Course was 41,621 down on the previous year and the Eden suffered the biggest drop from 41,907 to 38,072.

The only course recording an increase in rounds played was the Jubilee, with 31,854 up from 30,057.