Weiskopf @ St Andrews gets go ahead

[Marty Bonnar]

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/plans-for-new-20-million-golf-resort-near-st-andrews-approved-1.68878

[Tim Pitner]

Thanks Martin.  Does anyone know the characteristics of the property?  Will it resemble a public Loch Lomond (for example)?

[Adam Lawrence]

Hillside property above the town - more like the Duke's. And not public - US-style private is the intention.

Not wholly convinced by the business plan myself, though I'm sure Tom and Phil will do a good job on the course.

[Marty Bonnar]

Here's their website

http://www.standrewsigc.com/Home/

[Mark Chaplin]

Interesting to note under membership "Only one membership per applicant will be accepted." how often do people apply for multi memberships of the SAME club??

Any idea what they are asking for membership?

[Rich Goodale]

Reasonably good location.  Good luck.

[Niall C]

You know its an upmarket development when on their location page on their website they give you directions with how to get there by helicopter. I also note that members get the right to dinner at Glamis Castle with the president of the club, the Earl of Strathmore. Is he the landowner on this development ?

Niall

[Mark Chaplin]

Niall I'm guessing Glamis Castle is the venue of the annual dinner, I cannot imagine you can just pop around for supper!

[Jim McCann]

Niall:

By coincidence, the 2013 edition of visitscotland.com's golf guide came through my letterbox yesterday
and there's a full page advertisement on page 76 for St Andrews International Golf Club.

It states: "The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, residence at Glamis Castle, is the Honorary President
and dining at Glamis Castle is one of the membership privileges."

What's interesting from their website is to find out that Michael O'Leary's Sol Golf is going to construct
the course at Feddinch, following on from their work at Trump International.    

[Ulrich Mayring]

The first golf resort in the world that is private! Count on St Andrews to innovate!

Ulrich

[Ally Mcintosh]

Niall:

By coincidence, the 2013 edition of visitscotland.com's golf guide came through my letterbox yesterday
and there's a full page advertisement on page 76 for St Andrews International Golf Club.

It states: "The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, residence at Glamis Castle, is the Honorary President
and dining at Glamis Castle is one of the membership privileges."

What's interesting from their website is to find out that Michael O'Leary's Sol Golf is going to construct
the course at Feddinch, following on from the work done at Trump International.    

Aside from the location & fantastic views, it looks like a fairly unappetising site... It'll be interesting to see what Weiskopf & SOL come up with... Who is the architect behind Weiskopf, Adam - who is Phil?

EDIT - Checked his website... Phil Smith, one time of Nicklaus Design...

[Tom_Doak]

CORRECTION - WRONG SITE!

I was on that site many, many moons ago, with Mark Parsinen.  It's just the other side of the main road from the far end of the Strathtyrum course, as you are coming into town.  A bit of ground on the lower level, and then a steep slope up to a low plateau where more of the golf would be.  It was a reasonable site, but not the kind of site that anyone traveling to Scotland would be too excited about.

I guess some people would have thought the same thing about the site for The Renaissance Club ... except for where the new holes are.

Interesting that there is a bit of new-course activity in Scotland and England, while Ireland and large parts of Europe are shut down.

[Jim Sherma]

I was on that site many, many moons ago, with Mark Parsinen.  It's just the other side of the main road from the far end of the Strathtyrum course, as you are coming into town.  A bit of ground on the lower level, and then a steep slope up to a low plateau where more of the golf would be.  It was a reasonable site, but not the kind of site that anyone traveling to Scotland would be too excited about.

I guess some people would have thought the same thing about the site for The Renaissance Club ... except for where the new holes are.

Interesting that there is a bit of new-course activity in Scotland and England, while Ireland and large parts of Europe are shut down.

Given the dearth of economic growth in the UK and Europe, golf might be getting viewed as one of the few spots that are worth investing in locally. At least you can expect to get exposure to US and Asian money if the investment has legs.

[Mark Chaplin]

Jim interestingly the English big money ventures that have done well are located where money alone will not get you into the best private clubs therefore demand is strong. I cannot understand why any self respecting American or Asian golfer would want to join such a place when there are fabulous hotels and wonderful links courses all over Scotland for a fraction of the money.

[Scott Macpherson]

I was working for Denis Griffiths when he did the first master plan for this project about 10 years ago. That master plan was used to attain outline planning permission. I don't think he ever got paid for it. Things have somewhat moved on since then, as other owners have tried to get the course off the ground. For those familiar with golf in St Andrews, this project has a long history. Maybe it is now getting some traction?

Scott

[Marty Bonnar]

I was on that site many, many moons ago, with Mark Parsinen.  It's just the other side of the main road from the far end of the Strathtyrum course, as you are coming into town.  A bit of ground on the lower level, and then a steep slope up to a low plateau where more of the golf would be.  It was a reasonable site, but not the kind of site that anyone traveling to Scotland would be too excited about.

I guess some people would have thought the same thing about the site for The Renaissance Club ... except for where the new holes are.

Interesting that there is a bit of new-course activity in Scotland and England, while Ireland and large parts of Europe are shut down.

Tom,
You're thinking of the 'other' site at St A. This is the site adjacent to the dukes off the largo road.

MB.

[Jason Hines]

Marty,

Is this the location?

http://goo.gl/maps/vGh0t

J.

[jeffwarne]

Sounds like the perfect place to be the third owner....

[Marty Bonnar]

Marty,

Is this the location?

http://goo.gl/maps/vGh0t

J.

Jason, here:

http://m.google.co.uk/u/m/QILZ51

MB.

[Tom_Doak]

Tom,
You're thinking of the 'other' site at St A. This is the site adjacent to the dukes off the largo road.

MB.

Martin:

Thanks for the correction.  I didn't realize there was ANOTHER potential golf site near St. Andrews.  I guess any bit of open land around there is fair game if it's big enough.

[Wade Whitehead]

I'm guessing the helicopter directions are born less out of necessity than from pretension.

WW

[Ulrich Mayring]

What's wrong with this site:

http://goo.gl/maps/mhcSE

Ulrich

[Brian_Ewen]

Jason, here:
http://m.google.co.uk/u/m/QILZ51
MB.

Was nice to get a look at The Dukes before it was changed (for the worse IMHO)

[Niall C]

Brian

I played the old Dukes an awful lot when the company I worked for had a corporate membership. There was a lot of holes I really liked although its not much of a walking course. I've only walked the new Dukes and not fussed about the change from revetted to hairy lip style bunkering and don't know if any of the new green designs are really that better but it certainly looks a better routing now that they have the new ground at the bottom. In fairness to Peter Thomson, I don't think they had that option.

One other thing I would say is that it was very easy to get clients upto St Andrews when you offered them a game of golf at St Andrews. None were really disappointed, they knew what they were getting and were just up for a game and the chance to enjoy the ambience of St A's in nice surroundings.

I suspect St Andrews International is offering the same thing but to a different price bracket.

Niall

[Brett Hochstein]

What's wrong with this site:

http://goo.gl/maps/mhcSE

Ulrich

I don't know but looks like it could be interesting from the aerial.  My first thought was noise and proximity to the RAF, but it's really no closer than The Links.   Wish I had gone wandering around there in my spare time.