GolfShot for Golf News

Many people are worried that the plans to build a large windfarm near the iconic golf location of St Andrews is going to ruin the area for golfers and damage tourism to the area. The warning about the windfarm has come from the Old Course Hotel.

The University in St Andrews has applied to construct a windfarm made up of six turbines between Dunino and Boarhills in the area of Kenly. The wind turbines are going to be built just a few miles from the historic centre of the town.

Many people are formally objecting to plans by the University stating that they are going to be bad for local business. The independent consulting firm, Colliers International have written a letter to the council stating, “These 100 metre tall turbines are going to have a severe economic impact on the area and are going to be detrimental to the physical beauty of this place.” The University claims that the turbines are going to have no effect on tourism in the area.

“Given the seamless hospitality experience on offer to worldwide visitors and local residents to the St Andrews Old Course Hotel and Resort, it is considered the proposals will have a detrimental visual impact upon visitors to the Duke’s golf club, upon residents of the Hamilton Grand]… and upon the wider visual experience of visitors to St Andrews.”

Since 2004, when the private US company Kohler Co. acquired the Old Course Hotel, it has poured millions into upgrading and extending the facilities into a comprehensive golf resort. It is currently transforming the world-renowned Hamilton Hall overlooking the Old Course into the Hamilton Grand, a resort development of 26 luxury private residences. If the university wind farm goes ahead, Hamilton Hall residents will enjoy a clear view of the turbines from the upper floors and communal rooftop terrace.

Colliers notes that this will undermine amenity for all the building’s future occupants. The wind farm is incompatible “with the Scottish Government and Fife Council’s objectives for continued successful growth of the tourism economy in St Andrews and Fife”. Colliers says that a skyline brimming with turbines will put off tourists. Would-be visitors from across the world may go elsewhere when they see the turbines in the panorama shots that often feature in TV broadcasts of golfing tournaments.

Other golf courses and hotels in and around St Andrews will also suffer. Fairmont St Andrews is barely a mile from the proposed windfarm, and famous links courses east of St Andrews such as Kingsbarns will also be overshadowed by the turbines. Meanwhile, American tycoon Donald Trump is fighting proposals for an off-shore wind farm by his £750 million luxury golf course at Menie in Aberdeenshire.

Colliers fears the University windfarm will hit local jobs. It argues that wind farms’ much-hyped job creation is negligible when set against the potential harm to jobs in the local tourist and leisure economy. “The Old Course Hotel and resort should also not be underestimated in terms of its significance as a major resource to the Fife and Scottish economy. It is one of St Andrews’ highest employers (circa 300 jobs) and its relevance to the continued growth of the Fife economy is a key material consideration”.

The Old Course objection, which was formally lodged with Fife Council’s Planning Department last week, details how the University windfarm application contravenes no fewer than six different development plan policies – on wind turbines, green belts, built environment, skyline, listed buildings and tourism.

Colliers highlight Scottish Natural Heritage’s worries that even at a distance of 10 km the blade movement remains clearly visible and prominent. Fife Planners have also criticised the excessive height of the proposed turbines as unacceptable. The University has yet to make a formal response.

From industrial-scale wind farms to back-garden turbines, Fife is facing a torrent of applications. Fife
Council’s Planning Department is currently looking at hundreds of proposals. Wales-based developers West Coast Energy have just lodged an application for five 100-metre turbines on high ground at Lingo, 3 miles south of St Andrews. These will be even more visible from the surrounding countryside than the university ones because they are on higher ground.

Local campaigners against turbines welcomed the Old Course objection. Graham Lang of the East Fife Turbine Awareness Group (EFTAG) said:  “The Old Course Hotel shares our concern about cumulative impacts of turbines in East Fife. There are numerous other turbine proposals which will affect the wider setting of St Andrews which need to be assessed in relation to the University wind farm and provided as additional information to Fife Council”.

A spokesman for Kenly Landscape Protection Group (KLPG), set up by the communities at and adjacent to Kenly said: “Many individuals and businesses have been cautious about speaking out. The University of St Andrews is an important employer and source of business in the area. In the luxury golf resort business confidence is key, and major stakeholders have understandably shied away from drawing attention to the turbine danger here as the mere proposal for a wind farm next to St Andrews is on the table can hurt confidence. But like Donald Trump, the owners of the Old Course know that the reality of a wind farm on the door step of the home of golf spells disaster if you are vying to be the world’s top golfing destination.”

Tom Burns of the STOP THE UNIVERSITY WINDFARM Facebook group said: “The industrial scale of the University wind farm will permanently damage the landscape and unique setting of St Andrews for everyone, resident and visitor alike. The windfarm will undoubtedly make the University money as long as the subsidies continue but many other people will lose out.”

“The University’s interests have to be balanced against those of local businesses, visitors and residents. From the start local residents have been overwhelmingly against the proposal. Now people at the sharp end of Fife’s tourism sector are joining them”.

John Mulrooney, the caddie for Darren Clarke, has recently been fired despite the victory at the British Open just six months ago. Since Clarke’s performance at the British Open his golf has gone significantly downhill and he’s decided to part with his caddie after his worst performance for over five years.

The two Irishmen were initially put together at the Mallorca Open, after the initial person Mulrooney was supposed to be caddying for withdrew. Clarke won at the event for the first time and because of this he decided to make Mulrooney his caddie on a full-time basis.

Just before the British Open when Clarke was victorious they almost came close to parting ways after a serious argument about the Scottish open. This is not the first time that the two Irishmen have fought but until now they have managed to stay together.

In Abu Dhabi, Graeme McDowell entertained spectators when he had one of the most unbelievable birdies in the history of the tour. He managed to get a hole-in-one on the 12th hole with over 179 yards. There was another point when his ball was over 80 yards away and was in the sand, he managed to chip it out of the sand when it hit the grandstand and ended up rolling back towards the green ending up just six feet away from the cup.

For his results in the competition McDowell took away three nights stay in Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace Hotel, which is seven stars. He cannot just enjoy this three night stay once, but every year for the rest of his life. Over his career he has managed to get three holes in one as a professional and nine if you include the times before he turned pro. He also has achieved three albatrosses.

The Trump Organisation is waiting for a decision that has to be reached by the Scottish government that will determine whether they will be continuing to build a clubhouse in Aberdeenshire. The decision rests on whether the construction of a wind farm off the coast in given the go ahead, and if this is approved they will not build the clubhouse as they feel it will make the destination less appealing to visitors.

The Trump organisation released a statement which read, “If the Scottish government are serious about developing tourism in the north-east of the country then they cannot expect companies to develop tourist attractions with an industrial park nearby.”

The planning application for the wind turbines is by a company called Vattenfall and is asking for permission to build 11 wind turbines. The project has a total value of £150 million. Mr Trump has previously stated his dislike for the construction of wind farms in Scotland stating that, “These wind turbines are environmentally disastrous and would be an ugly mark on the Scottish coastline.”

The development in Aberdeenshire by Mr Trump is valued at £750 million and has already nearly reached completion. A local resident, David Milne has been critical of the golf course and has asked the government to go ahead with the construction of the wind farm. He stated, “This is a bluff by the Trump organisation and they are adopting a lose lose argument.

This battle is between the entire energy industry and one golf project which is already financially failing. The Scottish government must allow the development of the wind energy project and not stop it simply because of a golf course. We’re talking about a decision that is going to affect the future of this part of the country and it is clear which side the government need to come down on.”

Members of Basingstoke golf club have recently come to an agreement to sell some of the golf clubs land so that 1000 new homes can be developed. The club has 700 members and three quarters of them agreed that it would be best to sell the land.

The site is one of many that the council has agreed will be developed over the next 50 years and is one of only a few greenfield sites that has been highlighted for development. Over the next 15 years, around 10,000 homes are going to be built in the area and around a third of these are going to be situated on greenfield sites. A good number of these are going to be where the golf club is currently located.

The planning chiefs in the borough are going to be very grateful for the decision by the golf clubs members as if they had decided not to sell their land it would have been a very difficult decision for the planning chiefs to decide on a new greenfield site.

John Hiscock is the manager of the golf club and he said, “We are going to be opening a new golf club elsewhere and that will form part of any deal, it is also likely that our members are going to make a nice profit from the sale as well. We’re not going to know the specifics of the deal until later next year and we’re just waiting to see what is going to happen.”

Rob Golding is the Cabinet member for infrastructure, planning and transport and he has commented, “We are looking to develop new housing in the area and finding sites for this is not always easy. We are very pleased that the members of the golf club have voted to sell the land.”

Members of Basingstoke golf club have recently come to an agreement to sell some of the golf clubs land so that 1000 new homes can be developed. The club has 700 members and three quarters of them agreed that it would be best to sell the land.

The site is one of many that the council has agreed will be developed over the next 50 years and is one of only a few greenfield sites that has been highlighted for development. Over the next 15 years around 10,000 homes are going to be built in the area and around a third of these are going to be situated on greenfield sites. A good number of these are going to be where the golf club is currently located.

The planning chiefs in the borough are going to be very grateful for the decision by the golf clubs members as if they had decided not to sell their land it would have been a very difficult decision for the planning chiefs to decide on a new greenfield site.

`1John Hiscock is the manager of the golf club and he said, “We are going to be opening a new golf club elsewhere and that will form part of any deal, it is also likely that our members are going to make a nice profit from the sale as well. We’re not going to know the specifics of the deal until later next year and we’re just waiting to see what is going to happen.”

Rob Golding is the Cabinet member for infrastructure, planning and transport and he has commented, “We are looking to develop new housing in the area and finding sites for this is not always easy. We are very pleased that the members of the golf club have voted to sell the land.”

The golf champion Colin Montgomerie has recently announced that he will be visiting British troops who are serving in Afghanistan. Mr Montgomerie has said that he will visit Army personnel and will meet with staff at the British Embassy. Mr Montgomerie has been the European number one for eight years and has said that he will be bringing some golf equipment to give out to the troops.

He has commented about the trip, “I won’t be taking my own clubs, but I’ve managed to get together a whole lot of equipment that I’m going to be giving out. This is the first sort of trip that I have made of this nature and it’s something I’m really looking forward to. I will be also taking time to visit Kabul Golf Club, which has a reputation as being the world’s most dangerous course.”

After his trip to Afghanistan he will be heading to Hong Kong to compete in the golf championship there and afterwards going to Dubai for the World Championship. Montgomerie has also said that it is quite likely that he will be playing in China before the year is out. He was responsible for leading Scotland to victory in the 2007 World Cup.

In order to avoid a clash with the London Olympics that are taking place next summer the Irish open and the US tour event that takes place at the Congressional has been changed so that they now overlap. This has caused a problem for Rory McIlroy who is now having to decide which event he wishes to play at. The US event is no doubt something that Mr McIlroy wants to compete in as it was where the world’s first saw what he could really do as a golfer.

Mr McIlroy has commented, “I haven’t currently decided at which tournament I wish to play at. It is the only decision about where I want to play that I haven’t made for next year. I’m not really sure which of the events it is best for me to choose. The people in Ireland are certainly going to want me to play at their event and if I’m a no-show people are certainly going to ask questions.

“The Irish open definitely needs support, especially from Irish golfers but if I choose to play at Congressional that will be wonderful as I have so many great memories from the golf I’ve played there. In the near future I will have to make this decision and it is not going to be an easy one.”

He has confirmed that he will be playing with Jason Day and Tiger Woods at the HSBC championship that is being held in Abu Dhabi. Before Christmas he is going to be playing in Hong Kong at the UBS championship where he will be joined by his girlfriend, the women’s number one tennis player, Caroline Wozniacki. He has also confirmed that he will be playing at the Thailand golf championship which is taking place in December in the capital city of Bangkok.

Australian golf officials are hoping that a successful Presidents Cup will help enhance the country’s golfing image globally after a number of years in the doldrums. Officials are delighted to have attracted 7 of the world’s top twenty players from the Australian Open this week, to contest the summer’s international team event.

Plans are already in action to boost Australia’s profile as a top class golf venue worldwide, while the world’s top players are on Australian soil. 24 of the planet’s top golfers will rendezvous in Australia this summer to compete for their nations and the golf authorities see it as an ideal opportunity to showcase the Australian golf tour to the rest of the world.

Going back a decade Australia was an annual stop off point for many of the world’s best players, but since it has failed to attract the big names. With Emirates already secured as a major sponsor, the financial future of the tour is looking rosier though.

Despite this much-needed financial boost, Australian golf promoters could still not stretch to paying the type of line up which graced the Australian Open in Sydney at another time of the year. Without the proximity of the Presidents Cup, Tony Roosenburg, an Australian Open director, believes the financial burden would be ten times more, if they were to try to reassemble the same prestigious line up.

Golf Australia has instead opted to market the Australian open as the must-attend “feel-good” competition which all top golfers want to finish the year at. The tactic has the support of golfing legend Greg Norman. “It’s the opportunity for them to enjoy themselves off the golf course with their families, take in the fine weather and leave feeling rejuvenated rather than stale and tired,” Norman said.

Golf pros from around the world were invited to bring their families on tour with them and received red-carpet treatment on arrival. Fleets of luxury cars were provided to ferry families to the tourist hotspots of Sydney.

“Many visitors still consider Australia as the ideal destination for golf in their winter period, so we want to remind them of what this country has to offer,” Roosenburg said. “We made an effort to treat them well and make sure that they go away feeling they’ve really enjoyed their time here, whatever happens in the golf tournament.”

Left-handed, power-driver, Bubba Watson not only brought his wife on the tour but added his mother too. “It’s very special for us,” he said, “because it’s the first time my mother has ever travelled abroad.” “It was important for us all to be together as my dad passed away recently and we can spend time together in this beautiful location.”

Roosenburg believes that word will soon get around the elite of golf’s professionals and their families that Australia is a preferred destination and that they will want to return time and time again.

A woman who was hit by a golf ball in the face while playing at a club in Burton on Trent in Staffordshire has seen the club fined £5000 for the injuries that caused her. The magistrates court said that the club was in breach of health and safety regulations. Rachel Davis, who is 40 years old, was hit after playing a round of golf at the club, and the ball came from the nearby driving range.

The prosecuting lawyer for the case was Angela Wakefield and she brought it before East Staffordshire Borough Council. Mrs Davis said that the injury happens when she was walking along a footpath at the golf club to her car. One of the men she was playing with was a colleague and he said he saw the ball flash right past him before Mrs Davis was struck in the face.

In her testimony Mrs Davis said, “There was no warning that this would happen, there were no signs alerting people to be careful and it was quite a shock to be struck.” In fact, Mrs Davis was actually struck twice, once in the face and then again in the chest.

The shock of the event meant that she did not realise that she had been struck twice at first but later realised this as she had facial injuries and also sustained injury to her left breast. The injuries meant she had to take a week off work and spend time in hospital.

There is now a sign at the club which tells people to be cautious but this was not present when Mrs Davis sustained her injuries. Those who went to investigate the club found that the mesh which was supposed to prevent balls from striking people was damaged and that it had been repaired with a mesh that was large enough to allow golf ball to pass through it. Investigators later found that there were over 10 balls located around the area where Mrs Davis had been struck.

Miss Wakefield said, “It is an unacceptable risk that this protective fence was repaired inadequately, clearly golf balls were able to pass through it when travelling at a particular angle and this was not safe enough.”

As well as the significant £5000 fine imposed on the club by the courts they were also ordered to pay costs of over £3500 and outside of court they settled with Mrs Davis for her injuries at £7500. Andrew Gentles is the managing director of the club and he entered a guilty plea with reluctance saying that those playing golf had a small risk of being struck by balls and this was something that they should accept.

Harder economic times are something that is affecting nearly every one and every industry and it seems as if the sport of golf is not immune from the effects. The Scottish Open may be facing financial problems soon as its long time sponsor Barclays has decided not to renew its association and sponsorship of the event.

The Scottish Open is one of the most notable events for golf in Europe and the organisers of golf on the continent have tried to appear as if they are not too worried about the problem. It seems though that there is going to be a bit of a worry though as currently there are no bodies offering themselves to provide the £3 million prize fund. While the withdrawal of Barclays seems to be a big problem, the more long term issue is that it could be an indication that other banks will be pulling out, which could cause a financial problem across sport.

Despite the Tour being more successful than ever before and having recently been the subject of a welcome change in course the bank has still decided to end an association that has spanned nearly a decade. It is quite a shock to the organisers of the tour who fully expected the bank to sponsor them again. Now they will have to begin a search for a new sponsor.

The chief executive of the Tour is George O’Grady and he has said, “Although Barclays have withdrawn from the Scottish Open we are still in negotiations with them about other locations. We remain very optimistic that they will continue to sponsor many of the other international events. The Barclays Classic tournament has just been renewed to go ahead for another five years.”

Some have said that the reason the bank has only withdrawn from this UK event is because of the public outcry against banking institutions over the financial crisis – this is something that has occurred in the US but to a much lesser extent. It is not impossible that the event will not find a sponsor as the Irish Open this year did not.