At their first meeting of the year the Trustees of St Andrews Links Trust re-elected Dr Duncan Lawrie as chairman for a second year. They also welcomed a new Trustee, Alastair Dempster.
Dr Lawrie has been a Trustee for five years and was elected chairman in 2001. He is a member of the New, St Andrews and Royal and Ancient Golf Clubs in the town.
Chairman of sportscotland and former chief executive of Lloyds TSB Scotland, Alastair Dempster is the Scottish Executive nominee and replaces Bill Ritchie, who retired at the end of 2001. A regular golfer, Mr Dempster is a member at Luffness and plays off 16.
At the Trustees' meeting on the 7 January, the duties and responsibilities of the Trustees according to the 1974 Act were re-iterated by the chairman. These state that "Decisions should be taken from an objective viewpoint and in a dispassionate and impartial manner without favour being given to any party or interest. It is especially important that Trustees do not act as delegates or spokesmen for the bodies which have appointed them or for the golf clubs of which they may be a member. The best interests of St Andrews Links should therefore be the only concern of Trustees."
The Trustees for 2002 are Dr Duncan Lawrie, the Rt Hon Menzies Campbell, Cllr Tom Dair, Nicola Davidson, Alastair Dempster, Cllr Frances Melville, Angus Ogilvie and Robin Waddell.