"We intend to use the land for the creation of a high quality golf course, in keeping with the standards expected at St Andrews," said Dr Duncan Lawrie, Chairman of Trustees at the Links Trust. "We shall be entering into consultations with appropriate local and national organisations about issues relevant to building a golf course in that area after we receive the specification from the planners on the issues we have to address."
The seventh golf course is being created in response to increasing demand to play the Links from local golfers, in particular over the last decade. In the last four years alone, demand for yearly tickets from golfers residing around the town and further away has risen by over a third.
During an exceptionally wet 2002, the total number of rounds played on the Links was 211,000, only 4,000 less than the record set in 2001. The drop was in visitor play which fell by just over 4000 to 87,695 from 91,867. Rounds played by local golfers on the five 18 hole courses increased by over 1800 to 113,081. The course which saw the most significant rise in numbers of local golfers was the Jubilee Course, following the alteration of the first and second holes of the course last winter.
Last December Scottish golf course architect, David McLay Kidd, was appointed to design the seventh course. Kidd has recently completed two highly acclaimed courses: the heathland course, Queenwood, in Surrey and Bandon Dunes in Oregon, USA, which has been chosen to host the 2007 US Mid-Amateur.
