More than 350 jobs will be created in East Lothian by the end of 2005 as a result of the ongoing £55 million investment in Archerfield Links.
The 500-acre development will feature the newly restored Archerfield House, a Grade I listed historic home near Dirleton, which will form the striking backdrop to the development of two championship golf courses. The House boasts a number of superb luxury apartments, which are available to both to members and guests. Additionally, 50 golf lodges will be built in the grounds of the Archerfield development and planning permission has been granted for the construction of 100 luxury homes.
Archerfield is situated between Gullane and North Berwick and has already opened one of its two championship courses, the D J Russell-designed Fidra Links. With the Dirleton course stretching over 7,000 yards and a brand new clubhouse soon to open, the £15,000 debenture memberships are already attracting buyers from as far afield as the USA, Thailand and Hong Kong. The golfing development saw debenture sales well ahead of schedule in recent months as interest in the golf membership gathered pace.
Paul Lightbody, director of golf at Archerfield, said, “This is a substantial investment in the Scottish economy and we expect the area to benefit from the new employment opportunities and the associated revenue generated by additional visitors to the area.
“The investment in Archerfield House and the surrounding environment reflects the importance of the area in terms of its outstanding beauty and heritage. This is a truly spectacular venue and while we expect significant interest internationally in the development, our core membership is likely to comprise businesses and individuals from Scotland and elsewhere in the UK. We are well ahead of our target for debenture sales at this stage and we expect this interest to rise further when the main house opens in May and the second golf course – Dirleton Links – opens in September.
Mr Lightbody continued, “We have undertaken a painstaking restoration of this landmark in association with Historic Scotland and East Lothian District Council and the meticulously designed golf courses have been designed to make best use of the area’s natural features. D J Russell has delivered two truly excellent golf courses.
“In addition to our commercial investment in Archerfield House and the golf courses, we are also investing heavily in attracting new staff to the area. To help provide truly great service to our exclusive new clubhouse we require a number of professional, motivated staff. As a result, our employee training and development programme will provide a first class opportunity for many people to develop their careers in the hospitality, leisure and sports management sectors.”
Course designer, DJ Russell said, “East Lothian already boasts a series of world renowned courses but we believe Archerfield will be the jewel in the crown. The two courses, Fidra Links and Dirleton Links, which opens in September, make the most of the undulating local landscape and will provide a fantastic challenge even to the pros. Not only has this championship course has been designed to provide Archerfield members with one of the world’s best golfing venues, it will also play host to major tournaments in the months and years to come.”
Archerfield commands magnificent views of the Firth of Forth and Fidra Island – the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s pirate tale, ‘Treasure Island‘. Archerfield is named after the English archers, who camped there during King Edward I invasion of 1298.
Archerfield Links www.archerfieldgolfclub.com
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