Pictures have emerged of the progress being made on the finishing touches being carried out at Dumbarnie Links, Scotland’s newest links golf course, which is scheduled to open for public play in May next year.
Designed by Clive Clark, Dumbarnie Links is located along the north shore of the Firth of Forth, 20 minutes from St Andrews, and is built on a 345-acre parcel of land on the Balcarres Estate, with the course offering views of Muirfield, North Berwick and Edinburgh.
Lord Anthony Balniel, whose family has owned the estate since the 16th century, has expressed his delight with the quality of the nearly-finished product, as well as the way the course has been built in harmony with the landscape.
He said: “There was an air of uncertainty when my family was first approached about building a golf course on our land. Fast forward several years and we simply could not be more pleased. What Clive Clark and his team have done is nothing short of outstanding. I have been struck not only by the beauty of what has been created, with the dune landscape significantly enhance,d but also by the focus on the wildlife, plants and birds. It has been a joy to see the project unfold.”
He added: “Dumbarnie Links has already received rave reviews from not just the local community, but internationally, as well. When we began this ambitious undertaking, our goal upon completion has always been to provide an unparalleled, memorable golf experience – not just the playing surface, but the service level, as well. I think we’re well on our way to achieving that goal.”
The course design features a mixture of tees that play down an escarpment towards the water. Some of these tees sitting on top of the escarpment have views straight into the water and are as much as 60 feet above their respective fairways. The water of Largo Bay and the estuary can be seen from at least 14 holes.
Speaking about his design philosophy for the new course, which cost in the region of £16m, to build, Clive Clark said: “I want people to enjoy this course and there is real risk and reward here. The straightest line can often cause the most trouble, so golfers can take a longer route with wider fairways or cut around 40 or 50 yards off the hole. Some of the par 4s can be driven, but to get on the green you have to take a chance.
“We want to inspire golfers, so for high handicappers, they have the belief that they can make par, for mid-handicappers they think they can make a birdie, and for low handicappers they think they can make eagle. And If we did get a big tournament here then, there’s something to interest the professionals too.”
Following Kingsbarns’ lead, there will be no memberships offered at Dumbarnie Links, just visitor play, with green fees costing £235pp. The course will be accepting tee times from May 16, 2020. For more details, visit dumbarnielinks.com.