Dumbarnie Links, one of the world’s most highly rated new course developments, has retained the services of The Loop to help drive its PR, communication and marketing strategies.
The Fife layout, which sits 12 miles south of St Andrews in Scotland, within the boundaries of the world’s most iconic links land, was the brainchild of Clive Clark, who founded, developed and designed the course before it opened to critical acclaim in 2020. The Englishman enjoyed a stellar playing career, representing GB & Ireland in the 1965 Walker Cup and the 1973 Ryder Cup, before moving into golf course design.
Dubbed a ‘modern masterpiece’, the links has ranked highly in numerous ‘Top 100’ ranking lists in its short lifespan. In 2024, it was rated number 22 in Golf Digest’s best courses in Scotland, and 40th in Golf Monthly’s most recent UK & Ireland Top 100. In 2021, the course also hosted the Women’s Scottish Open.
Now just five years into its journey, Dumbarnie has joined forces with The Loop – a full PR and Marcomms agency which is headed up by joint partners Mike Harris, Paul O’Hagan, Alex Narey and Chris Barrett.
Working closely with general manager David Scott – a Master PGA Professional who last week joined an illustrious list of names including Sir Henry Cotton and James Braid when he was announced as the new captain of the PGA – The Loop will look to leverage media relationships to help drive global organic coverage around the story of Dumbarnie.
The agency will also review and advise on strategy for Dumbarnie’s social media channels, implementing a specific content plan focusing on key USPs – the course and visitor experience. The Loop’s own creative content will support Dumbarnie’s marketing team, bringing visitor stories to life via written work, video vox-pops and iconic imagery.
Scott said: “The Loop team has an excellent understanding of the story behind Dumbarnie after we first opened five years ago, but they also possess a much broader understanding of the UK golf course market and ultimately, the competitor set that we are up against. The standards have never been higher when delivering a first-class experience that visitors won’t forget, especially in this wonderful part of the world that is a haven for golfers from around the world.
“The Loop’s vision for how to enhance the story of Dumbarnie will ensure the course continues to live up to the lofty expectations we have set. It is the perfect fit for us.”
Mike Harris, joint partner at The Loop, said: “We are so excited and proud to work with David and Clive, as well as the wider team at Dumbarnie, who have collectively played a part in shaping one of the most talked about and highly regarded courses to have opened over the last 30 years.
“Golf course design, and the stories behind some of the great layouts, has long been a passion of mine and I speak for the rest of the team at The Loop, who have a shared interest in the intricacies and characteristics that are the foundation for great storytelling around golf courses, and why we love them for different reasons.
“Ticking a great golf course off your bucket-list has become a rite of passage for golfers all over the world and there is no doubt playing a round at Dumbarnie falls into that category. The course has been termed a ‘modern masterpiece’ by the many who have played it, and it is fully deserving of such acclaim.”
Dumbarnie’s layout – set across 345 acres of coastal terrain – is reputed for its elevated tees that offer glorious panoramic views out and over the Firth of Forth. Many holes sit in close proximity to the water – encouraging a risk-and-reward strategy – with teeing options ranging from 5,300 yards to 6,900. However, when set up to challenge the very best, the course’s professional tees mean the layout can play a little over 7,600 yards at full length.