AMBITIOUS plans for a huge new golf resort just a short drive from the historic Home of Golf have been approved.

Councillors in Fife have given the green light to a controversial development for a multi-million pound facility near St Andrews which will boast a new 18-hole golf course, a par 3 course and a luxury hotel, restaurant and spa.

The 240-acre site, situated at Feddinch Mains on the outskirts of the town, was purchased by Alvarez & Marsal Golf for a seven-figure sum in July 2023.

Dundee United majority shareholder Mark Ogren was the previous owner of the land (which is in the St Andrews green belt) and sold it for £7m.

Plans to transform Feddinch Mains have been ongoing for the best part of two decades, with a golf complex always at the centre of proposals.

But local opposition has remained fierce throughout and that hasn’t changed now.

These revised plans which have been accepted were branded “monstrous” by one nearby resident after a consultation in December, who spoke to The Courier.

The area already has numerous top class courses, not just the Old Course in the town itself.

St Andrews Links owns seven courses located in the town and surrounding area (Old, New, Jubilee, Castle, Eden, Strathtyrum, Balgove).

On top of that there are two courses at the nearby Fairmont Hotel resort (Kittocks and Torrance) and the Kyle Phillips-designed Kingsbarns, considered a modern classic, is a 15 minute drive from the centre of St Andrews.

Previous opposition to the Feddinch Mains development stemmed from the fact the new facility at Feddinch Mains would be an ultra-exclusive private members club, catering only to tourists and out-of-town millionaires.

A local told The Courier last year: “It’s a private members-only club on a gated site.

“Once again we’re selling off chunks of St Andrews so that overseas businessmen can profit with no benefit to locals.”

Renowned course architect, the late Tom Weiskopf, winner of The Open in 1973, was drafted in almost almost 25 years ago to scope out the site.

A design under his name has been laid out and is already partially complte.

The man himself had commented on the potential of the location.

Mr Weiskopf said: “The uniqueness of Feddinch is two-fold: it is in a superb location, just 2.5km from the beautiful town of St Andrews, the home of golf, and will offer superb facilities, including a stunning clubhouse and golf course. 

“The new owners are committed to providing the most comprehensive golfing experience in the British lsles and I am incredibly excited to finally see this dream project come to fruition.”

North East Fife gave the go-ahead for Alvarez and Marsal’s four separate proposals because the North American firm had made significant changes to original plans.

The hotel and spa were included as were a new 250 metre-long clubhouse, practice range and a halfway house selling food and drink.

A separate planning and listed building consent application was approved with the aim of turning a B-listed farmhouse on the site into a mixed use events space.

Some of the changes included reducing the mass of the buildings, lowering the roof heights and designing the on-site guest cottages to be more in-keeping with the local landscape.

“They’ve adjusted the design to come to a point where locals will be much happier with the proposals,” planners said.

“That speaks volumes.

“It’s quite important the developers have listened to and considered the comments received by third parties and consultees who raised concerns about how the club would appear.

“They looked at the comments and concerns and went to revise the design and made it less visually prominent.”

Tyler J Kirsch, managing director of Alvarez and Marsal Golf, said: “We are delighted Fife Council’s North East Planning Committee has approved our application for a new golf course on the outskirts of St Andrews.

“Following extensive consultation with Fife Council, the local community and other key stakeholders, this approval is a major milestone in regenerating a site that has remained undeveloped for 20 years.

“We are confident our project will bring lasting benefits to the local community, and we remain committed to ongoing engagement as it progresses.”

SNP councillor David MacDiarmid said after approving the proposals that they looked amazing but offered a note of caution given how previous attempts to develop the land have failed to bare fruit.

Mr MacDiarmid wonders if the project will EVER be completed.

He said: “It’s going to cost many, many millions of pounds.

“Will this be done in one or in dribs and drabs where some of it may never be done?

“You kind of lose faith when things like that happen.

“We can give this the go-ahead today and in 20 years it still might not be done.”

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