Donald Trump course needs to be extra-special to
justify hype - do we need another links course?
FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
After all the fuss – and there's more of it to come, no doubt – Donald Trump damn well better be about to deliver something special.
Never before has a proposed golf project in Scotland commanded more column inches in newspapers and slots on TV news bulletins. To be perfectly honest, I have found the scenario that has developed since the American billionaire revealed his ambitious plans quite tiresome.
During last month's Dunhill Links Championship, one colleague from a London-based newspaper was in a fair old lather the day before one of umpteen decisions was due to be made in the saga, making me wonder if I've been missing something here.
Yes, of course, it is important to the people in the North-east in general and, in particular, those close to Menie Estate, where Trump plans to transform the dunes into the "world's greatest golf course."
If the environmentalists and those who may lose homes aren't prepared to welcome the bold Donald with open arms, then it is only right that their concerns are listened to and taken on board by whoever is now dealing with the matter.
However, I sometimes get the impression that those involved – both the Trump camp and those protesting vigorously against the project – think that everything else on the Scottish golf front has come to a stop while we wait to see what's going to happen next.
The future of the game in Scotland isn't going to be affected or shaped by whether or not the country has a golf course within its shores bearing the name of Donald Trump. As a decent golfer himself even Trump knows there are plenty of great courses here already and, whisper it, Scotland doesn't really need any more. Particularly not a links, even if Trump thinks it could be on a par with the likes of St Andrews, Muirfield and Troon.
What has really irked me about the Trump project, however, is the perception that the development has been the only one on the table in Scotland over the past few years. That's not the case.
Courses continue to spring up around the country, with each deserving to be judged on its own merits. Marc Parsinen and Gil Hanse, for example, have created Castle Stuart, a gem of a course on the Moray coast just along from Inverness. That has been earning deserved rave reviews since it opened earlier this year. In my opinion, it is as good, if not better, than Kingsbarns, where Parsinen was also involved with Kyle Phillips.
And what about Machrihanish Dunes? David McLay Kidd, who, incidentally is also working on the gWest project next to Gleneagles, designed this one and, by all accounts, it is going to be popular with those who head down the Mull of Kintyre every year to savour its established neighbour.
It's not just brand-new courses either. Take the Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews, for example. It has undergone dramatic changes recently and the result is a much better test of golf – the lay-out of some of the holes on the back nine, for instance, having been changed to bring a burn into play.
But although there are plenty of developments going on in Scottish golf, you would hardly know it due to all the spotlight being on the Trump project. The man himself says he wants his course to stage The Open one day. Good luck to him.
Does he know we've already got five world-class courses on the R&A's rota for that event? What is more, the St Andrews-based organisation doesn't jump to attention simply because a rich American clicks his fingers.
Having passed the site recently en route to Fraserburgh, I can see why Trump is so excited about the prospect of building a golf course in those dunes, but will it necessarily be any better than the likes of Royal Aberdeen, Murcar Links and, in particular, Cruden Bay?
These are not resorts, of course, and that's where Trump will be hoping his pad scores over the other golfing venues in the North-east. Build it and they will come, to coin a phrase from the movie Field of Dreams.
St Andrews, as the home of golf, will always be on the list of any visiting golfer to Scotland and, judging by a recent trip up there for the Scottish Junior Masters, Gleneagles looks as though it continues to prove a popular haunt, as will be the case, no doubt, in the build-up to the Ryder Cup there in 2014.
However, there have been job losses recently at both Turnberry and Loch Lomond and, with all due respect to Trump, what exactly is he going to deliver that is any different to those two venues?
He'll struggle to eclipse Turnberry for either location or the quality of the golf course, and it's the same at Loch Lomond, which remains one of the favourite venues on the European Tour for players and spectators alike.
Having gone this far, there is probably no way back for Trump and, if we do see his course, hotel and houses eventually come into being, I hope it all proves to be a resounding success both for him and the Scottish economy.
Despite those diggers starting work last week, though, I have my doubts.
Dewer successor MacDougall can freshen up Scottish region
It was no real surprise to hear about a shake-up of personnel in the PGA Scottish region, having listened to Sandy Jones, the PGA chief executive, express some concerns about the set-up a few weeks ago.
Gordon Dewar, who has been the PGA's top man in Scotland for the past three years, is leaving to take up a post at the PGA's national headquarters at The Belfry, with Michael MacDougall replacing him at Gleneagles.
MacDougall, a very likeable young man, is well known to competitors on the Tartan Tour, having cut his teeth as a tournament controller with the Scottish region before taking on a similar role at national level.
He'll hopefully provide a dynamic approach in his new position which, with all due respect to his predecessor, seemed to be lacking during Dewar's tenure, though, in fairness, it is tough at the moment when it comes to attracting sponsorship in any sport.
It will be a help to MacDougall that the Northern Open, one of his flagship events, will have a title sponsor again next season and he'll be keen to try and build up the Scottish circuit in the countdown to the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.
Personally, I think a lot more young golfers should think seriously about training to become PGA pros instead of trying straight away to become Tour players. Many of them aren't good enough to make it to the top of the playing ladder and, what's more, they are playing for peanuts when it comes to minor placings on the EuroPro Tour, Alps Tour etc.
Take former Scottish Amateur champion John Gallagher, for example. He played 11 events on the EuroPro Tour this year and earned a grand total of £1,347.50p.
The Tartan Tour provided the likes of Paul Lawrie and David Drysdale with a good grounding in the game and they've not done badly for themselves, have they?
justify hype - do we need another links course?
FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
After all the fuss – and there's more of it to come, no doubt – Donald Trump damn well better be about to deliver something special.
Never before has a proposed golf project in Scotland commanded more column inches in newspapers and slots on TV news bulletins. To be perfectly honest, I have found the scenario that has developed since the American billionaire revealed his ambitious plans quite tiresome.
During last month's Dunhill Links Championship, one colleague from a London-based newspaper was in a fair old lather the day before one of umpteen decisions was due to be made in the saga, making me wonder if I've been missing something here.
Yes, of course, it is important to the people in the North-east in general and, in particular, those close to Menie Estate, where Trump plans to transform the dunes into the "world's greatest golf course."
If the environmentalists and those who may lose homes aren't prepared to welcome the bold Donald with open arms, then it is only right that their concerns are listened to and taken on board by whoever is now dealing with the matter.
However, I sometimes get the impression that those involved – both the Trump camp and those protesting vigorously against the project – think that everything else on the Scottish golf front has come to a stop while we wait to see what's going to happen next.
The future of the game in Scotland isn't going to be affected or shaped by whether or not the country has a golf course within its shores bearing the name of Donald Trump. As a decent golfer himself even Trump knows there are plenty of great courses here already and, whisper it, Scotland doesn't really need any more. Particularly not a links, even if Trump thinks it could be on a par with the likes of St Andrews, Muirfield and Troon.
What has really irked me about the Trump project, however, is the perception that the development has been the only one on the table in Scotland over the past few years. That's not the case.
Courses continue to spring up around the country, with each deserving to be judged on its own merits. Marc Parsinen and Gil Hanse, for example, have created Castle Stuart, a gem of a course on the Moray coast just along from Inverness. That has been earning deserved rave reviews since it opened earlier this year. In my opinion, it is as good, if not better, than Kingsbarns, where Parsinen was also involved with Kyle Phillips.
And what about Machrihanish Dunes? David McLay Kidd, who, incidentally is also working on the gWest project next to Gleneagles, designed this one and, by all accounts, it is going to be popular with those who head down the Mull of Kintyre every year to savour its established neighbour.
It's not just brand-new courses either. Take the Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews, for example. It has undergone dramatic changes recently and the result is a much better test of golf – the lay-out of some of the holes on the back nine, for instance, having been changed to bring a burn into play.
But although there are plenty of developments going on in Scottish golf, you would hardly know it due to all the spotlight being on the Trump project. The man himself says he wants his course to stage The Open one day. Good luck to him.
Does he know we've already got five world-class courses on the R&A's rota for that event? What is more, the St Andrews-based organisation doesn't jump to attention simply because a rich American clicks his fingers.
Having passed the site recently en route to Fraserburgh, I can see why Trump is so excited about the prospect of building a golf course in those dunes, but will it necessarily be any better than the likes of Royal Aberdeen, Murcar Links and, in particular, Cruden Bay?
These are not resorts, of course, and that's where Trump will be hoping his pad scores over the other golfing venues in the North-east. Build it and they will come, to coin a phrase from the movie Field of Dreams.
St Andrews, as the home of golf, will always be on the list of any visiting golfer to Scotland and, judging by a recent trip up there for the Scottish Junior Masters, Gleneagles looks as though it continues to prove a popular haunt, as will be the case, no doubt, in the build-up to the Ryder Cup there in 2014.
However, there have been job losses recently at both Turnberry and Loch Lomond and, with all due respect to Trump, what exactly is he going to deliver that is any different to those two venues?
He'll struggle to eclipse Turnberry for either location or the quality of the golf course, and it's the same at Loch Lomond, which remains one of the favourite venues on the European Tour for players and spectators alike.
Having gone this far, there is probably no way back for Trump and, if we do see his course, hotel and houses eventually come into being, I hope it all proves to be a resounding success both for him and the Scottish economy.
Despite those diggers starting work last week, though, I have my doubts.
Dewer successor MacDougall can freshen up Scottish region
It was no real surprise to hear about a shake-up of personnel in the PGA Scottish region, having listened to Sandy Jones, the PGA chief executive, express some concerns about the set-up a few weeks ago.
Gordon Dewar, who has been the PGA's top man in Scotland for the past three years, is leaving to take up a post at the PGA's national headquarters at The Belfry, with Michael MacDougall replacing him at Gleneagles.
MacDougall, a very likeable young man, is well known to competitors on the Tartan Tour, having cut his teeth as a tournament controller with the Scottish region before taking on a similar role at national level.
He'll hopefully provide a dynamic approach in his new position which, with all due respect to his predecessor, seemed to be lacking during Dewar's tenure, though, in fairness, it is tough at the moment when it comes to attracting sponsorship in any sport.
It will be a help to MacDougall that the Northern Open, one of his flagship events, will have a title sponsor again next season and he'll be keen to try and build up the Scottish circuit in the countdown to the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.
Personally, I think a lot more young golfers should think seriously about training to become PGA pros instead of trying straight away to become Tour players. Many of them aren't good enough to make it to the top of the playing ladder and, what's more, they are playing for peanuts when it comes to minor placings on the EuroPro Tour, Alps Tour etc.
Take former Scottish Amateur champion John Gallagher, for example. He played 11 events on the EuroPro Tour this year and earned a grand total of £1,347.50p.
The Tartan Tour provided the likes of Paul Lawrie and David Drysdale with a good grounding in the game and they've not done badly for themselves, have they?
Labels: Golf Development
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Tuesday, November 03, 2009
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home