FROM EWAN McKAY
Director, St Andrews Internmational Golf Club
Pleased to report that construction of the course designed by Tom Weiskopf will commence at Feddinch by the middle of March.
Given your interest in golf, I feel the attachment and the following may be of some interest to you.
The company, registered as ST ANDREWS INTERNATIONAL 
PRIVATE MEMBERS GOLF CLUB LIMITED, has recently been 
embroiled in a dispute with ST ANDREWS LINKS TRUST over its 
claim that it has privileged rights to use the words ‘ST.ANDREWS’, 
‘GOLF’, when related specifically to golf at St.Andrews, ‘THE 
HOME OF GOLF’ and ‘THE OLD COURSE.’
Danny Campbell, Commercial Director, invited a delegation from the 
company to his office to advise us that the Trust had rights to such 
words and that we would need to not only change the name of our 
golf club, ST ANDREWS INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB, 
(SAIGC) but also of our domain name, www.standrewsigc.co.uk.
We were advised that the Trust would defend their rights vigorously 
as they had signed trading licences with several overseas companies 
and they would not jeopardise such agreements.
One questions what right does the Links Trust have to claim 
ownership of the aforementioned words?
The company had been known as SAIGC for 20 years and could not 
understand such an aggressive attitude from Danny Campbell 
particularly as SAIGC was to be strictly for the enjoyment of its 
privileged members and their guests so there could be no conflict or 
confusion with the activities of the Links Trust.
The trademark dispute continues, however it is most pleasing that the 
World Intellectual Property Organisation, (WIPO) has found in 
favour of the company so clearly that must put into question the 
rights claimed by the Links Trust.
Interestingly, it has come to light that the Links Trust is also in 
dispute with the Old Course Hotel Limited, and with St.Andrews 
Golf Club Company, which was established some 130 years ago 
over its trademark application. Allegedly, the Links Trust settled a 
dispute with the R and A, over the use of the phrase ‘ Home of Golf’ 
and one can only assume that the Links Trust must have spent several 
hundred thousand pounds in legal fees which must surely put into 
question its charitable status. It is interesting that it is represented by 
an international law firm, Nixon Peabody, which is likely to be a 
costly association.
Would the money not have been better spent had its landlords, Fife Council, used the funds to save the Byre Theatre and allow the re-opening of Craigton Park?
Given that Danny Alexander claimed they would finance whatever it cost to protect its rights, one must surely question why the Trustees have agreed to this.
SAIGC was taken aback at the level of activity within the Trust as it shares the view of many that the Trust was set up specifically to oversee the operation and maintenance of the golf courses and facilities on the Links, not to enter into associated business activities.
The Links Trust is now akin to a commercial conglomerate in that it has property for merchandise retail, food and beverage outlets and international licence agreements and one wonders how the Trustees could have sanctioned such activities which appear to be well outside the original mandate and which must conflict with business activities within the town.
There is no doubt that the quality of course presented by the Links Trust is of the highest standard however, and to the best of one’s knowledge, none of the local businesses benefit by way of tee-time allocations and one wonders why that should be when it would surely be of long term benefit to all businesses if co-operation in the marketing of St. Andrews and golf was established

Ewan McKay
Director SAIGC
.