ENTERPRISING MOVE BY DUMFRIES AND COUNTY GOLF CLUB HEAD PROFESSIONAL

STUART SYME RE-OPENING DRUMOIG 

AND SON CONNOR WILL BENEFIT

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Dumfries and County Golf Club pro Stuart Syme has done has bought what used to be the SGU's Scottish National Golf Centre at Drumoig. 
It has been closed since October 2012. Under Syme's ownership and hands-on management, it re-opens for business as the Drumoig Golf Centre, near Leuchars in north Fife on Saturday, July 5.
"I don't feel that comfortable divulging the price I have paid for it but suffice to say it is a significant investment and I think I have got a great deal for the golf centre and the surrounding land," said Stuart.
Stuart won the Scottish schoolboys championship when he was in his teens and son Connor followed in his old man's footsteps by winning the same title, now sponsored by the Paul Lawrie Foundation, not once but twice - 2012 and 2013.
Said Stuart: "We are returning home to Fife after being in Dumfries for 17+ years to take on our new golf venture. Golfers who visited the SNGC when the SGU were there will be familiar with the previous lay-out. But I have changed it somewhat.
Stuart Syme went to school in St Andrews and represented St Andrews Golf Club international before moving to Ladybank Golf Club, also in Fife, and achieving further international honours.
"My son Connor (2013)  and I (1988) are the only father and son to have played for the Great Britain and Ireland boys' team," said Stuart.
"I turned professional in 1991, did my PGA training and worked in Fife before moving to Dumfries and County as club professional in 1997.
"I didn't plan to stay there for all those years but Dumfries was good for us and the familiy settled well.
"With Connor emerging as a very good player over the last few years I have been looking to invest in our own facility for a while. To get the chance to take on a wonderful set-up like Drumoig and return home to Fife at the same time was to good a chance to miss.
"Connor has been at the forefront of my mind during all this time. He has shown his potential through his boys' golf career and reaching the semi-final of the recent British Amateur championship at Royal Portrush.
"I look forward to helping him develop as a player at our own facility with plenty time to practice compared to the life of a club pro."
Syme says that it was "quite a complicated deal" to buy Drumoig Golf Centre.
"Effectively I've bought it from the Adminstrator. After the SGU left what chief exec Hamish Grey once described as a "world-class practice facility," it fell back into the ownership of Torith Ltd, a building company in Dundee, who used the main big building as offices until they went bust in 2012
The driving range was operated by the owners of the Drumoig Hotel and golf course until it shut in October 2012.
"I have spent the last few months getting the grass all cut down, renovating the driving range building and we are all set to open our doors for business on Saturday," says Syme.
"We will have a pro shop, custom-fit studio and a 25-bay driving range to begin with.  Obviously I will be available for all individual and group lessons from when I start there. I am also delighted to continue my previous work with Clubgolf and we have been approved as a Scottish Development Centre.
"There is an extensive grass tee area which is starting to look great now too and will be back in use as soon as possible. I'm sure our customers will enjoy playing from it in the future.
"The SGU had some training holes and practice greens around the perimeter of driving range in the past. I am restoring some of them and I have actually designed a par-3 course incorporating as many of the old tees and greens as possible. 
"I have had a great reaction to this being part of our facility. It is a really fun course with water and other features to contend with and I look forward to introducing youngsters to the game on our par-3 lay-out from early next year.
"Unfortuately, the big building (which contained a gymnasium, golf shop and an indoor golf hole, etc)  is not part of the future plans. Fife council wanted £60,000  a year for rates so there is a demolition order in for it and it'll come down later this summer.
"I plan to put a cafe and kids' soft play centre on the site of the front of where that building is at the moment,  hopefully in time for next season.
"All in all, lots of hard work ahead but I've never been troubled by that and in the end I just look forward to bringing Drumoig back to the outstanding facility it was in the past.
"I did swither about the name but decided Drumoig Golf Centre was still appropriate.  Calling it anything else would just have had people wondering 'is that the old SGU place?.'  It is incredibly well known around the country as the SNGC so I thought even previous bad advertising is still making headlines so I would stick with Drumoig as the title."


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