Golf tourism

[richardtaylor]

Hot on the heels of the Trump announcement, the Scottish Govt has today also approved the £115m golfing development of 1999 Open Champion & local loon Paul Lawrie at Blairs, on the southern outskirts of Aberdeen.

This on top of the Jack Nicklaus £40m Signature course due to be started at Ury House about 15miles S of Aberdeen, & the possible redevelopment of the city's Hazlehead course, with local businessman Brian Hendry & rumoured to have multiple Open Champion Tom Watson (Nicklaus's rival through the 70s/early 80s) waiting to be brought aboard.

[richardtaylor]

Update also on the Hazlehead Development, & a "major" step forward when the council confirmed the MacKenzie Club as its preferred bidder to redevelop the course.

Named after the original designer Alistair MacKenzie who also constructed the Augusta National (home of the US Masters), the plans are to realign the two 18-hole courses, a 5* hotel, golf academy (all this sound familiar?!) & also a unique ventilation/drying system that will keep the course in "tip top" condition all year round.

I think this devleopment is ~$100m. The man behind the proposals, Brian Hendry, has American backers including, it is alleged, Tom Watson on the redesign. The same Watson who has won multiple Majors in his career, including the Seniors Tours (he won the Briitsh Seniors Open when held in Aberdeen in 2005). Apparently American golfers (those not affected by the Credit Crunch that is!!) pay top dollar for playing any course that has the MacKenzie name attached to it, or in its history. He was much revered as a designer.

Council meet in Feb09 for the next step.