\n <\/p>\n
\n January\n<\/p>\n
\n St Andrews Links Trust, the charity in charge of the world-renowned Old Course, announced that it was in “advanced discussions” to add the Duke’s to its existing portfolio<\/a> of seven links courses. The trust has been met with surging demand from golfers at home and abroad since the end of the pandemic, and the deal will increase the number of available tee times.\n<\/p>\n \n Another 329 days passed before the Links Trust officially confirmed that it had signed a long-term lease agreement with Kohler’s Old Course Hotel to take over management of the Duke’s from January 5, 2026<\/a>. From that date the course will be known as the Craigtoun.\n<\/p>\n \n March\n<\/p>\n \n Jim Croxton, chief executive of the British and International Golf<\/a> Greenkeepers\u2019 Association (BIGGA), said golf clubs should delay their opening day ceremonies<\/a> as many courses are not ready for what has been the traditional start of the season. His warning came as experts highlighted the growing challenges faced by clubs and courses from climate change<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n \n April\n<\/p>\n \n Derek Anderson of GHW Golf Tours warned that “overly-inflated rates” are threatening the golf tourism industry<\/a> and “could eventually price Scotland out of the market”. His concerns were echoed later in June by Roy Clarke of All Access GTE<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n June\n<\/p>\n \n The first annual Herald Scottish Golf Survey<\/a> found that ageing membership ranked second only to rising costs in the list of greatest challenges faced by golf courses in Scotland. However, there was more concern about bringing in additional visitors<\/a> rather than attracting the new members to maintain what is the majority of the income stream at most clubs.\n<\/p>\n \n The survey results marked the start of a three-day series that included clubs\u2019 opinions of governing body Scottish Golf<\/a>, and the potential financial impact of implementing a \u201cone player, one fee\u201d system<\/a> in the collection of affiliation payments to Scottish Golf. Clubs also gave their views on OpenPlay<\/a>, the flexible subscription\u00a0for non-club members to obtain an official handicap.\n<\/p>\n \n \n July\n<\/p>\n \n Donald Trump officially opened his latest golf course in Aberdeenshire<\/a> on the final day of the first of his two visits to Scotland in 2025.\n<\/p>\n \n The New Course at Trump International Golf Links in Balmedie plays alongside the existing championship course that opened in 2012. Construction of the New Course began in 2023, with Trump and his son Eric breaking ground on the project.\n<\/p>\n \n August\n<\/p>\n \n The Cabot Collection officially opened its second golf course next to the existing Castle Stuart near Inverness<\/a>. Roughly 100 people were booked for the opening day of preview play at Old Petty<\/a>, designed by Tom Doak.\n<\/p>\n \n It also emerged that the R&A had cut the book value of its flagship “blueprint” facility for the future of golf by more than a third\u00a0following its first full year in operation. Accounts filed at Companies House for the game’s governing body, known formally as the R&A Trust Company (No. 1), revealed a \u00a34.5 million impairment on the carrying value of the Golf It facility<\/a> near Glasgow.\n<\/p>\n \n \n Profits at Scottish retailer Affordable Golf surged<\/a> during the year to October 2024. Revenue from in-store and online sales rose by 15% to \u00a322.4m, while pre-tax profits were 56% higher at \u00a31.2m.\n<\/p>\n \n September\n<\/p>\n \n Craigie Hill Golf Club declared it was within 15 months of closing<\/a> after councillors in Perth and Kinross\u00a0rejected plans to cut the historic course from 18 to nine holes. The development plans fronted by Dundee<\/a> engineering group Kilmac would have included the construction of 175 homes and the creation of a new community hub.\n<\/p>\n \n After a period of “calm reflection” and regrouping, the club announced in December that it had secured a temporary reprieve with Kilmac and other local businesses pledging to cover Craigie Hill’s losses for the next two playing seasons<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n October\n<\/p>\n \n Long-awaited plans for a major residential golf development in Scotland appeared to take a step forward following confirmation of multi-million pound backing for the project.\n<\/p>\n \n \n First mooted more than two decades ago, the Jack Nicklaus signature course at the Ury Estate in Aberdeenshire is now expected to partially open next year<\/a>, with full completion scheduled for 2027. The project is being progressed with a \u00a317m loan from digital bank OakNorth to support the next phase of the development.\n<\/p>\n \n The four-star Cally Palace Hotel & Golf Course was put up for sale again<\/a>, three years after being sold by the family-owned McMillan Hotels group. The A-listed Georgian mansion and 18-hole golf course sits within 150 acres of private grounds at Gatehouse of Fleet in south-west Scotland, and was brought to market at a guide price of \u00a33.25m.\n<\/p>\n \n November\n<\/p>\n \n Owners of The Machrie promised further investment in the luxury golf destination<\/a> off Scotland’s west coast despite losses more than doubling after the value of the land and buildings was cut by nearly \u00a32.8m.\n<\/p>\n \n The Machrie \u2013 which has 43 rooms, suites and family lodges along with a number of other amenities such as the golf, a restaurant, and an outdoor sauna and hot tub garden \u2013 made a pre-tax loss of \u00a34.8m during the year to January 31, up from the previous year’s loss of \u00a32.1m. Turnover declined marginally to \u00a33.5m.\n<\/p>\n \n \n \u201cThe Machrie is well-financed for the future and exciting plans for further investment are being reviewed by the Another Place board,” chief executive Ben Harper told The Herald.\n<\/p>\n \n The owner of Topgolf Glasgow was sold<\/a> in a deal valuing the business at $1.1 billion (\u00a3838m), nearly half of what the upmarket chain of driving ranges was deemed to have been worth five years earlier.\n<\/p>\n \n The maker of Callaway golf clubs is due to receive $770m in net proceeds for its 60% stake in Topgolf, which has been sold to US private equity group Leonard Green Partners. The deal includes Callaway’s Toptracer unit, a popular golf ball tracking technology separate from the driving range business.\n<\/p>\n \n December\n<\/p>\n \n PGA professionals are increasingly moving into management as traditional members’ clubs evolve from social organisations into commercial operations. According to one who recently made the shift, it’s “the realisation of the fact that we are the most educated people in the building”<\/a>.\n<\/p>\nClimate change is proving a challenge for Scotland’s courses (Image: Damian Shields)\n<\/p>\n
Rising costs are the top of concerns (Image: Damian Shields)\n<\/p>\n
More than seven million balls were hit in 2024 at the Golf It driving range (Image: Golf It)\n<\/p>\n
Jack Nicklaus at the Ury Estate near Stonehaven (Image: Supplied)\n<\/p>\n
The Machrie is said to have ‘continued support’ from its parent company (Image: Another Place)\n<\/p>\n