Current owner Matt Kinloch and his partner Johanna Squiban say golf is a “huge” contributor to the economy in East Lothian. Mr Kinloch explains how they are looking to tap further into the golf tourism sector.

(Image: NQ Staff)

Why did your family get into this business?

We welcomed our very first exclusive-use guests during the 2002 Open Championship at nearby Muirfield.

That booking was the catalyst that encouraged us to make the move into the hospitality industry and let the house out for exclusive use. It was paid for in advance to allow us to make necessary changes to redecorate and get the house ready for the event.

Do you still live there?

In the beginning I, my parents and my brother lived in the house. My and brother’s bedrooms were moved to the attic and mum and dad would move out of their room any time there was a booking. It wasn’t uncommon for guests to eat with us depending on the group.

Fast forward to now and we have moved out of the main house, but maintain use of one of the side flats that is not available for guests to use. The house and the gardens are exclusively for the guests now. I feel it’s important for them to feel like the house is completely theirs for their stay, their home.

Matt Kinloch was introduced to golf at the age of 10(Image: Lukas Svoboda)

Gilmerton House is available for a variety of uses – how much of your revenue is linked to golf?

Since reopening after Covid we have placed great focus and emphasis on the growing golf tourism market here in East Lothian. Most of the staff at Gilmerton are avid golfers and as such we have really worked hard to evolve and improve the “golf group experience” with the addition of a new private driving range, Sky Sports and golfing collateral in all the bedrooms, and the imminent addition of a practice putting green.

Our efforts have started to pay dividends with golf-related business now accounting for around a third of our annual revenue, with the rest made up from corporate retreats, milestone celebrations, weddings, filming and photography. Our aim is to further invest in this market and to grow the golfing portion to half of our annual revenue within the next two to three years. 

What’s brining in the visitors?

Here on Scotland’s Golf Coast, we are blessed to be surrounded by a high number of world-class courses that rightly sit near the top of many a golfer’s bucket list. It is not uncommon to see swathes of golf groups and the odd professional happily walking down the high street in North Berwick and Gullane.

And beyond the annual tournaments such as US Kids Golf Week and more recently the Women’s Open, we are also so fortunate to now be the home of The Genesis Scottish Open. I think I speak for many a local business owner when I say how grateful we are to the fantastic team at The Renaissance Club for doing such a brilliant job of hosting this annual event.

Of course, if Muirfield were able to re-join The Open roster, the economic impact on this part of the county would be like nothing we have seen before given how much the sport, and more specifically the live audience at this tournament, has grown in recent years.

What is your most memorable moment from this year’s Ryder Cup team dinner?

It was just great to see first-hand the camaraderie between the players, their caddies, and the management. Everyone seemed so warm and natural around each other and it was clear that there was already such a strong team spirit at play, even though the final squad had yet to be announced.

It was also fun to be a fly on the wall for the speech Luke gave the players. He is clearly such an impressive and inspirational leader. I really hope he is picked to Captain the team again in 2027.

Putting at Gilmerton House(Image: Calum Huntington)

Do you play?

I call myself a golfer, though my scorecard tends to disagree. I probably don’t play often enough to improve, but always enjoy the walk and a good catch-up with friends.

My introduction to golf was at school when I was around the age of 10, where we had our version of the Ryder Cup, “Zimbabwe v Scotland”. The team captains were our teachers Mr Barbour who was Zimbabwean and Mr Harvey, Scottish. I have very fond memories of playing back then and this early tournament was likely the birthplace of many keen golfers.

What do you love most about the game?

I love that every so often you hit a truly cracking shot, one that makes you believe, for just a moment, that you could be a professional. Naturally, the next shot usually brings me back down to earth, but it’s that glimpse of potential that keeps me hooked.

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