By Danny Law - The Press & Journal
The north-east of Scotland is already blessed with an abundance of
golfing gems and another new course could be on the horizon in the
coming years – in Fraserburgh.
Ground Golf have revealed their plans to build a “world-class” course on land adjacent to the existing Fraserburgh Golf Club.
They say they have worked on the project for almost two years and
have sent a brochure to Fraserburgh members as they prepare to take
their proposal to Aberdeenshire Council later this year.
A few things are quite intriguing about this proposal – not least the man behind the vision.
Mikael Johansson, a Swedish-born real estate developer turned golf course developer, wrote a fascinating article in January about his quest to turn his golfing dream into a reality.
He hopes to produce “a piece of golfing architecture that leaves a lasting legacy” and stands the test of time.
He wrote about wanting to find a “spectacular” piece of land for his
course. It appears he believes he may have found what he is looking for
in Fraserburgh.
In their message to Fraserburgh Golf Club members, Ground Golf have said they hope golf can be the reason for thousands of people to visit the Broch in the years ahead.
Surge in golf tourism
Ground Golf will have done their market research and know the
north-east of Scotland is becoming an increasingly popular destination
for golfing aficionados.
There has been a noticeable surge in golf tourism in recent years, helped by the growing reputation of Trump International Links at Balmedie as a “must-visit”.
The Trump course, Royal Aberdeen and Cruden Bay were all ranked inside the top 35 in Golf World’s annual top 100 courses in the UK and Ireland, which was published last month.
The New Course at Trump will open this summer – and that could be an even better 18 holes than the current championship course.
With so many attractive options on the doorstep and a day trip to the
home of golf St Andrews no obstacle, it is easy to see why many golfing
tourists are opting to make Aberdeen their base.
A boost for the local economy
At a time when the Granite City’s economy is looking for a future
less dependent on North Sea oil, tourism – and golf tourism in
particular – can provide a much-needed boost.
A highly-regarded course at Fraserburgh would make Aberdeenshire an
even more attractive proposition for golf tourists and could convince
them to head to the north-east, rather than to the likes of Fife, East
Lothian or Ayrshire, when making their pilgrimage to Scotland.
Trump International Links has successfully staged the Legends Tour’s PGA Seniors Championship over the past two years – to rave reviews from the players.
And it is a shame the Scottish Open is not rotated around the country
these days as was the case a decade ago when Royal Aberdeen and Castle
Stuart were given the opportunity to showcase what the north of Scotland
has to offer to a wider audience.
A partnership rather than competition
The initial local reaction to the Fraserburgh plans is mixed – as would be expected.
Ground Golf have gone out of their way to stress they want to work with Fraserburgh Golf Club, not provide competition.
They have said there would be no local members at the new course in a
bid to safeguard the current golf club and want a partnership with
Fraserburgh Golf Club where both courses can thrive, even providing
support through greater greenkeeping resources.
Plans have been revealed for a new golf course adjacent to Fraserburgh Golf Club.
But there will be plenty of hurdles ahead if Ground Golf’s dream is to become a serious proposition.
There were a huge number of challenges for the Trump golf team to overcome before their plans for Balmedie got the green light.
Golfing developments tend to move at a slow pace in Scotland, as we
have seen with Jack Nicklaus’ vision for Ury Estate near Stonehaven, as
well as Coul Links in Sutherland.
As for Fraserburgh’s potential new course – let’s see what the plans
contain if they are submitted to the council later this year… but don’t
expect to be booking a tee time anytime soon!
