'It's time for the pros to take over'

National Trust given control of Kingarrock by owners

The Unique Kingarrock Hickory Golf course is set to be taken over by the National Trust for Scotland after current owner David Anderson decided to move closer to his family in the south of England.

Anderson first moved to Hill of Tarvit in 2001 and quickly decided, along with his wife Michelle, to rebuild the pre-war golf course to its original layout.

They have also been able to maintain the course with old-fashioned methods, not using any pesticides thanks to assistance from the Scottish Golf Environment Group.

The Kingarrock Hickory Golf course has now been open for business every summer since 2008, with all golfers who play the nine hole layout provided with five hickory clubs, an old golf bag and golf balls in the style used in the early 20th century to give their experience a unique flavour.

EXCITED

“I feel excited about this change,” Anderson told Scottish Club Golfer. “We’ve put a platform in place and did very little marketing, just letting it build through word of mouth. We’ve treated it more like a hobby and aimed to get it right with those golfers who played here, but now the National Trust has an opportunity to really expand it.”

The National Trust for Scotland will now take on the course after showing interest in the Scott family that originally bought the land in 1904, and Anderson has laid out his hopes that the National Trust will go on to combine the course with the Hill of Tarvit Manor House and gardens.

He also believes the recent employment of a PGA Professional to look after the customer side of the club and a professional environmental greenkeeper to maintain the environmentally friendly standards of the course, sets the course up nicely for the future.

HICKORY

Anderson added: “Kingarrock will remain a hickory golf course, there’s no question about that. There’s only really room for one place like this in Scotland and thankfully this is it. With it being so close to St Andrews, it is an advantage in itself.

“Everything we dreamt might work has gone ahead and worked, and the bonus of being able to maintain it through old-fashioned methods and not using any pesticides on the ground has been great. It’s set up and ready to go. Now it’s time for the professionals to take over from the amateurs.”

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