New Course Opens

[Yorkshire Hacker]

The very fact that Kingsbarns will be remaining closed this year (if that IS true), sums up the whole situation. Given that they will have few overseas customers this year, they dare not climb down and offer reduced rates to the mere mortals that live in the U.K., because they can actually afford to remain close based on their past profits. Sorry, I haven't seen their balance sheet, and I am assuming that there is cash in hand.
I think we will be all interested in how many customers are attracted to Dumbarnie Links this year. My guess is very few, but I never cease to be amazed how much cash folk have.

 

[IanM]

You might have a point....especially when some golfers still think so! Pointing at a Kingsbarns and forgetting about the Hurtmores and Broome Manors!

 

[IanM]

I think we will be all interested in how many customers are attracted to Dumbarnie Links this year. My guess is very few, but I never cease to be amazed how much cash folk have.

Very true...there are plenty of people who have continued to work from home without the expense of commuting and/or hotel bills....while others have lost their jobs. Lots of job losses still to come, but you might see it's the top end ones who survive.

 

[Grant85]

Like East Ren

Ha... my pay to play ratio was probably about £10 a game last year. Might be a bit higher this year right enough.

 

[peld]

I’ll hopefully play here at the end of the month with a group from our club at the fife residents rate.
To people moaning about the fees, I would never pay £150+ a round but if people will pay it then then as a business why not charge those rates? Same as why do people buy fancy cars when a basic car still goes from A to B. It’s a premium product that costs more money.

FWIW I see someone mentioned Gleneagles - although I didn’t pay, I have to say that is probably the most disappointing course I have played (for its price tag). Definitely not value for money.

 

[Foxholer]

Can't understand the mindset of the 'yank' visitor who travels to Scotland to play new tracks like Kingsbarns, Castle Stuart and probably this gaff as well. If I was coming all this way I would be playing the 'proper' traditional links tracks especially the quirky ones.

Ssh! Don't tell them!

Simple answer is that US vsitors in this price range don't come for the 'hidden gems'! They come for the 'big name' courses, like TOC, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, Turnberry, Trump Aberdeen/Turnberry, Dornoch and similar. So this one is aimed at that market. Looks pretty 'impressive' (if that's not a misnomer for linksland). Possibly unfortunate timing, but should eventually free up some tee times for 'proper' golfers on the gems nearby - like Cruden Bay, Murcar, Lundin, Levin on the East side or any of the 'Gales' on the West!

 

[davidy233]

Ssh! Don't tell them!

Simple answer is that US vsitors in this price range don't come for the 'hidden gems'! They come for the 'big name' courses, like TOC, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, Turnberry, Trump Aberdeen/Turnberry, Dornoch and similar. So this one is aimed at that market. Looks pretty 'impressive' (if that's not a misnomer for linksland). Possibly unfortunate timing, but should eventually free up some tee times for 'proper' golfers on the gems nearby - like Cruden Bay, Murcar, Lundin, Levin on the East side or any of the 'Gales' on the West!

Not sure about a couple of your 'nearby' examples - Cruden Bay is two and half hours North of Dumbarnie, Murcar a bit less but still around two hours without much traffic going through two cities.

A lad I know who plays football for Raith Rovers posted some pics on his Instagram yesterday after being invited to play, he said 'They've produced something very special and it will only get better'.

It wouldn't be my choice of where to play in an area which has loads of great courses within an hour and a half but I can definitely see their market if/when international travel opens up again. The American golf press have published at least one article this week which aim straight at the loads of cash, luxury links experience market.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Don't worry I won't tell them but the information is out there, plenty of talk about uk courses on places like GolfWRX forum.

Fortunately the US visitors just want to come over a tick off 'big names' from the list and have no interest in the real links experience.

Power of marketing at work on some of these courses that have only opened in the last few years.

I reckon we would get more than the current handful of US vistors if we doubled or trebled green fees but fortunately we have enough visitors to keep the course busy enough.

 

[Foxholer]

Not sure about a couple of your 'nearby' examples - Cruden Bay is two and half hours North of Dumbarnie, Murcar a bit less but still around two hours without much traffic going through two cities.
...

Agreed! But I was 'associating' them with Trump Aberdeen for high rolling US travellers. The likes of Crail, Leven and Lundin are gems for 'locals' near enough to 'Yank targets' of St Andrews/Kingsbarns and now/soon Dumbarnie. And there's several, such as Panmure or Monifieth, near Carnoustie (for Yanks) that are gems (for us) too! I probably confused you by switching track somewhat mid-post...apologies for that.

 

[CliveW]

I played Turnberry a few years ago and got talking to a group of Americans from New York. They told me that it was cheaper to fly to Scotland for the weekend and play the likes of Troon, Prestwick and Turnberry than to fly to Florida and play there!

 

[IanM]

I played Turnberry a few years ago and got talking to a group of Americans from New York. They told me that it was cheaper to fly to Scotland for the weekend and play the likes of Troon, Prestwick and Turnberry than to fly to Florida and play there!

Go back to the 90s and I used to go Easyjet from Bristol to Edinburgh or Belfast for the same reason!

 

[davidy233]

Agreed! But I was 'associating' them with Trump Aberdeen for high rolling US travellers. The likes of Crail, Leven and Lundin are gems for 'locals' near enough to 'Yank targets' of St Andrews/Kingsbarns and now/soon Dumbarnie. And there's several, such as Panmure or Monifieth, near Carnoustie (for Yanks) that are gems (for us) too! I probably confused you by switching track somewhat mid-post...apologies for that.

Yep - though Crail is on loads of American's 'bucket lists' too (seventh oldest club in the world seems to attract them) - My sister works for one of the high end tour companies in St Andrews that bring Americans, Chinese etc. over and you're are correct that Leven, Lundin Links, and any of the Angus courses except Carnoustie Championship get ignored by the rich tourists.

 

[CliveW]

Yep - though Crail is on loads of American's 'bucket lists' too (seventh oldest club in the world seems to attract them) - My sister works for one of the high end tour companies in St Andrews that bring Americans, Chinese etc. over and you're are correct that Leven, Lundin Links, and any of the Angus courses except Carnoustie Championship get ignored by the rich tourists.

The American's judge their courses by how much it costs. They won't entertain anything under £100 as they reckon it isn't good enough.

 

[davidy233]

The American's judge their courses by how much it costs. They won't entertain anything under £100 as they reckon it isn't good enough.

Actually i think they judge it by what the American golf press say (Golf magazine article on the new course is a total advert) and what other people at their club and online have told them about their trip to Scotland. To be fair if we were going to the States and had money to burn we'd be going somewhere we'd heard of.

 

[funkycoldmedina]

Has anyone played it? Thinking about taking the plunge on the scottish residents rate.

My Father in Law played it last Monday and said it was stunning. He did say it's a tough examination and if the wind blows it coukd be a brute.
Hopefully I'll be heading over to play it in the summer

 

[Liverbirdie]

I have bitten the bullet and booked a round for next week. Will report back

Whites, yellows or reds?

 

[peld]

I have bitten the bullet and booked a round for next week. Will report back

Played yet?
I’m going on the 29th.