BIG PLANS FOR ‘WORLD CLASS’ GOLF COURSE

Spey Bay is set to be renovated by the world-renowned golf course design team of Mike Clayton, Mike Devries and Frank Pont, after being bought over by cryptocurrency group Linksdao.

The links course, a part of the Fochabers landscape since 1907, is set for big changes at the hands of Linksdao.

The Us-based company has employed some of the world’s top golf course architects to renovate the course that first opened in 1907.

The team consists of Australian pro golfer Mike Clayton, experienced American architect Mike Devries and Frank Pont, who has worked on courses in New Zealand, England and Ireland.

Chris Haspell, who has also worked as head greenkeeper at Castle Stuart, while also working at Brora and Coul Links, has been appointed to lead the agronomy team on a consulting and advisory basis. The team plans to keep the character and history of the course intact, while creating a fully reversible 18-hole routing, with several different playing options.

Jim Dailly, founder of Linksdao, said: “One of the exciting things about our course, Spey Bay, is I’ve not seen any course that has so much direct play against the beach and the ocean.

“The architect partner we’ve chosen has an exceptional concept for how we’re going to create something unique and really special on this world class golf course site.

“One of the other great things we’ve been working on is that you don’t only get access to our golf course, but you get reciprocal access to four other golf courses in the area. We expect that number to go way up.

“We have an absolute all-star team of the best of the best of the golf world.

“They’re going to be transforming Spey Bay into something the world has never seen before.”