Views to the fore as hotel bosses plan glass-fronted bar next to the Old Course
● Drinkers can watch action while sitting on terrace
Hotel bosses are bidding to build a glass-fronted bar overlooking the most famous hole in golf.
Owners of the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews have unveiled plans for the luxury pub with views over the 17th, known as the Road Hole.
Drinkers will be able to sit on the 77-seat bar’s terrace and watch some of the world’s greatest golfers in action in the Fife town.
It is hoped that construction will be complete when the Old Course plays host to the 150th Open Championship in 2022.
The five-star hotel has submitted a planning application for the bar to Fife Council,which is due to make a decision in August.
A planning statement accompanying the application states: “The proposal will extend and improve the hotel’s guest offer, enhance the visitor experience and offer exceptional views out across the Old Course and West Sands.
“The need for the development is to continue to meet the demands for function space and to provide the highest quality of facilities to guests in a five-star hotel.
“The use of glass on the north and north-east elevations is designed to maximise and enhance views across the links and towards the town’s skyline, but also sensitively arranged to avoid overpowering the existing window forms and arrangements.
“The small-scale nature of the extension and the proposal to use like for like materials and finishes to match the existing hotel building is not likely to harm the setting or the historical significance of the St Andrews Links Designed Landscape.”
The hotel, which is owned by the Kohler Company, says it has had “positive” discussions about the project with management at the Old Course, known as the Home of Golf.
They said they would implement measures to ensure the bar had no impact on golfers playing rounds at the course in terms of noise.
Their statement said: “The development itself is not considered to result in any significant impacts on the amenity of the area.
“Furthermore early engagement and consultation with the St Andrews Links Trust and R&A (nearest neighbours managing the Old Course links) has been generally positive and they will be kept in close briefing as the project progresses onto construction.” The bar will be sited on the fourth floor of the hotel adjacent to the existing Road Hole restaurant. The
Kohler Company has undertaken several refurbishment and extension projects at the hotel in recent years, including full replacement of the main building roof, its windows and an upgrade to the ballroom.
The hotel is set to reopen to guests on 1 August following the coronavirus lockdown.
The development is not the first aimed at making the most of the prestigious golf course’s setting. The Scotsman reported in November that Scottish hotels group Macdonald Hotels had completed the sale of the landmark Rusacks Hotel in St Andrews.
Buyer AJ Capital had said it was set to “completely renovate” Rusacks, which is located overlooking the 18th hole of the Old Course.
Renovations originally due for completion in summer 2021 outlined a “reimagined” hotel with an additional 44 rooms and a roof-top bar and restaurant with panoramic views of the course and coastline.
“The proposal will extend and improve the hotel’s guest offer, enhance the visitor experience and offer exceptional views out across the Old Course”
PLANNING STATEMENT