Tom Wesikopf, the 1973 Open champion, has completed a site visit to review progress of his design for The Feddinch Club, close to St Andrews, Scotland.
The course is the first to be constructed in the area since David McLay Kidd’s Castle course in 2008. It is being built on open fields southwest of the town, adjacent to The Duke’s course, which was revised and renovated by Tim Liddy in 2006.
“This is not a links golf course, although the site has some characteristics of links golf,” said Weiskopf. “There are blind and semi-blind shots, and open native grasses in the rough areas. It’s a parkland course with very good variation of elevation and a continual change of direction from hole to hole.”
The course has been routed and, following Weiskopf’s inspection, various design changes will be made and the first stages of drainage will be installed.
Ewan McKay, chairman of The Feddinch Club, said: “Tom has created a genuinely timeless design that will provide a pleasurable and memorable experience for players of all levels of expertise, who may walk, with or without caddies, or use carts, which is exceptional in this area.”
Paying homage to his 1973 Open win, the layout will include 73 bunkers and play 7,373 yards from the back tees. The middle tees will play 6,600 yards and forward tees 5,484 yards.
The course will have revetted bunkers on every hole and has been designed with short distances between greens and the following tees. Fairways will be “wide and fast running” and “each expansive green will present interesting challenges that will require a fair test of skill,” according to the club.
A large double green for the ninth and eighteenth holes will sit directly in front of the clubhouse. Also near the clubhouse, a short ‘bye’ hole will allows unsettled competitions to be decided.
The third, ninth, fifteenth and eighteenth holes all return close to the clubhouse, allowing various loops of holes to be played.
The Feddinch Club, which will be operated as a private member-owned club, will also be home to a comprehensive practice facility that features a 400-yard driving range, short game area with various bunker styles and a putting green that reflects on-course conditions.
The clubhouse, designed by the Glasgow-based G1 Architects firm that created the clubhouses for Kingsbarns and Castle Stuart, will include 45 guest rooms. “The club will be, for all intents and purposes, a home away from home for its members, who may call upon the concierge team to organise play on the many famous courses within easy reach, as well as trips to places of interest,” said McKay.