Playsport complex to feature tribute course
A 100-acre £20m (€25m) Playsport complex combining golf, football, tennis and swimming is planned for East Kilbride in Scotland.
Playsport Scotland is projected to open in March next year and will feature the country's first 'tribute' golf course, based on some of Great Britain's most famous links holes, and designed to cater for fans of the sport's latest development – PowerPlay Golf.
The sports-complex project is expected to create around 200 new jobs and is the result of a partnership between Playgolf Holdings, South Lanarkshire Council, and Kilmartin Property Group.
The tribute golf course was designed by former British and World Amateur champion Peter McEvoy. The British links holes used by the architect as inspiration for the course layout include: the second hole at Turnberry; the fourth at Muirfield; the fourth at Royal Lytham & St Annes; the sixteenth at Carnoustie; and the eleventh and seventeenth at St Andrews.
"Work is well underway on our first Scottish venture and we're tremendously excited about the huge potential to make a significant and beneficial impact on sports participation locally and nationally," said Playgolf 's commercial director, Jimmy Wallace. "A key part of our offering is about bringing down the barriers that exist in golf and tennis – or any of the sports we feature – by increasing access and encouraging participation.
"We have a great track record as a provider of community golf services thanks to partnerships with various local authorities in the UK and we're delighted to be working alongside South Lanarkshire Council to develop a multisport facility that will benefit the local community hugely, as well as sports enthusiasts of all ages throughout Scotland."
This article first appeared in issue 14 of Golf Course Architecture, published in October 2008.