Ryder Cup hero and recent winner on the European Tour Darren Clarke has unveiled his vision for his signature championship course at The Angus, a five-star resort near Broughty Ferry.
The Angus, an 18-hole links, is the centrepiece of an ambitious £55 million development. Designed so as to complement the world-famous Carnoustie links, it will follow in the footsteps of Clarke’s courses in Ireland and South Africa.
Crafted to challenge professionals through to amateur players, The Angus is set over more than 200 acres, with the course having a variety of tee platforms playing to between 6300 and 7000 yards. The development expands on the existing golf leisure development, Forbes of Kingennie Country Resort, at the site.
Clarke said yesterday, “When you first glimpse the landscape where The Angus will take shape, you can’t help but feel you’re somewhere Mother Nature intended for golf. It’s a stunning location which, as it matures, will become an even more memorable experience.
“I first stayed at Kingennie during The Open at Carnoustie in 2007 and fell in love with the place it’s beautiful and perfect for a championship course. The plans Mike Forbes has for The Angus as not just a golf course, but a leisure resort, are so impressive. When Mike asked me to get involved in The Angus, my eyes lit up at the prospect of getting to design a signature course. His passion to succeed reminds me of my own drive to win. We’ve worked so hard ever since that first day to create something special, for my fellow professionals to the keenest amateur.
“I’m working alongside the very talented people at Team Niblick, led by golf course architect Graeme Webster, who have laid the foundations for the course by blending the classic traditions of golf with their innovative and exciting approach to course design.
“We have some beautifully contoured land to work with and, being so close to Carnoustie, a short drive from St Andrews and on the road north towards Royal Aberdeen, The Angus really is in a magical position. I can’t wait to play it myself.”
In addition to The Angus links, the resort will also include a world-class golf youth academy led by one of Tiger Woods’s renowned coaches, Rudy Duran.
The new facility will create more than 200 full-time jobs, with some 300 posts being generated during the construction phase, which is forecast to boost the local economy by £19.2 million. Local authority officials and councillors approved the plans in November.
Local entrepreneur Mike Forbes and his team are now in discussions with international operators who will take The Angus project forward, with a focus on specialists in the United States, China, South Africa and the Middle East, whose expertise will ensure the facility and the area achieves a global reputation.