Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

St Andrews residents angry over Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake sports bar plans

The celebrity duo's proposal to renovate the New Picture House in North Street has provoked a furious reaction.

Tiger Woods bade farewell to St Andrews during last year's Open Championship, but he's back with a new plan.
Tiger Woods bade farewell to St Andrews during last year's Open Championship, but he's back with a new plan.

Plans by Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake to open a sports bar in St Andrews have provoked a furious backlash.

Many locals have reacted with shock to the announcement the superstar duo want to open a “premium sports and entertainment gastro pub” in the town’s cinema.

If approved by Fife Council planners, the B-listed New Picture House in North Street would be converted to include large-screen TVs, golf simulators, duckpin bowling and darts.

And only one of the three cinema screens would be retained.

US golfing great Tiger said the concept would add to the community and be a welcoming place for both residents and visitors.

However, many have dismissed the scheme as billionaires buying up historical landmarks for their own benefit.

Proposal is ‘disrespectful and a bit cheeky’

St Andrews Community Council member Neil Dobson said he was shocked the pair would even think about trying to secure planning permission.

He said: “What’s next, Trump buying the West Sands for a hotel?

“I find this very disrespectful and a bit cheeky, to be honest.

Neil Dobson is against the Tiger Woods sports bar plan for St Andrews.
Neil Dobson is against the Tiger Woods sports bar plan for St Andrews.

“This town has been very good to Tiger Woods and this is not the way to repay residents.

“St Andrews is unique and that building is iconic. An American bar is completely out of keeping.”

Mr Dobson also fears the business would be aimed primarily at tourists rather than locals.

“It will be full of American golfers with nothing left in the town for children at all,” he said.

Tiger Woods St Andrews plan is ‘celebrity vanity project’

Meanwhile, resident Chris Main also expressed opposition.

He said: “It’s astonishing a university town loses its cinema to a multi-millionaire celebrity vanity project.

Justin Timberlake taking a swing
Justin Timberlake taking part in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship a few years ago. Image: Paul Reid

“St Andrews has had a cinema here since the 1930s. My mother and father courted there.

“It’s one of the few independent cinemas left in Scotland.”

And Joan Forbes added: “I’m sick of money people coming here and taking over.

“This will be fine for those and such as those, but kids won’t have a cinema.”

Others have described the plan as “another nail in the coffin” for St Andrews.

‘If you don’t use it, you lose it”

However, another community council member says St Andrews must move with the times.

Callum MacLeod said: “There has been a lot of strong reaction against this idea.

Callum MacLeod.

“But it’s the old story – if you don’t use it, you lose it.

“I’ve been to the cinema recently and there was hardly anyone there.

“If it was a flourishing cinema, as it used to be, then it wouldn’t be under threat.

“St Andrews is a tourist destination and the culture has changed. Things evolve and St Andrews must evolve with it.”

Plan will secure cinema’s long-term future

Woods and Timberlake are shareholders in real estate company Nexus Luxury Collection.

If approved, their establishment T-Squared Social will be their second bar – their first opened in New York last month.

Pop icon and movie star Timberlake said he had been to St Andrews many times to play golf.

Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake want to convert the cinema in St Andrews into a sports bar
David Morris outside the New Picture House in St Andrews.

And he added: “I’m honoured to be able to invest in the town and bring our second T-Squared Social here.”

Meanwhile, New Picture House managing director David Morris said the plan would secure the venue’s long-term future.

He added: “The planned T-Squared Social investment will enable the local community, students and visitors, the opportunity to experience a broader range of cinema, dining and entertainment at the popular venue.”

Conversation