Founded in 1786, Crail Golfing Society might be the seventh oldest golf club in the world, but its new performance hub could not be more modern.
Crail Golfing Society, a highly rated 36-hole club situated on the Fife coastline, is planning to add more chapters to its history with a series of carefully thought-out investments to enhance its impressive offering for future golfing generations.
The club has approved projects to develop its existing facilities, having received planning permission for a fully covered ‘Practice and Performance Hub’ stretching over six bays, as well as a state-of-the-art swing studio to ensure golfers of all skill levels can receive tuition and carry out practice without having to brave the elements in adverse weather conditions. The bespoke facility was designed with a cantilevered roof to minimise ricochets while providing shelter, and the recycled rubber sports floor reduces ball strike impact.
“The recent incorporation has allowed the society to reset its focus, and through the ongoing member-wide consultation, determine what sort of club we are and want to be, which in turn has translated into a set of strategic objectives that we can all work towards,” said Dr Jane Green, chair of the board. “The driving range project has been driven by the requests from members for better practice facilities, and we expect to see a significant increase in the current usage of more than 180,000 balls per year, particularly amongst junior golfers who are the future of our club.
“The focus for the board has been on improving the overall experience, especially for our members with more tee time availability. We currently have a four-year waiting list in place for membership and strong reserves that can finance further development so we’re very proud to say that the future looks bright for our historic club.”
Crail has long been associated with the development of junior golf from when the first junior medal was held in 1880 to the modern day of offering subsidised lessons for an average of 35 under 15-year-olds for 15 weeks every summer for the past 17 years. The improved driving range will further enhance the club’s connection with juniors and wider local community through events like the ‘Junior Golf Skills’ challenge during the week of the Crail Festival in July and national initiatives like the Scottish Golf ‘Get Into Golf’ scheme.
Commenting on the improvements, head professional David Snodgrass said: “We have designed the Members ‘Practice and Performance Hub’ with the aim of delivering one of the best practice and tuition facilities at a members’ club in Scotland and this new facility will allow members to use their club more often especially when the weather is at its worst which would normally result in quieter days at the club.”
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