Dundonald Links golf course acquired by Darwin
Dundonald Links, one of Scotland’s leading championship golf courses has been acquired by the Darwin Leisure Development Fund. The club, which has hosted the Scottish Open and is considered to be among the 100 finest golf courses in the world, was sold by Loch Lomond Golf Club for £4.5 million.
Dundonald Links will now join the Darwin Escapes Golf portfolio of golf courses, which also includes The Springs in Oxfordshire and The KP Club in Yorkshire. Darwin Escapes has recently made a multi-million pound investment to upgrade the clubhouse facilities and course at The Springs and has ambitious plans to transform the clubhouse at Dundonald Links in order to create a state-of-the art facility with high quality leisure and dining options and a market-leading indoor performance centre.
Commenting on the acquisition, Anthony Esse, Chief Executive of Darwin Alternatives, the Investment Advisor to the Darwin Leisure Development Fund, said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce the addition of Dundonald Links to the Darwin Escapes portfolio of golf courses. Dundonald Links is world-renowned for good reason, it is simply a stunning place to play golf, and we plan to make a significant investment to ensure that the clubhouse facilities are worthy of this wonderful course and that Dundonald Links becomes one of the finest golf clubs in the UK. As a keen golfer myself, I can’t wait to work with the highly skilled team at Dundonald Links and implement the changes needed in order to achieve this.”
Situated in the heart of Ayrshire’s golf coast, close to the town of Troon and just 30 miles from Glasgow, Dundonald Links is an 18 hole championship links course designed by Kyle Phillips. The course hosted the Scottish Open in 2017 and also the Ladies Scottish Open in 2015 and 2016. Dundonald Links was opened in 2003 and its design was inspired by the timeless architecture of the great Ayrshire links courses of Royal Troon, Prestwick and Western Gailes. At the time Kyle Phillips said that his intention was to “create a championship Ayrshire links that felt and played as though it was an old, rediscovered course” and Dundonald is now regarded as one of Europe’s “must play” links courses.
Dundonald Links is also well known for its pioneering environmental practices and sits at the forefront of Scotland’s leading position in sustainable golf course management. There is a strong focus on schemes to ensure the natural environment in which Dundonald Links sits is robustly protected and enhanced where possible. This has been recognised with awards such as STRI’s Environmental Golf Course of the Year 2014 and IAGTO’s Sustainable Golf Course of the Year 2015.
Darwin Escapes operates 21 award-winning lodge resorts, holiday parks and golf courses around the UK and is recognised as a pioneering leader which has transformed the face of the UK leisure park industry.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Sarah Parks, Head of Marketing Darwin Alternative Investment Management Limited Tel: +44 (0)20 7408 1060 Email: sarah@darwinalternatives.com
Notes to Editors
Darwin Alternative Investment Management Limited www.darwinalternatives.com
Darwin Alternative Investment Management (Darwin) is an independent investment house which acts as the Investment Advisor to the Darwin Leisure Development Fund.
The £120m* Darwin Leisure Development Fund owns and operates a portfolio of 4 UK holiday parks and golf courses and combines a secure yield that is well in excess of inflation with business strategies that create sustainable shareholder value. Investors in the Darwin Leisure Development Fund include a number of UK pension funds.
The Fund’s holiday parks and golf courses are marketed through Darwin Escapes, which operates a total of 21 lodge resorts, holiday parks and golf courses throughout the UK: https://www.darwinescapes.co.uk/ or https://www.darwinescapes.co.uk/golf
*as at 31 January 2019.
This press release is issued and approved by Darwin Alternative Investment Management Limited of Empire House, 175 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9EN. This document is not an offer to sell or an invitation to apply for any product or service of Darwin. Darwin Alternative Investment Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
