The Link Spring 2023

Spring time at the Links

Welcome to the The Link!

As the Chief Executive of Carnoustie Golf Links, I am pleased to welcome you all to our community newsletter. It is our pleasure to share with you the latest news and updates.

At Carnoustie Golf Links, we strongly believe in giving back to the community we serve. Our community benefits programme is designed to provide charitable donations to local good causes, and we are proud to say that we have been able to make a significant impact in our local community through our donations. We believe that by working together, we can make a positive difference in the lives of those around us.

Our golf development programme has also been very successful, and we are delighted to see so many people taking an interest in this fantastic sport. We believe that golf has the power to bring people together and promote healthy, active lifestyles. Through our golf development programme, we are committed to making golf accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender, or ability.

We understand that trust is essential in any relationship, and we want to assure you that at Carnoustie Golf Links, we take our responsibility to the local community very seriously. We are committed to delivering the very best golf courses for local people and for visitors from all over the world. Being a destination for golf tourism enables the Links to function as an important employer in the town, providing permanent and seasonal opportunities to over 300 local people. If you fancy getting involved, our annual recruitment drive is now underway. We also welcome any feedback or suggestions you may have, so please get in touch.

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter, and we look forward to continuing our work with the local community.

Michael Wells, Chief Executive, Carnoustie Golf Links.

We are delighted to bring this new edition of The Link to you - sharing the latest exciting news, entertainment, community information and lots more!

We’ve recently released a wonderful film, named ‘A Day In The Life Of A Carnoustie Greenkeeper’. Giving an insight into the hard work and dedication of Carnoustie’s Greenkeeping team. If you haven’t seen the film yet, please head over to our social channels where you will find the video.

The Rookery Restaurant and Bar has had another incredibly busy festive season and we’ve had some wonderful reviews from guests who have been enjoying their time trying the latest additions to the menu! Our team have been busy working on some new events to bring you different experiences. Like our sold out Gin Tasting Experience Dinner in conjunction with The Gin Bothy, which took place on 17th February. Keep an eye out on our social channels and website for more details about what’s coming up at The Rookery - including some wonderful entertainment from a variety of local musicians.

We asked for your community news and are thrilled to be able to share lots of your updates, activities and stories within another edition of The Link. Please read on to find out more, help spread the word and utilise these fantastic groups and organisations should you need them.

This winter season has certainly kept all of us here at Carnoustie Golf Links on our toes! With some uncharacteristically cold spells, flooding and ever-changing conditions, it has presented some

challenges for our teams! We thank you for your cooperation and patience during these times and hope that should you be a keen golfer or someone who simply enjoys walking the Links, that you have had the pleasure of heading out during some of the more favourable weather!

We hope that you enjoy this latest edition of The Link and please remember to give us your feedback to be in with a chance of winning a £50 voucher to spend at The Rookery restaurant & bar.

Our latest survey... Tell us what you think!

Post-pandemic we’re beginning to find our rhythm with The Link newsletter, but we know there’s always room to improve! That’s why we’ve been running our reader surveys following each issue. We’re excited to be able to bring you another survey and would be delighted if you would be able to complete it, giving us some of your views and thoughts on the newsletter.

Read on, and you’ll see some results from our previous surveys! To give us your feedback on how we can make The Link even better, please visit: https://bit.ly/Winter-22-23-Survey or use the QR Code opposite.

Enter, to be in with a chance of winning a £50 voucher to spend at The Rookery.

News from The Links

O Christmas Tree...

O Christmas Tree...

We were delighted to contribute to the festive decorations in Carnoustie, by donating the town Christmas tree, helping to add some festive cheer to our High Street.

Meet the Chef

We’re introducing you to The Rookery’s Head Chef - Jonny Greer who has been a welcome addition to the Team here at the Links, bringing with him plenty of passion and energy as well as years of experience. Read on for more details.

Over quarter of a million pounds has now been donated to local good causes

We were delighted to welcome various guests from local causes and organisations to Links House on 17th October 2022, to present them with their awards. Carnoustie Golf Links Management Committee were very happy to provide a wonderful total of £42,767 in donations to the selection of worthy local causes.

Thank you to the Scouts

Given that The Link is intended to provide the local community with the latest information from Carnoustie, we couldn’t be happier to work alongside other local groups.

We want to hear from you!

QVAS Ceremony

We were honoured to welcome members and volunteers of Carnoustie Memories to Links House in November to commemorate a momentous occasion – handing over the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service to founder of the memory loss charity, Lorraine Young.

Lord Lieutenant for Angus, Pat Sawers, proudly handed over the award in a wonderful celebration of the commitment and hard work undertaken by the volunteers, carers and members of the foundation.

The Rookery provided a celebratory Afternoon Tea for all attendees of the awards ceremony.

The local Scouts group has been a fantastic support for us and have done a wonderful job of delivering The Link to the c. 6,000 households within our outreach area. We are delighted to be able to contribute funds to the group as payment for their hard work.

Did you know?

As part of Carnoustie’s new Irrigation system, 1,872 sprinklers have been installed on The Championship Course alone! Additional sprinkler heads were added to facilitate more efficient water usage.

The Carnoustie Community Christmas Tree, pictured here, was located by the Carnoustie War Memorial on the High Street.

Photo credit: Gareth Jennings/DC Thomson

Golf Development at Carnoustie Golf Links

Golfers with Disabilities

November saw the start of our winter golf coaching for golfers with disabilities at Carnoustie. After an enjoyable summer playing The Nestie Course and practicing at the driving range, sessions moved indoors to the Performance Centre, taking place every Wednesday evening between 5pm and 6pm.

Led by our PGA Professionals in our Golf Development Team, golfers received tuition on grip, swing and shot techniques whilst using the state-of-the-art golf simulators within our indoor Performance Centre.

Our Golfers with Disabilities sessions are run in partnership with our friends at Scottish Disability Sport and Dundee Dragons Wheelchair Sports Club and are open to golfers in the local community with a disability from the age of ten years old and upwards.

If you would like any more information or have friends or relatives who may be interested, please contact our Golf Development team: golfdevelopment@carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk

Women’s Get Into Golf

In the past four years our Women’s Get Into Golf Programme at Carnoustie Golf Links has introduced over 150 local women to the sport. Many have since taken up golf as a social hobby with others progressing to join some of the local golf clubs and even going on to become a Carnoustie Golf Links Ladies Rosebowl Champion!

The fantastic coaching programme, run by our Golf Development team, introduces the participants to weekly coaching sessions and also gives them the opportunity to play each week on our 5-hole development course, The Nestie. We have also hosted social events for participants including end of season social nights and a trip to the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in 2019, adding to the fun and relaxed approach of the programme. The goal of the programme is to give women the opportunity to enjoy golf through fun and engaging sessions that allows each golfer to progress at their own pace of learning in a sociable environment.

We run sessions from April to September (4 x 5 week blocks) with coaching sessions available at various times on Mondays and playing sessions available on Wednesdays. If you or someone you know would be interested in the sessions, please contact our Golf Development team: golfdevelopment@carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk

We need you!

We would love your opinions! Can you spare 5 minutes to take part in our feedback survey?

https://bit.ly/Winter-22-23-Survey

Edna Kelly, Women’s Get Into Golf Participant and Rosebowl Winner 2022 Attending the Solheim Cup in 2019

Custom Fittings to improve your game

The start of 2023 saw the exciting launch of the brand new Taylormade Golf Stealth 2 Driver, Fairway Wood and Iron range.

The Golf Development team at Carnoustie Golf Links are pleased to offer a comprehensive custom fitting service on the new range with a wonderful variety of shaft and club head fitting options to ensure you leave your session with the right clubs to help improve your golf.

To book your custom fitting session, please contact the golf development team by emailing: golfdevelopment@carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk

Alternatively, you can speak to a member of our friendly team who will be more than happy to help you with your enquiry, either in The Professional Shop or at the Guest Relations desk within Links House.

The Craws’ Nest Tassie 2023

Custom Fitting

Book online, just scan the QR code.

Did you know?

Looking ahead to summer golf, The Craws Nest Tassie again gets the season off to a flyer as we see 348 competitors from across the world coming to Carnoustie to compete in one of Carnoustie’s most historic and iconic amateur events. The town’s bars and hotels will be bustling as usual and we look forward to welcoming all of the players to the town.

Last year saw Carnoustie Golf Club member Scott Mann triumph for a record fourth time and he will be back this year to defend his title. The event takes place from Monday 1st May to Saturday 6th May and everyone in the local community is encouraged to come and watch some great golf. To find out more about the tournament, head over to our website.

The new water source for our irrigation systems is drawn from Links land. We have created two boreholes with a depth of 100 metres each! This new system will be more efficient for water usage and will support our drive to engage in more sustainable practices.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship: A Review

2022 saw another exciting Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, with a host of celebrities and professional golfers descending on Carnoustie, including Keane’s Tom Chaplin, Linkin Park’s David Farrell, music giant Ronan Keating and Mike Rutherford from Genesis. A number of big names from the golfing world also made their way to Carnoustie including Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre and Francesco Molinari.

The final day of the competition took place on the Old Course at St Andrews where Ryan Fox claimed victory, finishing one shot ahead of Callum Shinkwin and Alex Noren with an impressive final round of 68. The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship takes place every year over the courses at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews and the first three days of the competition are free to attend. Look out for more information on 2023’s event later in the year.

Rory McIlroy at Carnoustie in 2022

Photograph by Foremost Golf Photography

Community News

Colourful Carnoustie and the Rest (Rock) Garden

Carnoustie is full of green spaces, some of them named and some not. The Rest Garden, as many of you will know, is the small park diagonally opposite the Leisure Centre, and it forms a convenient shortcut from Ferrier St to the facilities on Links Parade. For this reason The R&A used it as the main entrance to the Open Golf Tournament in 2018.

Financial pressures pose challenges for the maintenance of all the green spaces in the town, so over the years Colourful Carnoustie (a voluntary group), has taken over the maintenance of certain areas, such as the train station, the planters and summer hanging baskets in the town centre, along with various other areas.

East Haven Together

East Haven Together are a group who are committed to developing resilience and achieving a sustainable future for those who live, visit or work in the area. They work closely and collaboratively with other groups and organisations both within Angus and across Scotland.

In 2003 residents helped fund the first section of National Cycle Network 1 to connect Carnoustie with East Haven for walkers and cyclists to enjoy and utilise for travel and leisure. The path was further extended up the coast in 2012 and now attracts thousands of visitors every year.

The public toilets known locally as the ‘wee gallery’ are the only public facility in East Haven. They are cleaned and managed by residents who provide flowers and display their own paintings to create a warm welcome to all.

Volunteers meet every Thursday morning between March and October to maintain coastal community gardens and the general amenity of the area. Groups including school children are welcomed throughout the year to take part in various activities to learn more about local history and natural heritage. The group undertake a lot of work to protect and conserve the marine environment and promote biodiversity. Working towards sustainable development goals has led to the achievement of many national awards in recognition of East Haven’s work.

If you would like to get involved with East Haven Together’s initiative, then please contact: easthaventogether@gmail.com

Have you got news or an event to share with the community?

Just email: community@carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk using the subject line ‘The Link Community’.

After the Open, The R&A provided funds and asked Colourful Carnoustie to try and restore parts of the Rest Garden. The rockery, established in 1938, had completely vanished under large bushes and trees, and various other beds were in a poor state. Unfortunately lock-down delayed the start of any work. However, since June 2021 we have managed, slowly but surely, to make some improvements. Hundreds of bulbs have been planted, perennial and heather beds created, hedging and picnic benches installed, parts of the rockery uncovered and long-hidden stone edging for the paths dug up, also the entrance to the garden from Ferrier St has been tarmacked.

Over the next few years, manpower permitting, we will continue to develop the rockery, install an Information board, and more seating.

Help is always needed - for weeding, watering, digging, ideas, so feel free to contact us through our Facebook page or at colourfulcarnoustie@outlook.com. During 2022-23 we are also one of the recipients of the Co-op Local Community Fund, so do please join the Co-op and support us on co-operate.coop.co.uk

Above: Volunteers of the East Haven Together group working on community projects

The Wheels Are Turning Once Again

To our delight the wheels at Cycling Without Age Carnoustie are well and truly turning once again. This free facility is designed for those with limited mobility within the community so, please come along and enjoy. Cycling Without Age are delighted to have recruited and trained a fantastic group of additional volunteer pilots from the Carnoustie area, all of whom are ready and keen to take passengers out once again in 2023.

Trips during 2022 have brought joy to all our ‘passengers’ who have loved returning to the seafront and having the feeling of ‘the wind in their hair’, the miles of smiles associated with each trip tells it’s own story. Trips along the sea front, chatting to passers by, and on better days enjoying the pleasure of an ice cream whilst taking in the views. The observation of the Trishaws in action has proved to be a real talking point amongst visitors.

For our Pilots, this is a great way to keep fit whilst doing something hugely rewarding within our community. For further information email: lyoung37@btinternet.com or text 07876 743 666

Carnoustie Panbride Church: Coffee & Chat

Our church halls are open daily for community use including dancing, yoga, pilates, the Carnoustie Pipe Band and Arbroath & Carnoustie Instrumental Band also enjoy using the halls. We are home to Angus & Dundee Bird Club as well as Carnoustie Recorded Music Circle, and we were delighted to welcome back Primary 6 of Carlogie School with their fairtrade, Fairlogie Café. Something that is important to us is bringing people together, especially in these cold, dark winter months. Weekly we have a ‘Coffee & Chat’ where people can meet together in a warm space and have a conversation over a hot drink and a tasty pancake. The Friendship Circle meets once a fortnight with guest speakers and musical groups. We also have a Men’s Breakfast once per month where the men of the community get together and chat over a delicious hot roll.

We are the venue for the monthly Alzheimer Scotland Carnoustie Drop-In. Recognising the need to support people living with forms of dementia and their families, a member of our congregation recently started Panbride Musical Memories which takes place on the last Wednesday of the month in Panbride Hall. This is a time of music and fun, an opportunity to sing songs old and new and it is a delight to see how a song can bring back so many memories.

If you are interested in any of the events above, please contact Rev Annette Gordon on: 01241 854478.

The Co-op Local Community Fund

“I’m Sophie Thompson and I am the Member Pioneer for Co-op. I am part of the Community & Membership Participation Team, covering Carnoustie. I work in partnership with our Barry Road and High Street store managers, colleagues, people in the community and our members. My role focuses on connecting and supporting the community to improve fairer access to Food, Mental Health Services and Education.

The Co-op Local Community Fund is our largest fund and each year 3 local causes are chosen by our in store colleagues to be supported. When members buy our own branded products 1p from every £1 spent goes to local causes. This round, the 3 local causes are; Food is Free Carnoustie, Colourful Carnoustie and Carnoustie Panmure Community Football Club. Be sure to go on our Membership App or call us using the number on the back of your card to select which local cause you would like to support. I would love to connect with local community groups and projects, send me an email at: sophie.thompson@coop.co.uk

Catch me on social media on Twitter @SoMemberPioneer and on Instagram @So_Mantra.”

The Carnoustie Community Cafe

Open every Tuesday from 12pm - 3pm at The Comrie Hall, Links Ave, Carnoustie, the café is run by the community for the community. The Wee Wander walking group is also available prior to the café opening, with walks starting at 11:30am. Having a venue available to the walkers is important due to the unpredictable weather of Scotland. These activities hope to bring people together who may be isolated, have physical or mental health issues, aiming to improve overall health and wellbeing to the members of our community, and to give volunteering opportunities to those who want to give something back to their community.

The Café promotes healthy food options, providing a variety of meal choices in return for an optional donation. Hot and cold drinks also available during sessions. Find out more, email: mcneild@angus.gov.uk or call: 07552009952

What’s been happening at Carnoustie Golf Links?

Winner of Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality Award!

Carnoustie Golf Links were delighted to have been awarded the Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality Award at The Courier Business Awards on Saturday 29th October, 2022.

We were thrilled to win this prestigious award, noting our accomplishments in service excellence, brand building and future strategy along with our commitment to attracting talent and upskilling our workforce.

A Round on The Championship Course with Paul Lawrie

Nina Fischer claimed her prize having become the first ever winner of The Carnoustie 10-Hole Championship in 2021 by playing her round on The Carnoustie Championship Course with Paul Lawrie and her brother Zach on Monday 3rd October, 2022.

We are delighted to host the Carnoustie 10-Hole Championship in association with The Double A Trading Company. Plans are already underway in preparation for the 2023 Carnoustie 10-Hole Championship! Have you got what it takes to compete?

Find out more about our Season Ticket Holder Tournaments on our website.

Survey Results

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our feedback surveys to date - we very much value your opinions and take your comments on board. Here’s some of the feedback we’ve received so far:

We asked you, “What do you like best about The Link?”

And it was the “Content & Information” that came out on top!

You said, that you “Loved reading about what’s going on at the Links”

We asked you “What else you’d like to see included in The Link?”

You said you’d like to see more about “Ecology news from around the courses” so look out for more ecology news in the future!

You said you’d like to see more about “The first class service provided by the Caddie Master and her team of caddies” so we included some features on our wonderful Carnoustie Caddies in the Autumn 2022 issue of The Link.

We asked you “How much information would you like to see in The Link”

The majority of you said it was “just right”

Please continue to provide us with your valuable feedback by completing our latest survey and be in with the chance of winning £50 to spend at The Rookery!

Photograph by Kim Cessford / DC Thomson

In order: Nina Fischer, Zach Fischer, Paul Lawrie

Photograph by Foremost Golf Photography

Community Benefits Programme

We are very proud to announce that Carnoustie Golf Links Management Committee have now donated more than £250k to the local community!

Back in October, The Rookery welcomed those accepting awards of the Community Benefits Programme to a wonderful presentation evening. Carnoustie Golf Links were delighted to provide £42,767 in this round of donations.

Community Benefits Convener, David Cheape presented the awards to the attendees who had been successful in their submissions.

To find out more about Carnoustie Golf Links Community Benefit Programme, visit: www.carnoustiegolflinks.com/about-us/ charity

Caddies Generosity

Throughout the 2022 season, Caddies at Carnoustie have, on a daily basis, put their loose change into a collection bucket in support of Carnoustie Memories. The Carnoustie Memories Group is a registered charity that operates out of Links House specifically to support those living in the community with dementia as well as other forms of memory loss and those who feel socially isolated. Ailsa Roy, Caddy Master, and her Team have been the driving force behind this fantastic fundraiser! At the end of the Season the bucket collection revealed an absolutely amazing total of £701.80p!

A huge shout of ‘FORE’ to a totally amazing group of Caddies!!

Winners at the Scottish Golf Tourism Awards

We are absolutely thrilled to have won not one, but two awards at the Scottish Golf Tourism Awards in February this year! Having been shortlisted in the four following categories: ‘Best Course over £150’ (The Carnoustie Championship Course); ‘Best Pro Shop’; ‘Best Clubhouse’; and ‘Best Sustainability Project’.

A wonderful evening of celebration took place at The Fairmont hotel and it was amazing to end the night on a high, taking home the Awards in ‘Best Pro Shop’ category and ‘Best Course over £150’ for The Carnoustie Championship Course.

We were truly delighted to win two awards and to be shortlisted in two further categories at the prestigious event, and believe this is a great nod of recognition and a testament to our commitment to deliver a wonderful service not only to our visiting golfers, but our Season Ticket Holders and guests alike.

Did you know?

The Championship Course’ new irrigation system embraces individual sprinkler head control with many more sprinklers irrigating smaller areas so water can be targeted specifically across the course.

Where we can use less water, we in turn use less power, therefore saving on energy consumption!

The Rookery The Year for Celebrations

A place to celebrate any special occasion

If you’re looking for the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion with friends and family then The Rookery is the place to be. We’re thinking birthday parties, retirements, graduation, engagements, promotions and any other excuse to get together for a toast!

Our delicious lunch and dinner menus are designed so that you can eat, drink and relax whilst we look after the rest. Our drinks menu is full of exciting flavours, including plenty of cocktails, mocktails, wines and spirits for your to enjoy.

Soak up the great atmosphere, excellent service and wonderful panoramic views whilst enjoying some fantastic food and drink in our bright and spacious restaurant.

Looking to enjoy a more intimate dinner setting?

The Rookery’s private dining room is best suited to a maximum of 12 guests. You can enjoy the high standard of service you expect, whilst taking in the wonderful views in a space dedicated to you and your guests.

Got a special request?

Our team are on hand to make your day great, so anything that you’d like us to include that’s unique to your group, just let us know and we’ll talk you through your options.

The Rookery Restaurant and Bar

Introducing our Head Chef Jonathan Greer

Hailing from Northern Ireland, Jonny’s passion for food has gained widespread recognition within the hospitality industry. He previously worked with Paul Rankin at Roscoff, the first eatery in Belfast to receive a Michelin star. Jonny then moved to Scotland to work at the iconic Gleneagles Hotel where he held the position of Sous Chef. After gaining wonderful experience, Jonny left to work at another of Scotland’s most acclaimed hotels - Ballathie House Hotel - where he started as Sous Chef and was later promoted to Head Chef.

During Jonny’s career he has been fortunate to cook for some well known people including HRH King Charles & HRH Queen Consort Camilla, along with providing private dining for world-renowned author JK Rowling, actor John Travolta and many more!

Jonny has always looked for new opportunities to hone an already fine-tuned skill set by completing further training experience at some of the best restaurants including Michelle Roux Jr’s, Le Gavroche, and formerly, Marco Pierre White’s, Mirabelle. Jonny’s expertise has been further acknowledged, when he became a finalist in the Scottish Chef of the Year Award twice and has completed in various other competitions in London were he was finalist in Sous Chef category, as well as Wine Sommelier of the Year. Jonny enjoys assisting the Federation of Chefs Scotland judging panel during competitions and has been a mentor for Future Chef.

Jonny’s Cooking Style:

Jonny’s personal culinary style utilises Scottish seasonal produce, cooked simply and imaginatively presented. Specifically, enjoying the plentiful freshly sourced seafood and shellfish from Scotland along with utilising what can be found in our natural environment. Jonny’s favourite dish is his wife’s Dromona Chicken, an indulgently creamy casserole, finished with a side of broccoli.

A Fantastic Festive Season

We want to take an opportunity to thank everyone who joined us during the festive season. We truly hope that you had a wonderful time and enjoyed your dining experience with us!

It was a busy time for all of our dedicated staff and we would like to say a special thank you to them too, but for now, we are back to our à la carte lunch and dinner menus where there are plenty of mouthwatering dishes for you to choose from.

Our drinks menu has lots of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, from delicious cocktails, mocktails, wines and spirits.

What’s your favourite tipple?

Our talented team will take part in the Scottish Culinary Championships

Two of our talented team from The Rookery will participate in the exciting and prestigious Scottish Culinary Championships.

Junior Sous Chef, Jason Cargill, is practicing to compete in the ‘Scottish Young Chef of the Year’ category. While Supervisor, Angus Geekie, will compete in the ‘Cocktail Mixology’ category.

The exciting competition will take place at ScotHot - Scotland’s leading showcase for food, drink, hospitality and tourism - which runs on 8th & 9th of March 2023, at the SEC in Glasgow.

We’d like to wish Jason and Angus good luck for the competition and we are keeping our fingers crossed for them!

Season Ticket Holders’ News

Celebrating our 2022 Season Ticket Holder Tournament Winners!

Andrew Lamont Bailey Dickson

Cameron Goodlad Claire Penman

Dan Morris

Daniel Elder

Edna Kelly

Finlay Hazelwood

Gavin Anderson

Graeme Duncan

Hannah Robinson

Keith McMillan

Zachary Fischer

Heather Strathdee Finlay Elrick

Neil Farquharson Ben Teviotdale Freya Dolan

Recruitment & Well-Being Open Day

We were delighted to host our very first Recruitment Open Day plus our Health and Well-Being Open Day on Tuesday 28th February!

It was wonderful to welcome lots of local guests who had the opportunity to explore the recruitment opportunities available at the Links plus a chance to meet some of the senior management team, explore the facilities and learn more about the roles available.

Furthermore, over 32 local mental health and well-being services and charities were on site in The Rookery to share a wealth of information with everyone in attendance.

We welcomed over 130 guests to Links House and The Rookery, all-in-all a great day was had by all! Thank you to everyone who came along.

Our Community Liaison Officer, Donald Archibald, Retires

Donald Archibald, our very own Community Liaison Officer, has retired. Donald plans on spending his retirement playing more golf and going on more holidays. We’d like to thank Donald for all of his hard work in this role, and we are certainly jealous of his retirement plans! If you’d like to get in touch with us about any community related topics, including our Community Benefits Awards, please continue to email us at: community@carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk

View our current vacancies

Women’s and Men’s Health Sessions

We were delighted to invite The Dr. Explains to Carnoustie Golf Links in early November for invaluable Men’s and Women’s Health Sessions.

These sessions were offered to the whole team at Carnoustie and were thoroughly engaging, covering multiple topics ranging from prostate health and menopause to lifestyle advice and the barriers to us accessing help or addressing anxiety.

Did you know?

Our free to use development course, The Nestie, will have 74 sprinklers installed once our irrigation project is complete!

Tournament Winners (in order on previous page)

Daniel Elder

Paul Lawrie Summer Meeting -

The Championship Course - Scratch

Zachary Fischer

Nicoll Cup

Cameron Goodlad

Gents Links Championship

Claire Penman

Ladies Links Championship;

Paul Lawrie Summer Meeting -

The Burnside Course - Scratch;

The Carnoustie 10-Hole ChampionshipScratch

Edna Kelly

Ladies Rosebowl

Graeme Duncan

Paul Lawrie Summer Meeting -

The Buddon Course - Handicap

Gavin Anderson

Paul Lawrie Summer Meeting -

The Championship Course - Handicap

Heather Strathdee

Craws Pairs Matchplay

Daniel Morris

Ben Hogan Championship

Keith McMillan

The Carnoustie Matchplay Championship

Andrew Lamont

The Carnoustie 10-Hole ChampionshipScratch

Bailey Dickson

Paul Lawrie Summer Meeting -

The Burnside Course - Handicap; Craws Pairs Matchplay

Hannah Robinson

Paul Lawrie Summer Meeting -

The Burnside Course - Handicap

Finlay Elrick

The Carnoustie 10-Hole ChampionshipPlayoff

Neil Farquharson

The Carnoustie 10-Hole ChampionshipHandicap

Ben Teviotdale

Craws Pairs Matchplay; Junior October Holiday - Handicap

Freya Dolan

Craws Pairs Matchplay

Finlay Hazelwood

Junior Links Championship; Junior October Holiday - Scratch

Bruce Merilees (not photographed)

Paul Lawrie Summer Meeting -

The Burnside Course - Scratch

Sandy Norrie (not photographed)

Paul Lawrie Summer MeetingThe Buddon Course - Scratch

Lis Husband (not photographed)

The Carnoustie 10-Hole ChampionshipHandicap

Rory Ferguson (not photographed)

The Carnoustie 10-Hole ChampionshipUnder 18s - Handicap

Greens’ News What’s happening on the courses?

Short Film: A Day in the Life of A Carnoustie Greenkeeper

Have you seen our short film: A Day in the Life of A Carnoustie Greenkeeper?

We are delighted to share with you our latest video from Carnoustie Golf Links - A day in the life of a Carnoustie Greenkeeper - taking you on a journey behind the scenes of Golf’s Greatest Test.

This film is an opportunity to take a peek into a place where attention to detail is everything. Where pride is instilled in every member of our talented and dedicated team. Where courses are presented in Championship condition and where Greenkeeping is at the heart of it all.

Greenkeeping at Carnoustie is a craft which has been honed over hundreds of years. These days, we blend craftsmanship with the latest technology, harmonising both to create three of the very best conditioned courses on the planet.

It was fantastic to work alongside Dylan Drummond, Son of the Sea, who helped bring our vision to life. Dylan’s experience and expertise has been integral to the outcome of our exciting project. We would like to take the opportunity to say a special thanks to him, for the amazing collaboration.

Where can I watch A Day in the Life of a Carnoustie Greenkeeper?

Head over to Carnoustie Golf Links Facebook page (@CarnoustieGolfLinks) alternatively you can search the title on YouTube. We hope you enjoy the film!

Behind the Scenes:

The team plan the best way to utilise the dark morning skies and co-ordinate the mower driving out the sheds.

A little guidance for our filmmaker from the greenkeeper... Walking shots are a little trickier than expected!

Capturing the details: our greenkeepers take a holistic approach to keep our courses in the best conditions possible.

A mix of traditional and modern tools and machinery are the key to maintenance of our world-class courses.

New Appointment Links Superintendent

Kevin Stott, formerly courses manager, has been promoted to the role of Links Superintendent, having successfully led the greenkeeping team through The AIG Women’s Open in 2021 and the more recent Boy’s & Girl’s Amateur Championships in July 2022 and The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in September 2022. Kevin has been integral to the success of the fescue programme on The Championship Course over the last three years, which has been supported and applauded by The R&A agronomists for establishing finer, more resilient, and sustainable grasses on the greens.

Kevin Stott, Links Superintendent said: “It’s a great honour to be appointed as Links Superintendent at Carnoustie Golf Links having spent three years as Courses Manager and Deputy Links Superintendent. The golf courses at Carnoustie are known throughout the golfing world for their exceptional quality and conditioning, and I am committed to growing Carnoustie’s status as a benchmark for greenkeeping best practice.”

Brand New Role Head of Sustainability

We are delighted to announced that Craig Boath has been appointed to the brand new role of Head of Sustainability at Carnoustie Golf Links. The new role is key to Carnoustie’s aspirations to become a global leader in sustainability for the golf industry and has been created to align with our carbon net zero ambition. Craig continues his long association with Carnoustie building his knowledge and experience having recently celebrated 25 years. Craig will oversee Carnoustie’s environmental ambitions, looking to build on recent successes having been awarded Environmental Golf Course of the Year in 2018 and IAGTO Climate Action award in 2021.

Craig Boath, Head of Sustainability said: “I am very pleased to take up this ambitious new role, having helped to create the foundations for Carnoustie’s sustainable focus. This new role demonstrates Carnoustie’s steadfast commitment to the natural environment and our carbon net zero target.”

Carnoustie’s New Irrigation System

October 2022 saw the beginning of an exciting and ambitious project to replace the Links irrigation system, turning the dial on the courses sustainability practices and water usage with an innovative new approach.

The current irrigation system has come to the end of its useful working lifecycle, so a new system with a focus on more efficient water sourcing and distribution was an important factor to be considered to meet our sustainability goals. Working with irrigation specialist, Rain Bird was the natural move for us at Carnoustie as they echoed our sense of environmental responsibility.

November 2022 saw works beginning on The Championship Course, and despite some extreme weather - think major flooding - just two weeks into the project, progress continues as planned. Infrastructures to support the system have been implemented including installation of important water storage tanks and the pump-house.

The completion of The Carnoustie Championship Course irrigation system is nearing and we have some interesting stats for you... Have you seen our ‘Did you know?’ sections throughout?

Follow the journey on our dedicated Instagram account: @Carnoustie.Rainbird

Did you know?

A huge 32 km of pipe has been installed for the irrigation infrastructure on The Carnoustie Championship Course!

Did you know?

40km of cable has been installed for the irrigation of The Carnoustie Championship Course alone!

Links Superintendent, Kevin Stott

Head of Sustainability Craig Boath