Cabot purchased the Castle Stuart estate in 2022 and immediately announced plans to design and build a second championship course that passes by the Old Petty Church for which it is named. The Cabot Collection owns a total of six resorts in Canada, the Caribbean, the US, Scotland and France.
“Our plans always revolve around a spectacular piece of land and ensuring the true beauty shines through in our development,” Mr Cowan-Dewar said at the time of Old Petty opening. “We’re thrilled to give travellers another reason to discover Inverness and embrace the charming culture of the Scottish Highlands.”
Profits at Scottish retailer Affordable Golf surged during the financial year to October 2024 according to latest accounts filed at Companies House, with revenue from in-store and online sales up by 15% to £22.4 million. Pre-tax profits jumped from £786,000 to £1.24m.
Owned by managing director Mark Taylor, the discount retailer forged a partnership earlier this year with governing body Scottish Golf under which Affordable Golf will work with clubs that don’t have a pro shop to become their official retail partner. Other initiatives are also planned, including the potential roll-out of vending machines selling balls, gloves and other accessories.
Directors highlighted “significant investment” in improving stock controls with the average gross profit margin at Affordable Golf rising to 34.5%, up from 32.6% in 2023. The company is preparing to open its fifth outlet in Stirling.
Down in the south-west of Scotland, a retail manager has turned his lifelong love of the game into a new business venture.
Before Ross Murray opened Championship Links Golf (CL Golf) in April of this year, the nearest public indoor studio to his home in Dumfries was more than an hour’s drive away. The three-bay venue has been supported by a £15,000 loan from DSL Business Finance through the British Business Bank’s start up loans programme.
“What we offer is a space where everyone is welcome,” Mr Murray said. “We have a diverse range of customers from children starting out to avid golfers trying to improve their overall game.”
And finally, Europe’s one-armed golfers are gearing up for the Fightmaster Cup, a team match play tournament similar to the Solheim and Ryder Cup formats.
This year’s event will be held from September 14-19 at Roganstown Golf Club in Ireland, and is being organised by the Society of One-Armed Golfers (SOAG). Europe currently leads the series 5-2 against the US.
The society was formed in November 1932 in the offices of Glasgow solicitor Archibald Pollock, its mission being to create a level playing field for arm-impaired golfers of all ages and abilities. The annual fee to join is £20 and for that members can play in spring and autumn regional meetings held in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
SOAG’s membership has been on a downward trend in recent years in part because of the attraction of the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) which runs events across Europe on a regular basis.
Taking advice from the R&A and EDGA over the past two years, SOAG has changed its membership qualification criteria to include “assisted” (using a prosthesis attached to the injured arm to hold the golf club) and “touch” (allowing the injured hand to touch the golf club, typically the putter) players. Keith Dewhurst, SOAG’s honorary secretary and treasurer, said this has had a positive impact with this year’s championship attracting nine new members.