Barassie benefits from major clubhouse refurb
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By completing an extensive two-year refurbishment of its clubhouse, one of Scotland’s most charismatic golf clubs has successfully created a contemporary facility that celebrates the heritage and traditions of the game in a modern setting.
Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2012, completed the project soon after the start of the season with the development receiving warm praise from the members.
The tasteful renovation was designed to bring the facilities up to date while maintaining the character of the club. “The focus for the design takes into account the great heritage of the club as well as the natural beauty of the golf course and surrounding areas,” explained Bob McKnight, captain of Barassie.
“It has been designed so that members, visitors and guests will be drawn to the beautiful views from the windows and not be distracted by bright or garish furnishings.”
The emphasis on the course is well founded. Barassie Links is considered by many as one of the most challenging layouts in Scotland. Final qualifying for the Open Championship and the Seniors’ Open Championship have been played over the testing layout in recent years as has the Ladies Amateur Championship and the Boys Amateur Championship; the latter no less than six times.
The project was managed by the Glasgow-based building firm Nest which worked closely with the club’s committee to create the appropriate look and feel. “The club sits next to the beautiful Ayrshire coastline with views across to Arran,” explained Dene Happell, founder of Nest.
“We wanted to bring the outside in and used a muted palette of greens, blues and whites, reflecting what you could see on a clear day across the course.”
The current clubhouse was built in 1903 by Architect Mr James Hay at a cost of £1,428. Despite subsequent improvements, the clubhouse needed to be upgraded and a significant part of the project was to reduce the ever increasing costs of energy.
“It’s a total transformation,” said one of the members. “The clubhouse was always a very welcoming place, but now it looks the part. We’ve brought it into the 21st century, and we’re very proud of it.”
