Darren Clarke Set To Design New Course In £55 Million Development

2011 Open Champion and prospective Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke is set to design a £55 million championship golf course at the luxury five-star resort, Wyndham Grand The Angus, near Dundee.

Clarke and Graeme Webster, one of Scotland’s most respected golf course architects, will begin construction in 2013, with the course and golf academy scheduled to be completed by the Autumn of 2014.

“The landscape at the location of Wyndham Grand The Angus is absolutely perfect for the creation of a world class championship golf course,” said Clarke. “This will be a world-leading resort in the heart of the home of golf and I cannot wait to strike the first ball.”

His co-designer Webster said: “It’s been exciting to work with Darren as he and I share similar views on what makes a golf course challenging, rewarding, exciting, fun and thoughtful to play.

“Darren has brought his vast experience as a professional golfer to our discussions. His focus is on risk and reward, strategic shot choices and, surprisingly for a man that can propel the golf ball huge distances, his vision was not on the total length of the golf course.

“Golfers as talented as Darren will often choose the heroic route and when the shot comes off they will be putting for eagles and birdies but, those slightly less gifted will still face a shot selection challenge more suited to their ability.

“Ultimately, we want people to come off the course with smiles on their faces and make it a pleasurable experience that they want to repeat.”

Clarke does not have his own architectural firm, but he has been involved in a couple of similar projects working with established architects. Pinnacle Point in South Africa is the most prominent, where Peter Matkovich did most of the routing and design work and Clarke was an advisor.

So far the site is a blank landscape, but “you can’t help but feel you’re somewhere Mother Nature intended for golf. It’s a stunning location which, as it matures, will become an even more memorable,” said Clarke.

The course will be set over more than 200 acres with a variety of tees playing to around 6,300-7,000-yards. It is hoped the course could feature in future tournaments as they have tailored the design to accommodate tournament vantage points and the safe movement of thousands of spectators.

Alongside the main course, The Angus will feature a world-class golf youth academy led by Rudy Duran, the resort that features a five-star hotel with spa, leisure facilities and lodges and private housing.

The new facility is also expected to create 200 full-time jobs after completion, with 300 posts generated during construction.