Aberdeen City Council is set to work closely with a private company for the next four months on proposals to turn Hazlehead Golf Course into a world-class facility.

City councillors on the Hazlehead Monitoring and Advisory Board have chosen The MacKenzie Club Ltd as preferred bidder for the planned course redevelopment.

The board also agreed that the course may be placed in the hands of the city-wide sports trust which is in the early stages of being founded to run the city's sport's facilities for the council - if the post-tender negotiations with The Mackenzie Club are not resolved by 31 December.

Aberdeen City Council's specially appointed client advisor considers that the agreement for lease should not be granted by the council until there is independent confirmation that developers of a proposed new hotel and lodge, and course operators, have been signed up by tenderer.

The period between now and the end of December will allow the city council to identify whether any improvements in The MacKenzie Club Ltd's tender offer are available.

-- Advertisement --

It will also allow the opportunity for a thorough due diligence and financial capability assessment exercise to be conducted for or by the city council, and give The MacKenzie Club more time to secure the appropriate commercial commitment from third-party hotel developers for their tender proposal to proceed.

The city council is determined to put Hazlehead on the world golfing map and retain pay-and-play access for the public as a top priority.

The course could then take its place alongside other major golfing developments taking shape around Aberdeen. They include the Trump Organisation proposals for the Menie Estate near Balmedie, plans for a course near Stonehaven designed by golfing legend Jack Nicklaus, and a new course on the Blairs Estate near Banchory-Devenick designed by British Open winner Paul Lawrie.

The board has taken professional advice from sports specialists HLL Humberts Leisure, which was first hired by the city council last autumn to invite expressions of interest in breathing new life into Hazlehead.

The operator must draw up a 10-year business plan, capital spending proposals for upgrading facilities, and environmental and biodiversity policies. It will also have to consult the city council on pricing and any future increases.

Councillor Stewart added: "A rejuvenated Hazlehead course would attract players from all over the world, boost our tourism industry and ensure we have a top-notch course which is fully accessible to local people."

The historic Hazlehead Golf Course was created by the renowned designer Alister MacKenzie who also laid out the home of the US Masters, the Augusta National. It occupies a 245-acre site, comprising two 18-hole courses, a nine-hole course and a nine-hole pitch-and-putt, along with practice facilities and greenkeepers' accommodation.

(GK/JM)