For the passionate golfer, the club of all clubs has arrived with the residences at St. Andrews Grand
by Skip Knowles
GRAND RESURRECTION
The obsession is now open to possession.
What can you say about a building like the St. Andrews Grand to someone who already gets it? To a golf aficionado who already knows King Edward III, Rudyard Kipling and Bobby Jones stayed in the hallowed halls of the castle-like former hotel overlooking St. Andrews "at the Old Course"?
What can you say about the legendary structure at the world's preeminent golf destination? The pinnacle of luxury, at the birthplace of the game?
How about, "I have a place there." Or, "I spend a few months each year there."
A divine notion, for most of us dream of just standing on these legendary grounds at some point in our lives and coming home with a souvenir golf ball. The idea of owning a piece of it is almost too much. But now, after an extensive renovation, a hundred memberships of 23 residences will be offered for sale.
All that is golf sprang from here.
That is the credo of the Grand, a handsome and stately building, the tallest around, commanding an imposing view overlooking the 1st and 18th greens. You've seen it many times in the photos of St. Andrews (yes, it's that building): Imposing and handsome, it is the structure whose dark red presence contrasts beautifully with the deep green of Scotland. It is incredibly fortunate that golf's birthplace happens to be in such a gorgeous location, a green-as-green-gets countryside replete with castles, misty lakes, rolling moors and craggy ocean shores with some of the best beaches in Scotland.
Owning a residence here is a chance to become part of the storied history, one that borders on the religious for golfers, or at the least, spiritual, as this has always been the most revered destination in golf. There is not even a distant second.
Not when your tee shot on the first hole echoes that of 600 years of drives.
"Golf is one of the world's most popular sports, being played in well over 100 nations world-wide. It is a universal language, and St. Andrews is the world mecca for golf enthusiasts," says Mike DiCarlo, partner in the St. Andrews Grand. "It is the birthplace of golf, and there is no other place like it. There are millions of golfers in the world, but there is only one St. Andrews, only one home of golf-and only 100 memberships."
These days, there is far more than golf here, too. A lifestyle of outdoors sportsmanship will challenge any avid enthusiast, with some of Europe's best stag, pheasant and grouse hunting paired with famous salmon and trout fly fisheries. Horseback riding is a way of life here as well, and equestrian opportunities are replete.
Formerly the Grand Hotel, the new St. Andrews Grand renovation starts on the street, with a sweeping stone staircase, and includes the best of everything. Tall stone columns and stained-glass windows give a feeling of permanence and elegance to the new designs. Much more than a renovation, it is a whole new look that incorporates the best of the old, with hand-selected antiques to complement the Victorian genius inherent in the design.
It will be a second home fit for a king, where kings have actually stayed, and there is no more special place for a golfer to spend time. Founding members hold time during The Open, along with as much as nine weeks during high season. As a fractional owner, it's hard to imagine owning a place with a bigger, steadier, more worldwide draw than St. Andrews. Finding people who want to come here-and have the means to maximize the experience-is never going to be a problem.
"There are limited numbers of masterpieces in the world and, as any person fortunate enough to own a masterpiece will tell you, it is never a bad investment," DiCarlo says. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it is impossible to put a dollar value on what it means to be able to own and pass down such an heirloom through the generations."
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GRAND RESURRECTION Cont...
With only short flights to both Paris and London, there will always be more to do than can be done here. Any of Scotland's 500 golf courses can be reached with a short helicopter flight. Ownership at the St. Andrews Grand represents a remarkable opportunity to add a degree of heritage to your familial possessions that cannot be quantified in dollars, or current market value, or in any other traditional manner of tallying worth. What is ultimate exclusiveness at a place of immeasurable emotional significance to the highest level of the sport possibly worth?
"St. Andrews Grand is a dream come true, not only for us who love the game of golf and the history of St. Andrews," says DiCarlo, "but for like-minded people who appreciate that we are creating an historic heirloom, preserving a sacred place in the world of golf and making it available for others to enjoy for generations to come."
The world is filling up with luxury golf communities on nearly every continent. Almost all of them are something special, and some of the nicest places in the world to live, no doubt. But most are just starting their history, exploiting natural beauty and meaningful recreational opportunity by offering a dream lifestyle in a place people dream of being.
But how many of them come with an address on exalted, hallowed grounds, an epicenter to which all aficionados of a sport hope to journey, in addition to boasting the lifestyle, beauty and outdoor opportunities expected in a world-class resort destination? Indeed, how many sports or pastimes even have such single, distinguished, location where it all began? Like a single first ski run where skiing started, or a certain beach where sailing first took shape?
Hard to think of any place like this.
"Golf is a sport that is passed down through the generations, from father to son and increasingly from mother to daughter. Can you imagine any greater gift for a father than to leave his heirs a piece of St. Andrews?" DiCarlo says. "A gift of history, a one-of-a-kind heirloom and a wise, long-term investment?"
The climate here perfectly reflects a mystical history, an idyllic setting for a place that resonates within a golfer's soul. Here amid the sea fog, crashing waves, morning mist, rain and sun, visitors find themselves adventuring around a spirited town packed with pubs and restaurants where one can have his own fly-caught salmon cooked to order, or, if the fishing was slow, fall back on fresh beef and lamb from the highlands in a place like The Peat Inn, hailed as one of Scotland's very finest restaurants. And if you enjoy a good Scotch-and lord help you if you don't-then you already know the word "Scotch" can only be applied to whiskies from Scotland herself.
Since its premiere at the then-unheard-of height of six stories in 1890 as a luxurious hotel, then during its service as a Royal Air Force training headquarters in WWII, and lastly as an undergraduate residence for the University of St. Andrews, "The Grand" has loomed large in the consciousness of the region for over a century.
"This is not just another real estate deal for us," DiCarlo says. "We view ourselves as blessed to be custodians of a great asset-a one-of-a-kind, invaluable treasure that will pay dividends for generations to come."
Now it's possible to start your own legacy by adding to that of St. Andrews. Memberships start at $2 million.
St. Andrews Grand, (888) 437-2567,
grand@threepalmsint.com, standrewsgrand.com
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