THE NEW Castle Course at St Andrews, which has cost around £12 million, was officially opened yesterday after the honours were performed by the Duke of York in a ceremony attended by around 150 leading figures from the world of golf and from golf clubs and organisations in the town.

The new course is already proving popular, with high levels of advance bookings, and its stunning clubhouse has notched up impressive green credentials with its geothermal heating and cooling system which generates energy from the earth using 150-metre-deep boreholes and heat pumps.

The course has been built away from the traditional West Sands links courses on cliffs overlooking St Andrews Bay, and the Castle has become the seventh course to be run by St Andrews Links Trust.

The duke, a former captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, unveiled a plaque at the first tee.

He said that although he had been unable to play the course yesterday he had been given a tour by designer David McLay Kidd, and he thought it would be an “absolutely magnificent addition” to the other six courses.

As the plaque was unveiled the first tee shot was struck by Edwin Burtnett from Tampa, Florida, who won the worldwide competition to name the course.

Edwin was one of 12 people out of more than 4000 entries to suggest the Castle Course. He and his wife Tiffany were invited to the opening ceremony as guests of honour.

Also in attendance was Scottish Sport Minister Stuart Maxwell, Lord Lieutenant of Fife Margaret Dean and Provost of Fife and St Andrews Links trustee Frances Melville.

St Andrews Links Trust chairman Alastair Dempster said the trust was honoured to have The Duke of York conduct the official opening.

General manager Alan McGregor said the brief for the course had been to design an enjoyable and challenging course which would make the most of the splendid location on the cliff tops overlooking St Andrews.

“I think David and his co-designer Paul Kimber have achieved that goal. The course boasts some wonderful holes which offer views out over the ancient town of St Andrews, out to the North Sea and to the Angus coast and the Grampian mountains in the distance.”

Competition winner Edwin came up with the name after reading about Kinkell Castle which once occupied part of the site near the present clubhouse.

After hitting the first ceremonial drive, Edwin said that the experience had been pretty nerve-wracking with so many people watching.

“It is a memory I will treasure for the rest of my life. I love golf and have been fascinated by St Andrews and the courses here since my first visit a few years ago. This is a wonderful golf course and I am very proud to have played a part in naming it,” he said.

The Castle Course sits on 220-acre site above Kinkell Braes to the south-east of St Andrews. The par 71 course has five tees on every hole which vary the length from 5460 to 6759 yards. The championship length is 7188 yards.

The Castle Course is now open for public play and its first season runs until October 31. Next year it will open from April to October. Tee times can be booked online at www.standrews.org.uk, by contacting the reservations department on 001334 466666 or Emailing reservations@standrews.org.uk.