Golfer brands north-east course £40m development at Ury Estate to become part of Jack Nicklaus club family

By Kevin Duguid
Courtesy of the Press and Journal

A £40million north-east golf development has now been branded by one of the world’s most legendary golfers.

Ury Estate, near Stonehaven, is to become one of only 25 courses to be part of the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club family, it was announced yesterday.

The US golfing champion has already signed up to design the course at the 1,500-acre estate.

Plans for the landmark golf resort were supported by the Aberdeenshire Council’s Kincardine and Mearns area committee in May.

Nicklaus, who visited the estate twice last year to launch his plans to work with developers FM Developments, said: “We are delighted to have Ury Estate join the family of Jack Nicklaus Golf Clubs (JNGC).

“The addition of Ury Estate provides our JNGC associate members the opportunity to play in Scotland, a country rich in beauty and golf tradition,” he said.

“Ury Estate is set to be- come a terrific destination, and I think our other Jack Nicklaus Golf Club members will find that out in due course.”

Current JNGC sites include Tuscany, New Zealand, St Lucia and Anguilla in the eastern Caribbean.

FM Developments director Richard Milne said: “To receive this elite designation and Jack's personal involvement in the project is a thrill for our company and a testament to the vision we have to produce a spectacular resort experience located in the north-east of Scotland.

“Jack's vision and creativity will bring the course to life and will place Ury Estate among the elite luxury clubs in the world,” he added.

Proposals for 230 houses at the development still have to be considered by the council’s infrastructure services committee.

And councillors are urged to grant permission for the homes – a development to fund the cost of restoration work on the crumbling Ury House.

FM Developments wants to transform the derelict mansion into a first-class hotel, and build a hotel annexe and golf lodges.

Detailed plans must come back to members of the council before work starts.