Crail’s Gil Hanse Designed Craighead Links Celebrates 25th Anniversary – His First 18-Hole Course

10 months ago by Comments Off on Crail’s Gil Hanse Designed Craighead Links Celebrates 25th Anniversary – His First 18-Hole Course

A day after the crowning of a new men’s U.S. Open champion one of the world’s oldest clubs is celebrating the 25 th anniversary of the Gil Hanse designed Craighead Links course at Crail Golfing Scotland in Scotland.

Hanse’s redesign work in Beverly Hills was on show last week for golf fans around the world to admire, while also testing the ancient club-and-ball game’s best ahead of American Wyndham Clark grabbing the golfing oscar in being crowned the 123 rd U.S. Open champion.

The ‘Silver Anniversary’ of the Craighead Links course at Crail Golfing Society again brings into focus Hanse’s fabulous work, as the opening of a second golf course on 19 th June, 1998 was Hanse’s first official solo 18-hole project.

A 25th happy birthday to Craighead Links at Crail Golfing Society

Hanse’s work at Crail and also at Castle Stuart near Inverness, helped lead to the American to be honoured in 2012, and ahead of a shortlist of eight that included seven of the game’s more-noted golf course designers, to design the 2016 Olympic Games course in Rio De Janeiro.

More recently, Hanse design projects include the much-acclaimed Streamsong (Black course) in Florida.

For Crail Golfing Society, today is a milestone in the club’s already 237-year history since the club’s founding in 1786.

Hanse, who had been in L.A. for the U.S. Open sent this message of congratulations to Crail: “Where has the time gone? Hard to believe that 25 years have passed. We remain incredibly proud that our first solo design was in Scotland. It has formed the basis for all that has come after. Congratulations to the members and to the greens staff for allowing the course to mature wonderfully!!”

Gil Hanse overlooking Castle Stuart and his second course in Scotland – Castle Stuart. (Photo – GolfByTourMiss)

Leading the Crail celebration was John Wood, Chair of Crail Golfing Society Ltd., (Right in photograph) who expressed his excitement on what is a significant Society milestone.

“The 25th anniversary of Craighead Links is a testament to the enduring passion and dedication of our members, staff, and the golfing community,” said John.

“We are proud of the rich history we have built over the past quarter-century and are honoured to have welcomed golfers from all corners of the globe to experience the unique magic of Craighead Links.”

It was in the mid-1990s when the club seized the opportunity to purchase ‘Craighead Farm, and in the 25-years since the golf course’s official opening on this day in 1998, the course has evolved into a treasured Scottish gem, attracting the likes of USA Ryder Cup Captains Tom Lehman and Davis Love III, along with Scotland’s Open champion, Paul Lawrie.

Golfers from far and wide have journeyed to the club’s unique and stunning corner of Scotland and warm to the par-72 layout that commands stunning views out to the Firth of Forth,

Each year the Craighead Links proudly hosts the Battle Trophy, an event that has become a standout annual tournament on the Scottish Golf calendar. It was also just two-years after opening, the course hosted the 2000 World Junior Open. A record-setting 72 nations were represented in the event organised by the R & A.

Four years ago, Craighead Links was again rewarded and honoured in hosting the prestigious 2019 Scottish Men’s Amateur, proudly won by then Crail member George Burns.

Other stand-out events to be hosted on the Craighead Links include:

2001 Scottish Youths
2002 Scottish Senior Women
2006 Scotland v Spain
2010 Seniors Home International
2012 Scottish Girls
2017 Scottish Boys and Girls
2018 British Senior Ladies
2019 Scottish Men’s Amateur

 

Happy 25th Craighead Links



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