Major Scottish golf facility looks to the future under new ownership

The Playsport complex was purchased in 2022 by SART Investments, the investment vehicle owned by Steve Timoney and his wife Alison. It is now home to their Caledonia Gladiators basketball team.

Here, general manager Colin McEwan talks about the evolution of Playsport Golf, which welcomes more than 100,000 visitors annually to its course and practice facilities.

Who owns Playsport?

Golf East Kilbride Ltd, which trades as Playsport Golf, was incorporated in December 2008 by Ian Young, who owns and operates the successful Braid Hills Golf Centre in Edinburgh, following discussions with Kilmartin Property Group. I joined Ian in May 2009 to open and operate the golf facilities at Playsport, became an investor in the business in 2011, and eventually purchased it from Ian in March 2024.

Kilmartin were one of the casualties of the Lloyds acquisition of HBOS in the wake of the financial crisis, and went into administration in 2010. This left Playsport under the control of owners who were generally not interested in the development of the complex.

SART Investments purchased the site in 2022 and have brought on board new operators, injecting renewed vigour into the facility. A major part of this has been the decision to home their Caledonia Gladiators basketball team here within a purpose-built arena and training facilities.

What facilities do you offer at Playsport Golf?

Our 9-hole Heritage Links course has an interesting history in that it was designed by Peter McAvoy to replicate famous Open Championship holes, and was specifically designed as the UK’s first Powerplay Golf course. Powerplay Golf was intended to be golf’s quicker play format, equivalent to 20/20 cricket, with double flags on huge greens and a unique scoring system which we as the operators decided not pursue when we opened.

Essentially, what we do have is a fantastic 9-hole course with USGA specification greens and tees which is playable year-round thanks to considerable investment during construction and ongoing development and maintenance by a brilliant team of greenkeepers. This is complimented by a large short game area with a USGA green to the same specification as those on the course, a large practice bunker, and many chipping and pitching areas.

We have a membership of around six hundred for the course which increased considerably following the lifting of lockdown restrictions and has stayed at the higher figure since, with options for full, intermediate, senior weekday and juniors.

Our main facility is the 56-bay practice range which is spread over two levels and incorporates a five-bay PGA coaching centre. Membership of the course brings huge savings on the range and we also offer several options for pay-to-play range customers and practice account customers.

How many people visit each year, and what level of golfing ability to you serve? 

The practice range and PGA coaching centre cater for well over 100,000 visitors each year with the course being pretty much fully booked each day from March to October through membership and visitor play. Both the range and course cater for every level of golfer from complete beginners, who we aim to help through their golfing journey with coaching and accessible and affordable practice and play.

What’s new this year at Playsport Golf?

Whist not being new this year, the late 2022 installation of Toptracer Range stills feels very new and has been an absolute game-changer for the business. Toptracer Range is, in my opinion, the best technology solution for golf practice facilities and offers our customers the chance to play virtual golf and games with friends, as well as working on their game using skills-based modes such as My Practice, T12 and T30, all of which are available for the customer to review via their app.

The Heritage Links course (Image: Contributed) What’s in store for the coming season?

We have recently refurbished our PGA coaching centre and increased the number of bays available to accommodate the six Pros we now have coaching at Playsport Golf. All bays have been fitted with Toptracer Range technology which allows customers to link range practice and coaching on one platform via Toptracer Coach and I’m looking forward to further developing the coaching side of our business in 2025 with further facility changes and new programmes delivered by our coaching team.

What do you love most about the game? 

Golf, whether on the course or the range, is a fantastic way to bring people together which we see every day with families and friends enjoying quality time together. Deep down everyone has that competitive edge which comes out no matter what level you play at and in golf the competition is as much against yourself as those you’re playing with and against. The fact everyone can play and enjoy the game both on and off the course is what I love the most.

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