The golf course has seen it before. What, you may ask? An angry, conscious mob protesting against the multi-millionaire franchises or people who promise to bring social change. As they continue to promote awareness for a social cause, the golf community has witnessed setbacks and damages. As recent as the Travelers Championship, angry climate protesters have caused $9,800 in damage. However, the latest concern about a similar outcome looms over Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake’s recent renovation plans for the New Picture House at St. Andrews.
Earlier last year, Woods and Timberlake, who had combined ownership of the T-Squared Social Sports Bar in New York, proposed a new branch in St. Andrews in Scotland. The decided location was chosen to be the New Picture House. Although Woods believed it was a nice gesture towards Fife having a new sports-entertainment venture, things went wrong. About 10,000 people petitioned against the proposed project, fearing a threat to their heritage.
via Imago
Earlier, the Fife council did not give Woods and Timberlake the green light for the transformation but now that has changed. The duo has officially gotten the green light to transform a historic cinema into an entertainment venue, as per Scottish Sun. Fife officially stated, “The proposal is considered acceptable in terms of design, detailing, and choice of materials; and it would protect and enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area.” The plans submitted to revamp the venue were backed up by the owner of the cinema as it was believed that T-squared would be a ‘fun, family-friendly’ destination to the area under one roof.
The duo will go ahead with their initial $2 million plan. They plan to keep only one cinema screen. Woods and Timberlake’s plan to install sports simulators will allow guests to play 100 courses from around the world and turn their hand to football, NFL, rugby, cricket, and lacrosse. It is scheduled to stay open every day from 9 a.m. until midnight; however, on Fridays and Saturdays, an hour extension will be maintained during the closing time.
Old Picture House is very near to the Old Course. Interestingly, the golfer has won The Open here twice. This year’s Open Championship scheduled at Royal Troon from July 18 might face a little problem. Only 50 miles away from Royal Troon, the sight of the Open Championship, St. Andrews residents are fuming. Even last year, at the 2023 Open Championship, the golf community witnessed a feared attack from the Just Stop Oil protestors. A responsible Billy Horschel helped in escorting out a protestor from the greens after they disrupted the game.How brutal was the petition against the Woods-Timberlake project?
One of the students at St. Andrews University, Johann Curry-Machado, initially gathered 2500 signatures on his petition. The number increased to 10,000, with more people joining the force to keep their over-90-year-old heritage untouched. According to the Courier, the petition stated, “The proposed transformation of the New Picture House into a luxury sports bar by T-Squared Social, an American company, is deeply alarming.”
They also went ahead and explained the possible repercussions of the proposal along with the changes suggested. This included the reduction to a single screen and the introduction of golf simulators and cocktail bars. They argued that it would only cater to wealthy tourists instead of citizens.
They thus announced, “Such a development is out of touch with the needs and desires of the local community and the student population.” Moreover, the petition also insinuated the urgency and desperation that the residents felt. Hence the calling, “Our culture, our heritage, and our community spirit are at stake. We must act now before it’s too late.”
Do you think the Open Championship will be at risk with such a turn of events? Let us know in the comments below.
