Work starts on new global headquarters for golf body in St Andrews
David Rickman handed honour of breaking ground for The R&A’s state-of-the-art office building
Construction work on The R&A’s new global headquarters has commenced, with the man who led on the planning for St Andrews West being handed the honour of marking the occasion.
David Rickman, who was awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours List after a 37-year stint with The R&A, used a special 1890s Bogey hole cutter provided by World Golf Museum to break the ground for a ceremonial turnover of soil.
The new base will bring St Andrews-based R&A staff, who currently work from five different buildings across St Andrews, together in one new state-of-the-art office location, with the modern HQ for the governing body due to open in 2026.
St Andrews West, located on the outskirts of the town close to the A91, is a large mixed-use development which is already home to the new Madras College.
Mark Darbon, The R&A’s new chief executive, said: “Today is an exciting development for the future of the organisation as we begin work on our Global Headquarters, marking an important milestone of the project in moving from planning to construction.
“We are creating an environment that will reflect the role, work and heritage of The R&A and provide a collaborative space for employees and visitors to enjoy. The new Global Headquarters signals our commitment to the town of St Andrews and will place a focus on wellbeing and sustainability, and be highly enabled by technology.
“We want it to be known throughout the world as a distinctive destination for our affiliates and partners, effectively the hub of our global work to ensure golf is thriving 50 years from now.”
Invited guests attending the ceremony included project stakeholders, contractors, government officials and R&A staff.
The purpose-built building will comprise four storeys, including meeting areas, primary work spaces and café amenities. The basement will feature an underground parking facility.
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