Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake are teaming up to open a sports bar in St Andrews, but their bold plans have enraged local residents.
Woods and Timberlake have embarked on a gastropub business called T-Squared Social and recently opened their first unit in Manhattan, New York. They have submitted plans to Fife Council for a second site, close to St Andrews Old Course, which would see a 1930s cinema converted into a sports bar.
The New Picture House on North Street would be transformed into a dining venue featuring golf simulators and giant screens to watch sport. It would retain one of its film screens to show theatrical releases.
The cinema’s managing director David Morris has said the investment would be crucial for securing the cinema’s long-term future. But some local residents are critical of the plans, with one telling The Courier that the proposal to alter an “iconic” building is “disrespectful”.
“This town has been very good to Tiger Woods and this is not the way to repay residents,” said Neil Dobson, of St Andrews community council. “An American bar is completely out of keeping. It will be full of American golfers with nothing left in the town for children at all.”
The New Picture House is a distinctive building in St Andrews— (Facebook/nph.cinema)
Woods, who won two of his three Open Championships at St Andrews, said in a statement on the bar: “I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many special moments here at St Andrews. We all wanted to bring our T-Squared Social concept here to add to the local community and be a welcoming place for those living in St Andrews and for visitors alike.”
Timberlake is a golf fanatic who recently attended the Ryder Cup in Rome and has played in a number of pro-am tournaments, including the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews. He and Woods have embarked on previous business ventures together, and they co-own Albany in The Bahamas, a 600-acre luxury resort.
“I’ve come to St Andrews many times to play golf. I’m honoured to be able to invest in the town and bring our second T-Squared Social here,” the singer said. “Our new venue is so much more than a typical sports bar experience – it’s a place you can go to be entertained without sacrificing quality or comfort.”
