Iconic St Andrews inn on course for makeover after changing hands

St Andrews pub The Golf Inn is to be given a fresh makeover from its new owners after changing hands.

Brett Lawrence and Gillian McLaren are the new owners of The Golf Inn in St Andrews. Picture: Contributed

Entrepreneurial couple Brett Lawrence and Gillian McLaren, who also run Rocca Deli in the town’s Bell Street, have acquired the landmark inn on the corner of Golf Place.

Located close to The Old Course and the West Sands, the inn incorporates a bar, 50 cover brasserie, roof terrace and six upstairs bedrooms.

The new owners intend to exploit St Andrews’ lucrative short break market by refreshing the interior decor and “effectively relaunching” the accommodation, as well as overhauling the pub menu and adding themed nights.

The business benefitted from a £75,000 makeover in 2015.

It was also famously “wrapped” by Nike Golf in the Nike logo in the 2015 British Open, when the watering hole traded as No 1 Golf Place.

McLaren said: “We know the business from when it was just a pub, albeit a very well situated one. The Nike endorsement in 2015 got everyone talking.

"The potential was always there for this business to be so much more, and this still has not been fully exploited.

"We plan to refresh the interior decor to put our stamp on it, including the bedrooms. It’s in pretty good order, but we see areas that can be improved. This will enable us to effectively relaunch the accommodation side of the business.

"We have an exciting new menu and are pushing now for festive bookings. Our forthcoming comedy and themed nights will add a fresh dimension.”