Coodham House honoured as golfing Heritage Site

Coodham House, former home of The Open Championship founder James Ogilvy Fairlie, has been presented with a plaque to honour the man regarded as one of golf's greatest heroes.

Fairlie, a former Captain of the Royal and Ancient of St Andrews, is the only man to win gold medals in competitions at The R&A, Prestwick and North Berwick.

The Victorian country estate at Symington in Ayshire has become the first location in the world to receive a commemorative plaque honouring historic heroes of the game.

Coodham House, which since Fairlie's residency has been lavishly rebuilt to create four luxury apartments, two lavish duplex residencies and three designer homes, is just minutes from Troon, Turnberry, Dundonald, Prestwick and several other exceptional courses - including the Ayrshire - a new links course being planned for Irvine Bay.

Jim Mather, Scottish Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, presented the Green Plaque on behalf of the Links Association, a not-for-profit organisation set up to champion links courses around the world.

Chief Executive of the Links Association, Malcolm Campbell, stated: "Coodham is absolutely magnificent and a real tribute to Fairlie. I'm sure he'd be delighted."

The plaque will remain a permanent tribute to Fairlie who lived in the house between 1845 and 1871. It is the first of many memorials scheduled by the Links Association to honour golfing greats. Freddie Tait, two times winner of The Amateur Championship and The Open Championship and Allan Robertson, the first great professional golfer, will also soon be commemorated.