St Andrews residents furious with Tiger Woods over sports bar plan

Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake have enraged some local residents over their bold plans to open a new sports bar in St Andrews.

Woods and Timberlake have announced that they plan to take their new “T-Squared” gastropub business to St Andrews with a “premium sports and entertainment” venue at the Home of Golf.

The duo have already opened their first unit in Manhattan, New York and now want to build a second site near the Old Course at St Andrews.

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And the controversial plans submitted to the Fife Council would see the B-listed 1930s cinema New Picture House converted into a golf-themed dining area and bar with state-of-the-art simulators, darts and large-screen TVs.

“We all wanted to bring our T-Squared Social concept to St Andrews to add to the local community and be a welcoming place for those living in St Andrews and for visitors alike,” Woods said in his announcement.

But some disgruntled locals don’t share the 15-time major champion’s enthusiasm.

“What’s next, Trump buying the West Sands for a hotel?” St Andrews Community Council member Neil Dobson told The Courier.

“I find this very disrespectful and a bit cheeky, to be honest. This town has been very good to Tiger Woods and this is not the way to repay residents.

“St Andrews is unique and that building is iconic. An American bar is completely out of keeping.”

Fellow resident Chris Main shares Dobson’s frustrations.

“It’s astonishing a university town loses its cinema to a multi-millionaire celebrity vanity project,” Main said. “St Andrews has had a cinema here since the 1930s. My mother and father courted there.

“It’s one of the few independent cinemas left in Scotland.”

However, the New Picture House managing director David Morris has welcomed the proposals to protect the venue’s long-term future.

Morris said: “The planned T-Squared Social investment will enable the local community, students and visitors, the opportunity to experience a broader range of cinema, dining and entertainment at the popular venue.”