St Andrews, Scotland: Work to build The R&A’s new global headquarters in St Andrews has officially started.

The first ground was broken at the site at St Andrews West by David Rickman, who led on the planning for the development of the staff building before his retirement last October.

Rickman used a special 1890s Bogey hole cutter provided by The R&A’s World Golf Museum for the ceremonial turnover of soil as work on the foundations of the project begins.

The new headquarters, which is located a short distance from The R&A clubhouse, will comprise four floors, including meeting areas, work spaces and a café.

Due to open in 2026, it will bring The R&A’s staff together in one new office location for the first time. They currently work across five buildings.

St Andrews West, located on the outskirts of the town, is a large mixed-use development which is already home to the new Madras College and has land allocated for university and employment uses along with a variety of other accommodation.

Mark Darbon, The R&A’s recently appointed Chief Executive, said: “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 well-being 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.”

Through the duration of the build, The R&A and main building contractor McLaughlin & Harvey will engage with the local community across a number of social value initiatives.

This will include educational outreach with primary schools on sustainability and environmental awareness, developing opportunities for local employment, volunteering in community projects, and collaborating with Madras College to identify young people keen to take part in a construction work academy.