The tender value is £5.57 million for the golf course construction and Torvean housing site preparation works.

Construction will commence on 15 August 2016 and will be playable in 2019.

The new course is part of the project plans for enhanced sports facilities in the city, made possible with the building of the Inverness West Link.

The construction of the West Link requires a reconfiguration of the Golf Course and an estimated investment of £1.3m was the minimum required to relocate the golf holes to enable the building of the road. Additional enhancements to the golf course were agreed in a greater ambition for the City of Inverness, thus enabling further economic development in the area. The Torvean Golf course project received planning consent in April 2015 and the Canal Parks Enhancement on 18th August 2015. The expanded golf project is estimated to cost an additional £8.22m with additional funding anticipated from Sports Scotland for the clubhouse junior room.

The total cost of the project includes land purchase and Golf Course design as well as construction of the Clubhouse and maintenance facility.

The construction of the associated access road and Clubhouse and maintenance facility will commence in 2017, timed for completion to coincide with the golf course opening for play.

Global golf course architect Stuart Rennie has been chosen to design the new Torvean Golf Course. Rennie is an award winning member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects and has worked globally for five times Open Champion, Peter Thomson, in his design practice in Australia and in London.

The proposals for Torvean include:

As highlighted in the approved Torvean and Ness-side Development Brief, this relocation of the golf course will also release residual existing golf course land to the East of General Booth Road and land to the South of the A82 will be freed up for informal public open space and a mixed use development adjacent to the canal at this important gateway to Inverness and discussions are ongoing with Scottish Canals to consider opportunities and bring these forward.

Councillor Audrey Sinclair, chair of the planning, development and infrastructure committee welcomed the news of the contract award.

She said: “We are making excellent progress with the building of the Inverness West Link and the associated sports and leisure projects. The road infrastructure is well underway and now we will see the work on the redevelopment of the Golf Course begin shortly. This new course will provide an additional facility for both residents and visitors. The plans are ambitious and will deliver substantial long term assets to the city of Inverness and the surrounding region.”