Sports News

Cabot invests in Lofoten Links, expanding reach beyond the Arctic Circle

Golf at Lofoten Links is played under the midnight sun in summer and the northern lights in autumn.

Jacob Sjöman

For most of his life, Ben Cowan-Dewar has been traveling the world, familiarizing himself with spectacular golf courses in faraway places. As founder and CEO of The Cabot Collection, a leading developer of luxury golf resorts, he has helped shape many such properties, too.

In all his world wanderings, however, Cowan-Dewar says, he has never been anywhere quite like Lofoten Links.

He says: “It is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

A seaside design, located north of the Arctic Circle, in a small island village in Norway, the course traces its origins to 1998, when Frode Hov, a local farmer who loves golf, built six holes on his family’s land. In 2015, after years of tinkering, Hov brought in architect Jeremy Turner to expand the building to a full 18.

As it developed, the project attracted the attention of admirers, including Cowan-Dewar.

“There aren’t many people in the golf world who have made courses in remote areas in the hope that people will find them,” said Cowan-Dewar. “So we used to know each other.”

On his first trip to the Lofoten (pronounced luh-FOO-ten) Links, in the summer of 2019, Cowan-Dewar joined Hov on the first round at 11 p.m., the sun was down but about to set. The mountains followed. Before them stretched the Norwegian Sea.

“It was magic,” Cowan-Dewar said. “We probably finished around 2 in the morning, and in all that time, the sun never reached the horizon.”

In early 2020, Cowan-Dewar and Mike Keiser, the founder of Cabot and developer of Bandon Dunes, considered making an offer to acquire Lofoten Links. But when the pandemic hit, they chose to focus on their property instead. As Covid lingered and golf flourished, Lofoten only benefited from praise. In 2023, it first appeared on GOLF’s list of the Top 100 Courses in the World, entering at No. 88.

Two months ago, Cowan-Dewar, busy with multiple projects in Cabot, returned to Lofoten Links and played another round under the midnight sun. The visit also confirmed his confidence in another deal he has been working on, which is now official.

Lofoten
Lofoten Links is ranked 88th among the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World.

Kevin Murray

On Monday, Cabot announced a “strategic investment” in Lofoten Links, a move Cowan-Dewar said “is in line with our vision to bring world-class golf and experiences to some of the world’s most iconic destinations.” Without specifying its scope, Cowan-Dewar describes the investment as “meaningful” and says he expects it to grow over time. For now, he says, the financial injection will focus on “an area on the edge of what is already a spectacular area” where its existing facilities include Nordic-style lodges and an on-site restaurant.

For Cabot, the deal comes amid a period of impressive global growth. Earlier this summer, the company established its first property in continental Europe when it purchased Golf Du Medoc Resort, which it has since converted into Cabot Bordeaux, adding to a portfolio that includes Cabot Cape Breton in Nova Scotia; Cabot Saint Lucia in the Caribbean; Cabot Revelstoke in British Columbia; Cabot Citrus Farms in Florida; and the Cabot Highlands in Scotland.

The guiding philosophy of distance golf development, popularized by Keizer at Bandon and adopted by Cabot, is that if one course is good, two courses are better. Whether Cabot’s investment in Lofoten Links will lead to another property is yet to be determined, although Cowan-Dewar says “we are looking at the property for more golf and it’s certainly in our playbook.”

For now, though, he says, any changes will be adjustments to “food and drink and other things we’re good at.”

“It’s mostly about bringing the destination together and helping it reach its full potential,” Cowan-Dewar said.

As well as golf, Lofoten Links offers activities such as horse riding, hiking and kayaking. And although the golf season lasts less than half a year, from May to October, that time is tricky, notes Cowan-Dewar, because during several of those months, it stays light 24 hours a day, creating more volume than the calendar suggests. . And after the midnight sun of summer appear the northern lights of autumn, one of the wonders of the world, shining in the sky along the way.

“It’s an experience every golfer needs to have,” said Cowan-Dewar.

For more information, visit The Cabot Collection and Lofoten Links.

Josh Sens

Golf.com Editor

Golf, food and travel writer, Josh Sens has been a contributor to GOLF Magazine since 2004 and now contributes to all areas of GOLF. His work has been honored in The Best American Sportswriting. He is also the author, with Sammy Hagar, of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: The Cooking and Partying Handbook.


Source link

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button