As a proud Scotsman, few could blame Callum Nicoll for wanting to return to his native homeland following a nine-year spell working in the heat and humidity of the Middle East.

Growing-up on the west coast of Scotland, Nicoll took to golf, life a duck takes to water. Hailing from a golfing family – his uncle, Brian Gunson is general manager at Shady Canyon Golf Club in California – it was always going to be the case that young Callum would want to chance his luck in the golf industry in some capacity.

Aged 18, Nicoll got his first career break whilst trying to find his way as a professional golfer as he explained: “I started my career at Turnberry as an assistant professional and spent five-and-a-half great years there before moving to Prestwick, where I was given the chance to do a little bit of work whilst still playing.

“I had a couple of years trying to make a career for myself as a player,” he admits, “but when I got to 27, I had a choice to make especially with the winter coming.

“I did some work for my dad in his company; worked on a building site and even worked in an Amazon factory for a few months over the winter before realising that as ambitious as I was to try and make a success of playing, I didn’t want to go through the next two or three winters like this.

“I had a really good network of friends from Turnberry, and their careers were really starting to go in a good direction, which made me realise that after getting some good advice from them that maybe now was the time to think about a change.”

And as Nicoll elaborates, change happened a lot quicker than he anticipated.

“I was actually caddying for a friend at Dundonald Links in the Tour School, in howling wind and rain – a typical October day in Scotland,” he laughs.

“I was taking the golf bag out of the back of the car with the wind coming sideways, when I got a phone call letting me know about a retail manager’s job at the Els Club in Dubai, and it was like, ‘when do you want me to start’.

“Three weeks later, I was in Dubai with a whole new wardrobe, and I was in the sunshine.”

Nicoll spent six years plying his trade as head professional at the Els Club, before assuming his first managerial role as director of golf at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, a position he held until 2018. Although Nicoll adjusted to life in the UAE, after a nine-year spell he was ready to move on following a change in his personal life.

“It was not easy playing golf [in those conditions] and it was quite tough,” he admits, “but after one or two years you do kind of get mentally used to it. That said, I would rather play golf in 45°c than -3°c.”

Nicoll returned to the UK to answer a call from Stephen Follett, CEO of the London Golf Club who persuaded him to take over a temporary role as director of golf, only for Nicoll to stay a tad longer than anticipated.

“I loved working with Stephen and the London Club so much that after five weeks, we came to an agreement, and my temporary position became permanent,” he explained.

Nicoll spent two-and-a-half years throughout COVID working with Follett, before his quest to return north to Scotland took a step in the right direction, when in June 2021, he was appointed director of golf and estates at Rockliffe Hall in County Durham, the same job title he now holds at Fairmont St Andrews.

“Rockliffe Hall is a fantastic resort, with a good golf course and nice facilities,” he said. “It’s a quality resort with a five-star hotel and a real focus on quality.”

And one assumes that the focus on quality, was one of the many attributes which attracted Fairmont St Andrews to Nicoll when an opportunity presented itself just over a year ago to move to the ‘Home of Golf’.

Perched atop the cliffs east of the town centre, Fairmont St Andrews currently offers two 18-hole golf courses – the Torrance which is a traditional links-style course, and The Kittocks which is well-known for its backdrop and sea views.

Following the acquisition in 2019 by Great Century – a Hong Kong-based company – plans to amalgamate the courses into one ‘world-class’ course was approved last year, although the project is now on hold. Off-course, the five-star Fairmont hotel continues to offer an unrivalled Scottish welcome with Tartan décor throughout the interior in homage to the historic location.

Few hotels in the area can match the world-class levels of comfort and service, and it is with these service levels in mind, that Nicoll hopes to elevate the golf offering.

When any golfer thinks of St Andrews, the Old Course will always be top of any bucket-list, together with the likes of Kingsbarns and the Castle Course. Green fee competition in the area is therefore fierce, and although not as highly regarded as some of its more illustrious neighbours, Fairmont at St Andrews does have a USP, something which Nicoll is keen to exploit.

“The one thing that we do have here – and sometimes I don’t like to use the word – is two championship courses, which is quite unique in this location. Quite often you find that one course is outstanding, and the other not quite so good, yet our pricing structure and service levels are the same on both the Torrance and the Kittocks.

“Obviously everyone that comes to St Andrews wants to play the Old Course, but we have a unique offering in that we can offer a great golf experience coupled with a relaxed experience in the evening, all on one site.

“Being part of a resort, guests staying at Fairmont St Andrews can play early in town and then come back to the hotel, have a spot of lunch or a swim, and then nip out again for nine, or 18 holes in the afternoon in a buggy.

“We offer that degree of flexibility and freedom for all guests to have a relaxed experience on a timetable that suits their requirements.”

Nicoll is under no illusion that he needs to build recognition of the golf experience at Fairmont St Andrews but is reassured that thanks to the global reach of the Fairmont brand, he will be able to grow visitor numbers, especially from North America which remains a key market for Scottish golf tourism in general.

“We cater for a number of international guests,” he said, “and we have a strategy to pinpoint who our key market is and enhance that whole visitor experience – both in the hotel and on the golf course – as much as we can.

“Tiny little improvements and all the small details really do add up and help to create a great day out for guests. I’m working with 59club – as I did at Rockliffe Hall – which is a great tool to compliment your own SOPs and service standards.”

Clearly Nicoll must be doing something right, as he and his team at Fairmont St Andrews has just won 59club’s coveted Gold Flag for the best resort in the UK.

Now aged 42, Nicoll appears content to be back home in Scotland, and during the off-season has also worked in the hotel as a duty manager enhancing his personal experience and skill set. With his family now settled in the town, whatever the future holds for Fairmont St Andrews, the owners can rest-assured that the golf experience is clearly in safe hands.

And in whisky parlance, perhaps, one might suggest that any plans to blend both courses should be put on ice, as what the resort already offers is a unique experience at ‘The Home of Golf’.