GOLFER Tiger Woods and popstar Justin Timberlake have been granted planning permission to convert an old cinema in St Andrews into a sports bar.
T-Squared Social will turn the New Picture House into a luxury bar with sports simulators, duckpin bowling and darts while also retaining two cinema screens.
Fife Council said the application from real estate company Nexus Luxury Collection – which both Woos and Timberlake are shareholders in – would “project and enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area”.
The cinema’s owners have welcomed the proposal and stated they would have to close the New Picture House if there were no changes, as it “currently runs under 10% occupancy and is no longer a viable stand-alone cinema operation”.
The document further states that the bar plan will let people in St Andrews “experience a broader range of cinema, dining and entertainment” and will be “crucial in helping to secure a cinema offering going forward” in the area.
Woods previously said that he and Timberlake first came up with the idea following a round of golf at their development in the Bahamas.
The former world number one played at St Andrews for the 150th Open Championship in 2022 for what he said, “felt like the last time”.
The 15-time major winner said he had enjoyed “many special moments” in the town and he hoped T-Squared Social would be a “welcoming place” for tourists and locals alike.
Timberlake – who hit headlines after being arrested for drink driving in New York last month – has played golf at St Andrews in the past, including at the Dunhill Championship in 2019.
Christopher Anand, the firm’s CEO and managing partner, said: “We are taking great care to preserve and celebrate the historic architecture and design of the theatre and continue its tradition of showcasing great films.”
He added that the proposal would bring “new life and longevity” to the site, with the bar open seven days a week.
The cinema first opened in 1930 and seats 700 people with key features, including the ceiling, walls and stage, to be kept in the change of use.
Under the terms of approval for the project, work must begin within the next three years.
