Date: 13–15 October 2025
Location: Old and Jubilee Courses, St Andrews, Scotland
Project Overview
St Andrews Links Collegiate brings together men’s and women’s teams from the University of St Andrews, Princeton University, Michigan State University and the University of California, Berkeley for three days of competition on the Jubilee Course and the Old Course. As the Home of Golf welcomed the 2025 edition of this college tournament, Event & Media Structures was tasked with providing discreet, stable camera towers for international broadcast coverage.
Scope and Challenges
The project involved supplying and installing several purpose‑built camera towers around the links. Key elements included:
- Multiple locations: Towers were positioned at strategic points across both courses to capture tee shots, fairway play and greenside action.
- Minimal visual impact: To respect the historic environment of the Old Course, the towers were wrapped in black scrim to blend into the landscape.
- Safe access: Each tower incorporated an internal stair or ladder system, ensuring camera operators could work safely at height.
- Sensitive ground conditions: Working on the carefully maintained links required low‑footprint foundations and careful installation to avoid damaging the turf.
Our Approach
We designed a series of Layher‑based scaffold towers, each customised to suit its location:
- Structures were prefabricated for quick assembly on site, with integrated ladders and handrails.
- Black mesh wrap was applied to all elevations to reduce wind loading and visual intrusion.
- Towers were placed on timber spreaders to distribute load evenly across the delicate grass.
- Our team liaised closely with the St Andrews Links Trust and broadcast partners to sequence deliveries and builds around practice rounds and tournament play.
Outcome
The finished towers provided elevated, stable platforms for NBC Golf Channel and international broadcasters to capture the Collegiate in stunning detail. Their minimal profile ensured unobstructed views for players and spectators, while preserving the iconic vistas of the Home of Golf. Installed on schedule and removed immediately after the event, these camera towers helped showcase collegiate golf on a global stage without leaving a trace on the historic links.
