In all, 1.1m tonnes of earth and rock were excavated in the construction of the 2010 course, flattening out the harsh gradients of the back nine, and using the aggregate to raise the opening holes above the level of the Usk's flood plain.

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Dye told me another story, which took place during the construction of the Straits Course.

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The construction costs of the course, running into the low millions of dollars, will depend on which design is chosen and the necessary associated infrastructure.

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There are of course construction (Orascom) and communications (Wataniya) companies which are regionally important, making investments in Asia and Africa.

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Scottish Building Federation Executive Director Michael Levack thinks that the latest figures "paint an overly optimistic picture of the construction sector's performance in the course of last year".

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And there will be, of course, the effect of US construction slowly but surely starting to recover.

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The work will create around 60 construction jobs over the course of the project.

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Of course, that ignores the plight of the 70, 000 construction workers who also lost pay.

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And of course a growing tax base would make it much easier to cover the construction costs.

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