Cape Breton golf course gets international buzz

The widespread interest in the Cabot Links golf course in Inverness, Cape Breton has prompted some business people to set up shop in what used to be a town in economic decline.

Cabot Links has been getting attention from golf writers around the world.

A golf match on Monday between two stars of the Professional Golfers Association, PGA ,could spur even more business development.

Golf enthusiasts from far and wide came to watch Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell and Canada's Graham DeLaet tee-up at Cabot Links.

McDowell won the competitionwith a five under par score. The event attracted lots of spectators who paid $90 to watch the match.

That's just a small sample of the number of people Cabot Links bringsto Inverness.

Duke Fraser owns Robin's Donuts in the town. He said a lot of visitors coming to see the pros also dropinto his shop, so much so that he had to pitch in and help his staff at the counter.

"There's quite a few tourists in the area and we understand there's a lot of people flying in with their own private jets, and there's a service back and forth.There's a lot of people coming in to Inverness these days and I believe we're getting well noticed here."

Fraser said he started the business because he could see Cabot Links would be a draw for tourists.

Down the street in the other direction Merv Tingley opened the Dancing Goat Cafe back in July.

It's his second, he also owns the Dancing Goat in Margaree.

"The future of Inverness looks very promising and I think it was just the right time."

Bob Weeks is a golf analyst for the Sports Network.

He believes Inverness has won some time in the international spotlight.

" I travel around the United States on the PGA Tour quite a bit and I'll wear a Cabot Links hat once in a while and I can't go [six metres] without someone stopping me and asking about the golf course. The word is out internationally about this golf course, and about this facility. Everybody wants to know what it's all about everybody wants to know where it is and how does it play and is it really as good as everyone says it is? So there's a lot of excitement about this, not only across Canada but also internationally," said Weeks.

That excitement is continuing to build. A new golf course called Cabot Cliffs is set to open in Inverness in 2015.

The development has local business owners like Fraser and Tingley hoping that the town's economic fortune will continue to improve.