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A spokeswoman for Nova Scotia Business Inc. said Cabot Links “is in compliance with its terms and conditions” of the provincial loan, but did not say how much remains outstanding.

ACOA recently said Cabot Links is on track to repay its loans.

The financial support has sparked a polarizing economic development debate. Critics have said most of the jobs are seasonal, and question using public dollars to bankroll a private business catering to affluent golfers.

ACOA said the new funding will create an additional 50 full-time positions, on top of the nearly 300 people currently working at the golf courses.

The agency’s website gives the total new project cost as $9.5 million.

Ben Cowan-Dewar, co-owner of Cabot Links, said the next phase of development “represents a major growth opportunity for our resort.”

“Not only will this phase have a positive impact on our guests and their overall experience, but also, our surrounding community by way of creating more job opportunities in the area,” he said in a statement Friday.

Critics from around North America have been agog since the Cape Breton golf courses opened, starting with Cabot Links in 2011 and Cabot Cliffs five years later.

Inspired by venerable Scottish links, the courses of manicured turf, woven through dunes land, are located along the coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

In January, Cabot Cliffs was listed as No. 9 in Golf Digest’s World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses list, and Cabot Links was ranked No. 43.