Tee is for tourism worth £300 million

SCOTLAND has proved its position as the home of golf with new figures showing that tourists who come to play the game have increased their spending by £200 million over the last four years.

On the eve of the Ryder Cup in the United States, the tourism and sport minister Frank McAveety said spending by visitors playing golf had risen from 100 million in 1999 to 300 million last year.

Golf tourism now accounts for about 2 per cent of overall tourism spending in Scotland, something the Scottish Executive hopes to build on.

Promoting the importance of Scotland as a must-visit golfing destination, Mr McAveety said: "These impressive figures illustrate that if we are imaginative about marketing our unique product, golf tourism provides enormous potential for growth. I want us to build on that richly deserved reputation.

"To achieve our ambitious plans we need to offer top-quality services, food and accommodation, so we can ensure Scotland is a must-visit destination for the world’s golfers, their friends and families."

Scotland has 550 golf courses which equates to one full-length golf course for every 23,000 people. That is more per head of population than almost anywhere else in the world.

Tourism is Scotland’s most important industry in terms of employment sustainability, contributing 4.5 billion to the economy.

Brian Hay, head of research at VisitScotland, said one of the major reasons for the increase was the proliferation of cheap flights from Europe which has brought an influx of new "golftourists".

Mr Hay said: "There has been a real increase in tourism, not just from people who are visiting solely to play golf but also casual visitors who, when in Scotland, have decided to have a round of golf. The golf clubs have picked up on this trend.

"There has been much more of a welcoming attitude towards the casual players and a recognition by traditional golf clubs that they can add something, especially during the week, and the quieter times.

"Looking ahead, I see a lot of potential, particularly with the opening up of new flights from Stockholm and Russia. These are huge markets. Ryanair flies into Prestwick, which is very near to courses like Troon, so there is a real linkage between cheap flights and access to courses."

VisitScotland research shows that for every 1 spent on a green fee in Scotland, a further 5 is spent elsewhere in the Scottish economy. But despite the positive figures, Scotland still faces considerable challenges in the golf tourism market. Golfing visitors are now spoilt for choice, with more and more countries, resorts, golf courses and hotels competing for their attention and business.

Scotland has drawbacks to accompany its strengths. The weather deters some visitors, there is little winter business and demand often outstrips the supply of available tee-times at some of the courses visitors most want to play, thus driving up prices.

One of the initiatives VisitScotland has created to help attract golfers to Scotland is the development of golfing ambassadors. Earlier this year Sam Torrance joined the winning team of Catriona Matthew, Kathryn Marshall and Steven O’Hara, who promote the game while playing on the USA and European circuits.

The Ryder Cup, which Scotland will host in 2014 at Gleneagles, will provide a further boost to the economy. But the Executive has also launched an innovative scheme to introduce more youngsters to the game.

Yesterday Mr McAveety highlighted the Executive’s Clubgolf scheme, which is aimed at encouraging youngsters to take up the game. Clubgolf, launched last year by First Minister Jack McConnell, includes a commitment to introduce 50,000 nine-year-olds to the game every year, and the Executive is funding the initiative to the tune of 500,000 a year until 2009.

Yesterday, Mr McAveety added: "Clubgolf is a Ryder Cup bid commitment and we have the ambition to make 2014 the best-ever Ryder Cup.

"This weekend, as we watch the world’s greatest players, including Scotland’s own Colin Montgomerie, I hope Clubgolf will uncover more top-class players for the future, able to compete in this and other elite golf competitions."

Despite the popularity of the sport, playing the game has never been more expensive. Forty years ago, a round of golf on the Old Course at St Andrews was priced at 12s 6d. These days 18 holes on the hallowed links will set you back 105.

The increasing costs come at a time when rewards available to the world’s best players have soared in value and the sport’s televison exposure is greater than ever.

In 1982 Craig Stadler topped the US money list with $446,462. In 2002 Tiger Woods earned $6,912,625.

There are now an estimated 3.75 million players in Britain and Ireland regularly taking the tee, and 2.25 million more recreational golfers, making the sport one of the UK’s most popular.