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PARTNERSHIP | Spring 2020 20 Golf, a growing industry linked to tourism How the golf business is a prestigious asset for Scotland’s economy S cotland is the birthplace of golf, with a legacy covering six-hundred years (the first traces of a “gowf” course go back to the 15th century). There is no better place where to play: golfers can choose from over 550 courses - more per head of population than anywhere else in the world – among which are iconic locations such as St. Andrews, on the east coast of Fife, and Turnberry, a golf resort on the Firth of Clyde in Ayrshire. It is no surprise that Scotland is considered one of the best golf destinations. Professionals aiming for the top can play on numerous Champion courses, even the worldwide famous “Old Course” at St. Andrews, which is often referred to as the home of golf. Over the years, it became clear that the golf industry had created its own niche into luxury tourism. In 2016, VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise published a report stating that, in the previous seven years, golf tourists had generated £286m every year, an increase of £66m since 2008. On average, golf tourists spend £338 per day, four times as much as other overseas visitors. This extraordinary performance also contributed to maintaining 4,700 jobs. Therefore, more and more specialised companies have been creating exclusive luxury packages to attract golfers from the UK and overseas. According to the report, in fact, approximately half of the golf tourists are from Scotland, one third from the UK and one third from abroad, with North Americans dominating the overseas market followed by Europeans (mostly Germans or Swedish). This is good news not only for hotels and golf clubs but also for other businesses connected to the sector. In 2017, for instance, the sales of Royal & Awesome patterned golf trousers, an Edinburgh- based clothing brand, went over £1m. GOLF TOURNAMENTS: A BOOST FOR TOURISM Part of the fascination for golfers is, of course, attending golf tournaments, and Scotland is the perfect place to attend the world’s most important competitions. In July 2018, over 200,000 tourists attended the 147th Open Championship organised in Angus. On that occasion, Francesco Molinari, the famous Italian professional golfer, became the first Italian winner of the competition. Considering the above figures, the assignment of the Ryder Cup 2022 to Rome must be considered a significant success for the Italian government, Coni (Italian National Olympic Committee) and the Italian Golf Federation. The Ryder Cup is not only the most important golf tournament but also the third most followed international sport event, after the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup. It is forecasted that about 50,000 guests will attend the event every day. Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, the hosting venue in Rome, is currently undertaking enhancing works to have state-of-the-art facilities able to attract more and more golfers, benefiting also future generations and increasing the revenues for the wider area. ·