Golf Tourism. in Scotland. opportunities for growth

Transcription

1 Golf Tourism in Scotland 4 opportunities for growth

2 GOLF TOURISM IN SCOTLAND King s Golf Course, Gleneagles, Perthshire: P Tomkins 02 We need to stay ahead of the game, keep on top of market trends and be quick to respond with development and enhancement of our own products and services. Only then can we ensure that we re always ready to exceed our customers expectations and so build on our reputation as a must visit, must return destination. THE INDUSTRY STRATEGY, SCOTTISH TOURISM - THE NEXT DECADE walking tourism... 1 opportunities for growth Scottish tourism in the future... opportunities for growth 2 Knowing Our Markets... Scotland s Visitors opportunities for growth 3 Golf Tourism in Scotland 4 opportunities for growth These guides are written for Scottish tourism businesses to offer them relevant insights that help grow their businesses and enhance the experience we offer our visitors. To download all of the guides in the series and also to access a wealth of other intelligence, insights and tips, go to: 1. Walking Tourism 2. Scottish Tourism in the Future 3. Knowing Our Markets...Scotland s Visitors 4. Golf Tourism Other specialist guides Listening to our Visitors: A practical guide to using feedback Scotland s Historic Properties: Visiting the Future Front cover shot: The Queen s Golf Course, Gleneagles, Perthshire: P Tomkins

3 Contents 1. Introduction 04 Innovation in product and service development, and in business processes, is key to the future competitiveness of the Scottish tourism industry. In this fast-moving consumer marketplace, Scotland needs to continually make the most of its distinctive strengths and keep up with growing competition. The more you know about your customers, the better you can cater for them, the more satisfied they will be and the more money they are likely to spend with you. Gathering and using good market intelligence to drive innovation is a quick, easy, cheap and effective way to improve your business. To support the industry in this area, a new joint initiative has been developed by Scottish Enterprise, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and VisitScotland, Tourism Intelligence Scotland. Tourism Intelligence Scotland is a key initiative in supporting the industry to achieve growth and innovation in tourism. Tourism Intelligence Scotland is where forward thinking businesses go for easy to use practical insights to inspire them to get ahead... Tourism Intelligence Scotland offers businesses the opportunity to access, share and understand a range of useful information - and can help businesses to get ahead and stay competitive. What are the benefits? Tourism Intelligence Scotland can help you to: Obtain useful customer feedback and understand your customers better Develop innovative products and services based on good market intelligence Find inspirational and relevant information quickly and easily Understand the Scottish tourism market better Understand global trends that matter to you Learn from other businesses, share useful insights and collaborate Be more successful and stay one step ahead Register today: or contact us on or info@tourism-intelligence.co.uk. By registering with TIS, you will receive the popular TIS newsletter Ear to the Ground ; each of the TIS free guides as they are produced; and you will be the first to know about forthcoming events and workshops. 2. What are the key facts about 06 golf tourism? 3. Who comes to Scotland to play golf? What do our golfing visitors want? Opportunities for tourism businesses Opportunities for golf clubs and courses Links and resources Next steps for Scotland 47 This guide is aimed at both golf clubs/courses and tourism businesses, to help them develop innovative products and services that will provide a more enjoyable and more collaborative experience in Scotland for golf visitors. It is based on a variety of intelligence, research and insights. Specific recent research commissioned by Scottish Enterprise is the Scottish Golf Tourism Market Analysis, 2009 by SQW Consulting Ltd. The content also refers to the Golf Tourism Monitor by Golf Tourism Scotland. 03 Carnoustie Golf Links, Angus: P Tomkins

4 Golf Tourism in Scotland 1 Introduction Glen Golf Club, North Berwick, East Lothian: P Tomkins 04 Scotland is one of the world s premier golf destinations (voted Best Golf Destination of the Year 2009 by Today s Golfer) and is recognised globally as the Home of Golf. Scotland s appeal comes from the wide choice and number of high quality courses, often set in the most spectacular landscapes. The unique nature and challenge of playing these and the country s links courses are major factors in attracting so many golf visitors to Scotland. This guide has been developed to help tourism businesses and the many golf clubs and courses in Scotland to better understand the needs and expectations of golf visitors. There has never been a better time to do this. Scotland is well placed to maximise the opportunities arising from changing visitor trends and an increasing desire for authenticity, health and well-being as well as our fantastic scenery - but we must understand better what golfers, and indeed other visitor types, want in order to be able to realise our undoubted tourism potential. With Scotland hosting the Ryder Cup in 2014, and increasing competition from other golf destinations, now is the time to work better together and make sure we are ready to grow the future of this important tourism market. Golf tourism is a lucrative market Golf is a hugely popular sport around the world. Despite the global recession, golf continues to grow. Over the last 20 years, the number of registered golfers in Europe has increased from 1.5 million to 4.3 million. There are over 32,000 golf courses to choose from worldwide and according to Mintel (Leisure Intelligence 2009), approximately 56 million golfers play on them. The IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) estimate that worldwide golf tourism is worth in the region of 10 billion. To put that in context, that is more than twice the value of all tourism to Scotland. Despite its popularity there is great growth potential, with only 1% of the world population playing golf at present. This compares with the United States where, according to the PGA (Professional Golfers Association), 27 million, or roughly 10% of its population, plays golf. The growth of the professional golf tour has also seen golf taken to all corners of the globe and there are now world-class events from St Andrews to Shanghai. Although this guide is primarily considering the experience for golf visitors, we need to remember that there is also an economic benefit from golf events in Scotland which bring both players and spectators many of whom may also choose to have other tourism experiences while they are here as well as perhaps play golf! 3% 12% 24% Golfers around the world 2% 1% 58% North America Asia Europe Oceania South America South Africa The chart opposite shows the distribution of golfers around the world. Source: Summary of the World Golf Tourism Market, VisitScotland, 2006

5 1 INTRODUCTION Scotland undeniably holds the accolade of being the country where it all started with all the old traditions associated with this, but we can t rely on this alone for the future growth and success of our golf tourism product. Many other countries in the world have also developed their golf tourism product and have attracted a loyal following of visitors. They are often far less concerned with the traditions of the game and more by being able to find a fantastic golf/holiday experience that gives visitors what they want. Golfing enthusiasts will often say that golf is a way of life and that for any golfing holiday the game itself will be central to the trip. Naturally, the quality/challenge of the course is a key consideration, but so too are other factors such as; ease of access, variety of golf courses to play on a trip, the welcome received at any particular club, information on things to do in the evening, facilities for washing/drying, excellent quality food, drink and accommodation, whatever the budget etc. Visiting golfers may be golfers first and foremost - but they are also visitors and have the same high expectations common to all visitors to Scotland. And like all other visitors their expectations and behaviour keeps changing. It will depend on how well we understand this and are able to meet the changing needs that will keep us standing out from the crowded golf tourism world market. THE HOME OF GOLF Scotland, through the Old Course at St Andrews, is recognised throughout the world as the Home of Golf. We are rightly proud of this heritage which dates back to an early record of golf being played on the links at St Andrews as far back as around 1400AD! In the 19th century the game grew in popularity and became a way of life for many local people, whether they were players, caddies, ball makers or club makers. Over the centuries the golf industry has changed - from being banned in 1457 in Scotland because of its preference amongst young lads to archery practice (deemed a more worthy pastime!), to the founding of the Royal and Ancient Club in 1754 to govern the rules and then to where Scotland has over 550 courses, supporting a thriving golf tourism industry. All courses in St Andrews are public and accessible to all. We also have a high profile in world golf. This is reinforced through our hosting of world-class golfing events, such as the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in We also have 5 of the 9 Open Championship venues here in Scotland; St Andrews, Muirfield, Carnoustie, Royal Troon and Turnberry. The top 10 golf hotspots around the world in Portugal 2. Spain 3. Turkey 4. Dubai 5. USA Source: KPMG Golf Travel Insight South Africa 7. Scotland 8. Ireland 9. Northern Africa 10. Thailand, Malaysia & Indonesia 05

6 Golf Tourism in Scotland 2 What are the key facts about golf tourism? Overview of the market The core markets for golf tourism in Scotland are the UK and Ireland (70%) and 3 overseas markets (30%). Of the overseas markets 50% are from US and the remaining 50% are split between Scandinavia and Germany. Although the overseas golf market represents a much smaller number of visitors, it is the market segment that is likely to generate more revenue. This market spends more per head than UK golf visitors and more than the average tourist to Scotland, so they are a particularly lucrative group of visitors. Most importantly, these core markets bring experienced golfers who really value what Scotland can offer. The chart below indicates the percentage of website hits to (April 2010) and gives an indication of our core markets. Overall, according to the Golf Tourism Monitor, 700,000 rounds are played by around 135,000 golf visitors each year. no. of TRIPS 60k 50k 40k 30k 20k 06 UK market Looking at the number of registered golfers who might be attracted to take a trip to Scotland: in the UK there are approximately 4 million golfers, of whom an estimated 25% are also members of a golf club. This is further split to show 75% of registered golfers in England, 20% in Scotland and the remaining 5% in Wales. Defining a golfing visitor 37.9% 14.5% 8.6% 4.8% 4.7% 4.3% 3.6% 2.9% 2.0% 1.7% Source: Website hits from around the world to the official golf website for VisitScotland; April 2010 Source: Mintel Leisure Intelligence 2009 For this guide, we are specifically looking at attitudes and behaviours of our golfing visitors rather than local resident golfers, unless they too become a visitor - i.e. spending a night away from home. According to The Scottish Golf Tourism Market Analysis 2009, by SQW Ltd, the vast majority of these golfing visitors come to Scotland with the express purpose of playing golf. However there are 10k SCOTland rest Of uk eire Average no. of rounds played per trip Source: Sports Marketing Survey, Visitor Survey, 2007/Golf Tourism Monitor, Golf Tourism Scotland other types of visitor who we need to consider - such as the golfing visitors who come to Scotland to watch a golf event and also other holiday makers, who play the occasional round of golf while they are here. According to UKTS, golf trips to Scotland from the UK account for about 3% of all UK holiday trips to Scotland. Mainly as a result of the global recession, in Scotland there has been a significant decline in visitors from the US (from 2008/09) for all tourism experiences, and this was also true for golf. To some extent the impact of this was partially offset by a slight increase in golfing visitors from other parts of the UK who chose to play golf at home rather than travel overseas. However, it would seem that in an economic downturn, golfers with less disposable income are not choosing to abandon their visit, but rather to find ways to still have a golfing holiday that offers more overall value. usa europe other

7 2 What are the key facts about golf tourism? Volume and value of golf In calculating the economic value of golf in Scotland, new expenditure is from golfing visitors who stay overnight. Based on this definition, golf tourism then generates around 220 million for the Scottish economy per year and supports over 4,400 jobs. This includes both visiting golfers as well as other leisure visitors who played the occasional round of golf during their holiday. It also includes spend on green fees, additional expenditure on accommodation and food as well as visitor spend at major golf events. Of the 550 golf courses in Scotland, it is estimated that there are around 70 courses that are generating the majority of their collective revenue from green fees. According to The Scottish Golf Tourism Market Analysis, 2009 report by SQW Ltd, these courses represent just 12% of the golf provision and generate 75% of the green fees revenue. Naturally these well performing courses also have a positive economic impact on their surrounding tourism businesses. So there is clearly more that other clubs and courses can do to attract more visitor revenue and work with their local tourism businesses to reap increased economic benefits for the local area. With prestigious world class golf events returning to Scotland - The Open Championship at St Andrews 2010, the Ryder Cup in 2014 etc - there is much to look forward to and prepare for, through understanding more about our visitors and making sure that we tailor our offers, products, packages and marketing to align with what our visitors are looking for. Like all other sectors, the health of the economy clearly impacts on golf tourism. In 2009, for example, bookings were down in Scotland from certain markets, particularly North America and the corporate market. But enquiries and bookings from Scandinavia, Continental Europe, Ireland, Asia and the Middle East appear to be relatively unchanged year on year. The number of actual visitor rounds of golf has remained almost identical 2008 to 2009 but the revenue is down. This has been largely due to the bigger courses offering more discounts and offers. There are some signs that the smaller inland courses have fared better in 2009 than the top end courses, which is another indication that perhaps the number of higher spending, luxury golf visitors has declined. Trends in golf tourism in Scotland Similar to the trends in other areas of tourism, more UK golfers appear to be choosing to stay in the UK. But it is important to note that there have been significant changes in both the buying behaviour and choices of our golfing visitors, both from within the UK and from further afield. The main influences on taking golf trips are reported as being: weather, price, quality of courses and accessibility. Golf visitors to Scotland are most attracted by the quality of our courses, our tradition and also our reputation. Our resorts and facilities attract the luxury golfer who is particularly attracted to the traditions of the game. However the thing that all of our golf visitors have in common is a search for good value, an authentic experience, an excellent quality of accommodation, service food and drink at whatever the price and last but not least, a very warm welcome! So while the current economic climate may restrict growth in golf tourism in the short term, we have an unrivalled opportunity to provide an excellent overall experience and grow our core markets when the economy starts to recover. Fairmont St Andrews Bay Hotel, Fife: P Tomkins Murcar Golf Club, Aberdeenshire: P Tomkins

8 Golf Tourism in Scotland The Scottish golf market Scotland is very fortunate to have a great range of different types of courses. Our courses are split between inland courses (including many world famous courses such as Loch Lomond and Gleneagles), links courses (coastal) which Scotland is most famous for, through to small and quirky courses such as the 12 hole Shiskine course on Arran and the Askernish course on South Uist. Scotland s key golf selling point is not just that it has such a terrific range of courses but also the number of high quality, world class courses, often set in the most spectacular of landscapes that build our reputation as the Home of Golf. Course category No. of courses Total annual visitor green fee revenue ( million) Visitor split Day trip : staying 08 Of these various golf course types, according to Scottish Golf Market Analysis by SQW (2009), the links courses generated significantly more revenue from their visitors than any inland courses. Links/coastal, annual visitor green fee revenue < 75,000 Links/coastal, annual visitor green fee revenue 75, ,00 Links/coastal, annual visitor green fee revenue 150, , : : : 50 Highland & Islands 59 Golf Courses 23 links courses e.g. Nairn, Royal Dornoch North East 72 Golf Courses 22 links courses e.g. Cruden Bay, Royal Aberdeen Links/coastal, annual visitor green fee revenue > 300,000 Inland, annual visitor green fee revenue > 75, : : 15 Central 120 Golf Courses No links courses e.g. Glasgow Gailes, Loch Lomond Historic Heartland 107 Golf Courses 26 links courses e.g. Carnoustie, St Andrews Old Inland, annual visitor green fee revenue 75, ,000 Inland, annual visitor green fee revenue 150, , : : 38 South West 104 Golf Courses 32 links courses e.g. Prestwick, Turnberry South East 88 Golf Courses 14 links courses e.g. Muirfield, Gullane Inland, annual visitor green fee revenue > 300,000 9 hole courses : : 50 Source: Official Guide to Golf, VisitScotland Total Source: Visiting Golfer Spend in Scotland, Golf Tourism Scotland, 2009

9 2 What are the key facts about golf tourism? How Scottish golf clubs and courses are managed With Scotland having one of the highest golf participation rates in the world, every area in Scotland traditionally has a local course. Typically, golf courses in Scotland are managed in 3 different ways. Historically, and still by far the majority of golf courses in Scotland are managed as private members clubs. These clubs tend to be male dominated (aged 45 +) with relatively high joining fees and annual subscriptions. Membership levels of these private clubs has grown by circa 5% over the last 20 years, although over the last 5 years growth has been somewhat static. The 2nd type is municipal clubs which, apart from one or two notable exceptions such as in South Ayrshire, tend to attract a very local, residents market. This market is also facing challenging market conditions. The 3rd type, commercial clubs or pay as you play is the one that is growing its market share more quickly, having risen from only 2% in 1980 to 17%, and still growing today. Old, outdated perceptions In terms of accessibility, there is an outdated perception that golf is an old man s sport, male dominated and that courses are sometimes reluctant to welcome visitors. This perception is no longer a reality despite being sometimes a mantle that is hard to shrug off. Nowadays, a growing number of golf courses are more commercially focussed and know that they need to continually re-address old perceptions, to ensure they are always seen as open for business and welcoming to visitors. Commercial courses attract around 50% more visitor rounds than members club courses, many of which limit the times available to visitors. Municipal courses, many of which are heavily used by local golfers, record the lowest numbers of visitors. Source: Golf Tourism Monitor, Converting Junior to Senior Members Throughout Scotland golf courses have been struggling to convert their junior members to adult memberships, despite a strong and active junior section. They have felt that their ageing profile and other pressures, including finances, were mainly contributing to this. As a possible solution, some courses have implemented a tiered system of membership subscriptions for their younger players. Instead of only offering Junior and Adult membership, these courses now also have Young Adult 1-4 memberships, where membership fees become incrementally higher. Only once members are 31 years old will they be an Adult Member and pay the full amount. Although it might take several years before the courses reap the rewards from their new membership scheme, many are already seeing a livelier social scene, leading to higher revenues.

10 Golf Tourism in Scotland 10 The challenges, however, continue for golf clubs and courses. Over the last decade, there has been a rapid growth in the number of quality pay as you play golf courses, that are available to both visitors and locals. Membership levels of private clubs have declined recently, as golfers are tending to become less loyal to one particular golf course, preferring to play at a wider choice of courses. Local people are also increasingly tending to save on their regular golf membership fees in favour of trying different golf experiences, which may include more trips further afield in the UK or abroad to sunnier climes. This trend towards nomadic golf has led to clubs and courses increasingly looking at other options to become ever more commercial in an increasingly competitive market place. Options such as: encouraging more juniors, welcoming more visitors, tiered membership arrangements, opening up more tee times to non members etc can all help with this. But these new ventures still have to be kept in balance with the needs and desires of existing members to ensure the club remains viable in the short, medium and longer term. If it is assumed that the golf tourists require a good quality golfing experience plus good quality accommodation at or near the golf course, then Scotland has about 70 good quality golf tourism facilities. Source: Scotland s Golf Facilities, Provision, Management and Usage, R.J. Price 2003 It is the way that golf courses and clubs are managed, and their attitude to becoming more commercial, that is singling out the real success stories. By viewing its role as one of a visitor attraction as opposed to just a golf course, a club can kick start its growth potential to ensure its ultimate sustainability. As a visitor attraction a golf club is much more likely to think of offering great deals and packages and come up with innovative ways to attract both members and visiting non members. This thinking will also lead it to successful collaboration with other local tourism providers. The route to this commercial success is the thinking and attitudes of the club management. No course can be complacent in today s competitive world nor simply rely, any longer, on Scotland s golfing heritage and reputation to attract new golf visitors. Everyone involved in the golf industry needs to pull together to become much more proactive in promoting and delivering our excellent golf products to a potential visitor audience. So, golf in Scotland is slowly changing its profile to being more commercially focussed and very dependent on golfing visitors, rather than resident members, for its growth.

11 2 WHAT ARE THE KEY FACTS ABOUT GOLF TOURISM? Strengths Quality of our golf courses, especially links courses Spectacular scenery at the majority of golf courses Accessibility relatively short distances to travel within Scotland and opportunity to play major championship courses Reputation and history as the home of golf - reinforced by the R&A being based at St Andrews Profile from hosting major events, especially The Open Industry knowledge and experience, e.g. caddies Weaknesses Scottish weather Patchy customer service in golf experiences Weak transport, poor signage and sometimes remote courses with limited access by public transport Varying perceived value of food, drink and accommodation. Also varying quality and service Accommodation lack of choice and limited availability in more isolated areas. Also inadequate facilities for golfers Reluctance of some clubs and courses to modernise and accommodate visitors Lack of online booking systems Lack of information available on what to do and see Opportunities SWOT ANALYSIS OF GOLF FOR SCOTLAND SOURCE: SQW CONSULTING, SCOTTISH GOLF TOURISM MARKET ANALYSIS 2009 Threats 11 Increasing numbers of resort developments - bringing in higher spending visitors More online booking systems More effective use of information and communication technology (ICT) to facilitate product development and enable a better understanding of key markets and opportunities New ideas and innovation around golf packages to cater for all types of golfers and accompanying non golfers More pro-active approach amongst club members Hosting of The Ryder Cup 2014 at Gleneagles Old fashioned approach Lack of collaboration within an area between other tourism businesses Poor information gathering on golf visitors so lack of intelligence to base new product development on Not broadening our appeal to grow the golf tourism market through attracting potential golf visitors Fragmentation of the golf industry in Scotland and a tendency of poor leadership

12 Golf Tourism in Scotland These are turbulent times for the Scottish golf industry and other related businesses, and more innovative marketing methods and investment are urgently needed to actively persuade golfers to look to Scotland over other destinations. More than ever we must become more aware of the shifting visitor trends and align this knowledge to the products and services we offer. Scotland will struggle to compete with the fantastic weather of golfing destinations such as Spain and Portugal, but we can offer an authentic, memorable world class golfing experience that is steeped in history and tradition, providing good value for money with the potential for repeat business. The challenge for Scotland is to make sure that The Home of Golf is as unique and attractive a golf destination today and in the future as it was in the 19th century. We need to work together to grow and diversify our golf product. We must understand who our golf visitors are, who they could be and what they want, both on and off the golf course. The big opportunity today is to face this challenge, and for golf tourism operators to work more closely with the wider tourism industry to offer unrivalled golfing/visitor experiences. 12 PGA Centenary Golf Course, Gleneagles, Perthshire: G Satterley Increasing Lady Membership Low lady membership numbers were a problem for Tain Golf Club in Ross-Shire, like many other clubs across Scotland. During the club s Youth Clubgolf coaching programme season, coaches saw mothers, aunts and grandmothers dropping their children off and collecting them an hour later. They seized the opportunity by organising ladies-only coaching to run concurrently with the Clubgolf sessions. It was an immediate success and within a month they attracted 30 ladies. In order to include these ladies once their coaching was over, the club introduced an Intermediary membership at 100 per annum with no joining fees for a maximum of two years, after which ladies are encouraged to become full members. The club increased their full Ladies Memberships from 32 to 43 in only two seasons.

13 2 What are the key facts about golf tourism? Helpful Hints Top Tips The golf tourism market is changing. How well are you aware of the choices that golfers make when considering a golf holiday in Scotland? Have you made changes in your business as a result? With 12% of courses in Scotland generating 75% of green fees revenue, consider how you can work with your local golf course to attract more visitors to the golf course and to your area. 13 How can you, as a golf course operator, encourage more visitor rounds? How well do you link with local businesses to make sure they recommend their visitors to you? If your business is located near a links golf course, remember that these courses are immensely popular with high spending visitors. How can you tap into this lucrative market? Visitors cite the lack of local information as a barrier to the golf experience. Does your local golf course know of the great experience you offer?

14 Golf Tourism in Scotland 3 Who comes to Scotland to play golf? Our core markets of UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, Germany and North America mostly bring experienced golfers who really appreciate the Scottish product and who will come back again and again because they love the heritage, tradition and challenge that golf in Scotland offers. But we need to make sure that the golf experiences we offer them today will appeal as much tomorrow as they do today. By understanding a golfer s motivations, attitudes, needs and expectations in more detail we can then use these insights to develop what we offer and grow golf tourism in Scotland to face the growing competition from many other destinations. Golf visitors to Scotland from the UK can be broken down into four main types: 14 Golf Buddies these are usually groups of men from the UK sometimes stag or celebration parties or a group of friends who go away every year to somewhere different. They look for a medium priced break that combines good golf with good socialising. Going away for an absolute hoot and playing golf! Having a laugh, having a good time, playing a good game of golf. Luxury Golfers This group are serious golfers who want the best of everything. They want to play a number of signature courses, stay in luxury accommodation and eat in really good restaurants. Playing good golf the sense of being treated and pampered beyond belief it s complete bliss. Golfing Tourists These are mainly holiday makers who consider their game of golf as part of a range of activities taken during the holiday such as sight-seeing, touring, etc. This group is much more likely to include couples, and sometimes families, in the trip. It s the whole thing of being away from it all after...a bit of sport relaxation...peace. Golf Purists This group are highly competitive golfers who are solely concerned with the quality of their golf and come to Scotland purely to play golf. The more courses you play and the more variety of courses you play helps your game, because every single shot in golf is different.

15 3 WHO COMES TO SCOTLAND TO PLAY GOLF? Type of Motivation What they need Profile Preferred Preferred golfer for golf destination for destination for a shorter (1-4 a longer (5-14 nights) break nights) break Golf Unrestrained socialising Great atmosphere and Male Scotland Spain buddies Leaving responsibilities good golf Large groups Ireland Portugal behind 3 star hotel/rented house Aged England USA A holiday feeling beer Location close to or in town Mid handicap and banter Weather is a key Casually consideration competitive Luxury VIP golf Signature courses Male Scotland Portugal golfers Unique experience Challenging, links Aged Ireland USA Status/image Top quality clubhouse Low/mid handicap England 4/5 star hotel/golf resort Competitive Good weather is important Golf club members Golfing Relaxing break 9/18 hole courses Male and female England France tourists Golf as part of a Good value Couples/close friends, Scotland Spain rounded holiday Scenic, enjoyable courses sometimes includes Ireland Portugal experience Lots of other attractions families Wales Good value Aged Mid/high/no handicap Golf New and challenging golf Quality, challenging courses Male Scotland Scotland purists experiences Qualifying and Open courses, Aged Ireland Spain Improving game links courses, etc Low handicap Wales Portugal Experiencing top courses Clusters of courses Small groups England USA Key factor for accommodation Serious, competitive is proximity to courses golfers How do they like to book their golfing trip? Golfers, like other sport enthusiasts, tend to be well informed (through magazines and word of mouth) about which courses offer the best experience etc. So golfers, who are visiting specifically to play golf, will tend to have a good idea of which area they are attracted to, because of a particular selection of golf courses. They will also search out deals and offers through the internet. Other types of golfers, who are not on a visit specifically for golf, may look to find out information about golf and where to play, whilst they are here. If a golfer is booking the trip independent of a specialist golf tour operator, they would tend to book their golf directly with the golf pro at a particular course and then search online to find suitable accommodation and places to go for après golf in the area. The challenge for any golfer is finding a golf course that can give them a suitable tee time to play as a visitor. Increasingly golfers look to be able to do this online in advance, and so it is very important for a course to offer this facility. Online tee booking can often reduce the frustration and time-consuming or telephone exchange with a particular course which may or may not result in golf being booked with them. Once the tee times are arranged, the other aspects of the trip (such as accommodation etc) still need to be found nearby, so it can be a lengthy process! For this reason it is often easier for a golfer to book a trip through a golf tour operator, despite the increase in the overall trip cost. Source: A UK Golfer Segmentation, VisitScotland, Scott Porter Research and Marketing 2006 The First in Fife Group represent 13 courses in Fife, together with accommodation partners. This is a great example of a golf development group which is planning to go completely online over the next year. This means that visitors can book their tee times online as well as buying their golf passes. To find out more about the developments and innovations of this group go to: 15

16 Golf Tourism in Scotland 16 The Old Course, St Andrews, Fife: P Tomkins What influences their choice of destination for a golfing trip? The key influencers in choosing a golf destination largely depend on the motivation of the golfer. The key reason that visitors choose Scotland over other destinations is said to be the quality of our courses. We mustn t rely on our tradition and reputation alone as these reasons are lower down on the list of influencers given over other destinations and only resonate with particular golfer groups. So we need to be clear on which groups the Scotland golf offer resonates most powerfully with and then target those golfers. For instance, from overseas (US mainly), Scotland attracts those golfers who are most attracted and influenced by tradition and reputation. Although they are more attracted to the new 5 star facilities and resorts, the quality of the courses will always be their main driver. Like all visitors, good quality, good value and great service will encourage them to return, whoever they are. How does the actual experience of golf in Scotland stand up to these expectations? When golfers were asked what the most positive aspects of a golfing trip to Scotland are, they specified the courses themselves and the overall experience of golf in Scotland as the two key aspects that created a special golfing experience. Trailing some way behind were the Scottish welcome, the weather, accommodation, food and drink and the scenery itself. Why do people love to play golf in Scotland? We are a small country and it is easy to travel around to visit the many famous and very varied courses in a relatively short period of time. Playing golf within stunning scenery, tackling the most challenging links courses in the world and managing to get on the most famous golf courses in the world is a dream for most golfers. KPMG international research on the main influences on choosing a golf destination Sightseeing Golf tradition Entertainment/nightlife Relaxing surroundings Gastronomy Number of courses Quality of accommodation Accessibility Price Quality of golf courses Climate Not important Very Source: KPMG Golf Travel Insight 2008 Most positive aspects of the trip Golf courses Experience of golf in Scotland The Scottish welcome Weather Accommodation Food and drink Scenery Peaceful Most negative aspects of the trip Weather Nothing Directions/traffic Costs Food and drink Accommodation Busy courses Source: Sports Marketing Surveys, Visitor Survey, 2007 The challenges and perceptions we need to address Promoting the positives of our climate Promoting our unique attributes Value for money Accessibility Availability of tee times Use of technology Information provision

17 3 WHO COMES TO SCOTLAND TO PLAY GOLF? The challenges and perceptions we need to address: Promoting the positives of our climate As there is not much that we can do about this, we need to ensure that our other highlights outweigh our sometimes less than desirable climate. Many courses are responding to the climate change agenda through their ongoing environmental/turf management strategies. Like other tourism sectors, these green credentials can also be an attraction to visitors who are concerned about demonstrating their eco-friendly values. Promoting our unique attributes Scotland is sometimes seen by some golfers as peripheral to the main golf circuit because of the wealth of golf tourism experiences on offer globally. Moreover, in some markets the knowledge of Scotland s golf tradition as the Home of Golf is still relatively weak and not as strong a pull as in the North American market for instance. So we need to know which markets to promote this strap line to and which to promote our other attributes to. Value for money The perceived value for money is often more important than the price itself. Certainly visitors are willing to pay for our world-class golfing facilities. We must make sure that the overall value for money is excellent, particularly when including accommodation and restaurants in a package or offer. What additional value can you add? Accessibility Accessibility to Scotland is still seen as a perceived barrier and, in particular, getting around the country to visit their chosen golf courses. In fact our accessibility is better than Ireland (to which we are compared). Once a visitor has been on a golfing break to Scotland for the first time, they are often surprised that it was so easy to get here and organise local golfing itineraries. Scotland s hidden gems are often in close proximity to our more heralded championship layouts, so we need to capitalise on this ease of proximity by packaging trophy courses with less expensive golfing facilities on our doorstep, to ensure the visitor extends his or her stay in the local area. Availability of tee times Since the majority of courses in Scotland are run by members clubs it is sometimes difficult for visitors to book a tee time, especially at the weekend. Visitors need to know that they are welcome at clubs and courses across Scotland and that they are important customers. So it important to be clear on which golf courses welcomes visitors and which don t. Use of technology The current lack of visitor online booking systems is a key barrier to capitalising on Scotland s undoubted golf tourism potential. The wider use of such tee time booking systems by courses will be a critical success factor in reinforcing the fact that we are indeed open for business. Information provision Lack of information and collaboration between a golf course and both the accommodation and other tourism providers nearby. Golf is an expensive game, and so especially in this economic climate, golfers are looking for the best value they can find. Accommodation providers should be able to help their visitors to arrange their golf and to do this at a competitive price. Stay & Play Golf Packages The Isle of Bute offers visitors a Stay and Play package. A visitor first has to choose their accommodation from a participating group. The accommodation owner will then organise all a visitor s requirements under the stay and play scheme such as ferry tickets, golf and other attractions. They offer all of this for a set price per head so that it is easy for a visitor to book online and maximise the overall holiday experiencing with golf. The scheme is co-ordinated by Rothesay Golf Club 17

18 Golf Tourism in Scotland 18 Where do golfers stay when they come to Scotland? The type of accommodation varies by market. Overseas golfers (particularly from the US), for example, are more likely to stay in 5 star hotels or resorts whilst UK golfing visitors tend to stay in B&Bs or guest houses. How do golfers get to Scotland? Most visiting golfers to Scotland arrive by plane nearly 68%. Once they are here they tend to travel by hire car or mini-bus. Public transport is not usually seen as suitable for carrying golf bags as well as luggage. For UK visitors, 27% come by their own car. Type of accommodation used by golf visitors 1 & 2* Hotel 3* Hotel 4* Hotel 5* Hotel Golf resort B&B/Guesthouse Self Catering Caravan/Camping Staying with family/friends Second home Other All golf visitors How long do they stay here? It seems obvious, but visitors travelling greater distances to Scotland to play golf tend to stay for longer periods of time and also tend to play more courses and rounds of golf on their trips. On average, US visitors stay for 10 nights with visitors from even further afield staying almost two weeks (12 nights). Overnight visitors from Scotland and the UK on average spend between 4 and 5 nights on a golfing trip. When do they come to Scotland? The peak months are between May and September, when most overseas visitors come to Scotland, but UK visitors will come to play golf throughout the year. Golf can be played all year round in Scotland, although it is often impossible to play during the winter, especially on frost bound inland courses. Winter golf predominantly attracts day visitors whose spend adds little value to the wider tourism economy of the area. So overall, the typical golf tourism season in Scotland is for the 6 months between April and October, although our coastal links with their frost free greens do offer attractive winter golf opportunities for visitors and residents alike. 14 Average length of stay 1 & 2* Hotel 3* Hotel 4* Hotel UK Including Scotland & Eire 12 Nights Average 5* Hotel Golf resort B&B/Guesthouse 10 Self Catering Caravan/Camping Staying with family/friends Second home Other No. of nights 8 6 Average: 7 1 & 2* Hotel Overseas 3* Hotel 4* Hotel 4 5* Hotel Golf resort B&B/Guesthouse Self Catering Caravan/Camping Staying with family/friends Second home Other 2 0 Other USA Rest of Europe Sweden Rest of UK Eire Scotland Source: Sports Marketing Survey, Visitors Survey, 2007 % of respondents 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% Source: Sports Marketing Survey, Visitors Survey, 2007

19 3 WHO COMES TO SCOTLAND TO PLAY GOLF? How much do they spend and on what? A golfer spends on average 50% more than other visitors 600 per short trip (UK) and around 2,000 per long haul trip. It is worth noting that according to Scottish Golf Tourism Analysis (SQW report 2009), Visiting Golfer Spend in Scotland, green fees are usually around 25% of the total trip expenditure. This holds true regardless of the type of accommodation or course being used. For example, even if golfers stay at Gleneagles Hotel and play the course there, the 25% ratio still applies as it does to someone playing a municipal course and staying in a 2 star B&B! So a large proportion of a visitor s spend is on where they stay and what they eat and drink when they are here, whilst other refers to other golf retailing expenditure. We need to remember, therefore, that golfers spend almost as much on other tourism experiences and eating out as they do on the golf itself. United States Overseas golf visitors Golf visitors from overseas represent 30% of our overall golf market. They tend to be golfers who are serious about their game and are here just to play golf. Golf visitors from overseas tend to stay longer and play a greater number of different courses than other UK visitors. Overseas visitors tend to visit around five different courses, playing a total of seven rounds on any one trip. For UK visitors, surveys show that they will commonly visit just two courses, playing just over four rounds on a trip. Golfers from the US are our largest and most lucrative overseas market. Visitors tend to stay for longer and spend more per night than any other golf visitor. This is largely to do with their preference for better quality accommodation and for playing at the highest profile links and Championship courses. There are up to 20,000 golf visitors from the US to Scotland, which is around 5% of all US visitors to Scotland each year. Like our other US visitors, they are generally hugely in favour of the experience in Scotland. More than other international golf visitors, US visitors will often use a specialist golf tourism operator to book their trip. They love the authenticity and old world charm that we offer, and so where golf is concerned they resonate strongly with the Home of Golf brand. However as US visitors are used to very high standards of service, cleanliness and general facilities at home, these will be the primary areas of disappointment. The negatives they commonly mention included a lack of suitable golf course practice areas and a criticism of locker room facilities and restaurants. 18% 15% 20% 26% 21% Split of visitor s spend Green Fees/ playing golf costs Travel Accommodation Food & Drink Other spending Source: KMPG Golf Travel Insight 2008 Golfers travel more frequently than all other affluent sports participants. In fact, more golfers took a sports trip in the past year than skiers, tennis players and sailors combined. 19

20 Golf Tourism in Scotland 20 Scandinavia (especially Sweden) Of all Scandinavian golfing visitors, it is those from Sweden that are most common. They come to Scotland in the shoulder months (April, May and September) when fading light reduces the time to play at home. They mostly arrive in Scotland by plane often by Ryanair to Prestwick airport. They are more budget conscious than visitors from the US and so will tend to choose B&Bs and 3 and 4 star hotels for their accommodation. They generally stay between 4 and 7 nights. A golfing long weekend is particularly attractive so they can minimise the time taken off work. Male groups of friends are the predominant group that travel to Scotland. They do, however, have a tendency to also bring their non golfing partners who want to spend their time sightseeing, shopping and seeing a bit more of an area. Swedish visitors, particularly if they have been to Scotland before, will often book their golf directly with a course and then find nearby accommodation independently. Germany Just over half of all German golfers start their golfing break on the East Coast, flying into Edinburgh. May to August are the most popular months for them to come. Like the Swedes, most stay for 4 to 7 days and prefer 3 and 4 star hotels and B&Bs. Again like the Swedes, there is a strong tendency for German golf visitors to book their golf directly with a course and then independently find suitable accommodation nearby. If there is a larger group involved, however, they...going for one week is much too long...you get bored... a weekend is perfect as you just have to be away from work for one day would tend to use a specialist tour operator. German visitors, like the visitors from both Scandinavia and the US, are strongly in favour of Scotland as a golf destination. They love the traditions and excellent quality of golf but they are sometimes critical of the golf course practice areas and also the restaurants within the clubs. Emerging markets Golf tourism operators are beginning to see an increase in visitors from Russia and more interest from visitors from the Middle East, India and China. However, like other tourism visitors to Scotland from emerging markets, it is thought that it will take many years to fully reap any substantial benefits from this market. Go to and refer to Knowing our Markets...Scotland s Visitors guide for more information about emerging markets. Also refer to the market profiles on and Source: VisitScotland Swedish golf focus group In the current economic climate, Scottish tourism businesses and golf clubs/courses are better to target the existing, and more In Scotland there is a golf course in every village. That means that we can play different courses and still stay in one place Source: VisitScotland German golf focus group mature, markets of Europe and North America. These countries are where the most experienced and knowledgeable golfers are based who will always want to play at the traditional Home of Golf.

21 3 WHO COMES TO SCOTLAND TO PLAY GOLF? Helpful Hints Top Tips Do you know which type of golfer comes to your business? Are you able to offer them what they want? Do you gather and use their feedback to make improvements? As a golf course operator, do you gather and record information on which country your visitors come from? This is key information that will give valuable intelligence on how best to market to that particular nationality going forward. Golfers are particularly attracted to Scotland because of our traditional image. They are attracted to all aspects of this whisky tasting, shortbread, locally sourced game, fishing, pipe bands etc. Think of 3 ways you could cross sell Scotland to your golfing visitors and encourage them to recommend what you offer and come back to you when they return next year. 21 Apart from green fees, golfing visitors spend most on accommodation and food and drink. Collaborate with your local golf course to be able to offer great value packages and offers to their golfers. Do you offer golf to your leisure visitors? Find out what the options are in your local area. Go to the Scottish Golf Union (SGU) Golf Central to research the prices and booking options of your local courses so that you can pass this information to visitors. Provide links on your website to other businesses that visiting golfers would be interested in or to local golf courses that are open to golfing visitors.

22 Golf Tourism in Scotland 4 What do our golfing visitors want? Experience and expectations We need to remember that golf comes first for a golfing visitor whether they are staying in 5 star or 2 star accommodation. Overall a golf visitor will demand: Good course conditions Friendly, engaging, knowledgeable staff (both on and off the golf course) Respect for their time Value for the money they spend Great management at a golf course Regardless of whether a golfer is being hosted by a specialist operator, or whether they are going it alone, they have particular needs that will generally drive their overall satisfaction of the trip. We had a great time. The weather and people were very kind to us. George did a fantastic job looking after us and didn t miss a beat with any of our arrangements. The courses were all very enjoyable and it was nice to play the Old Course in somewhat traditional conditions. Testimonial to Morton Golf Holidays, from an Australian visitor. 22 What a visiting golfer needs Information. Where to play, how to get a tee time, where the best courses are, where to go for a good night out, how to easily get from A to B etc. Also need lots of information and recommendations for things to do and see for non golfers in the group. Flexibility. They will alter the rest of the itinerary to suit tee times so they will need a flexible approach to meal times, transport links etc. Transport. Golfers carry lots of kit-bags, clubs, change of clothes etc. They need transport to get around. Online booking systems. As a golfer will organise a whole trip around the golf they can book, this is central to their planning. They need as much information as possible online so that they can do this in advance. Good facilities for storing and drying golf kit. Golfers are out all day and in the Scottish climate. They can often get wet, muddy and cold. They need facilities to be made comfortable as soon as golf is finished for the day. They have very similar needs to walkers and other sport enthusiasts. Good value. Golf is expensive and so golfers will shop around for the best deals available for their chosen destinations. What a visiting golfer wants It all has to be easy. Good collaboration between a golf course and other tourism providers (transport providers, accommodation, food and drink, local attractions etc) to take away the hassle so they can enjoy their golf. They are looking for practical ideas on what to do and see. Excellent quality food and drink, when they need it. A golfer may start the day at 6.30am, teeing off at 7.30am and not finish golf until after 6pm. Efficient professional transport. Golfers generally travel in groups of 2, 4 or maybe more. They don t want to wait around as their schedule is dictated around available tee times. The planning of the golf trip to be very easy. A golfer may be trying to plan several different courses to play, accommodation, transport, après golf and all of this at each destination for several golfers in the group. Good collaboration between the golf providers eases frustration. At the end of the day they want to relax. So they need to be instantly warm and comfortable. Plenty hot water, a warm fire and excellent drying facilities to start the next day afresh. Excellent quality as well as good value. Golfers will arrive with a realistic budget they expect to pay but they want excellent value for all aspects of their trip.

23 4 WHAT DO OUR GOLFING VISITORS WANT? Holiday golfers Although most of our golf visitors (and our most lucrative) tend to be either the serious golfer who is intent on their game, or those looking for a more luxury golf experience, we need to remember the other types of golfers too. These are the holiday golfers who want to play golf as part of their holiday rather than as an end itself. These people are looking for a wider experience of all that Scotland has to offer. It may be they would be attracted to a package that offers golf combined with other pursuits, such as whisky tasting, fishing, visiting castles etc. Non golf playing partners will also want to experience more that an area has to offer. Go to to download Knowing our Markets...Scotland s Visitors for more details on general visitor expectations. Classic Golf aboard the Royal Scotsman This package combines an excursion on the Royal Scotsman with golf. The train leaves from Waverley Station in Edinburgh with a maximum of 36 guests aboard. They head to the Highlands and play at links courses such as Royal Dornoch, Nairn and Cruden Bay. Included in the itinerary are many trips to castles and cathedrals along the way as well as the magnificent scenery of Scotland as the train journeys around the Highlands. This is a great example of catering to those luxury guests who want to do and see a little more than golf during their stay. 23 The rooftop hydropool at the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa Scottish Golf Trips for the Non Golfer Morton Golf Holidays run by Peter Craigon is a great example of a golf holiday company that is demonstrating an understanding of knowing what the golfer and non golfer want. Their website promotes that they will give advice to visitors on golf courses, hotels, restaurants, transport, places to shop, other activities etc. And they even manage the experience for the non golfer too. Not as daft as it sounds. Don t let the fact that you don t play golf put you off coming on a golf trip with your partner or friends. We will work with you to ensure you have just as memorable a trip as the golfers. You can build in sightseeing, shopping, antique & craft buying, Spa days, exploring the country s fantastic scenery on foot, on a bike, by water or in the comfort of your own luxury coach with expert guide. Or perhaps you would like to trace your roots; we can give you help and advice on how to find out about your ancestors.

24 Golf Tourism in Scotland SPEYSIDE GOLF WHISKY TRAIL 24 An excellent example of a collaboration between golf courses, distilleries and hotels is the Speyside Golf Whisky Trail. This collaboration has been recently developed to appeal directly to the holiday golfer who wants to experience more of an area... whilst also playing great golf. There are four golf courses involved: Boat of Garten, Forres, Grantown-on-Spey, and Moray Golf Club. Besides great golf, the businesses in this collaboration can bring together all that s best in Speyside including its whisky, food, and sight-seeing along with excellent accommodation. Bookings will be managed with an agent Golf Vacations Scotland. The collaboration was initiated by David Whyte, a leading golf travel journalist and landscape photographer. He said: We will be making full use of new media to market the trail e.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TripAdvisor and other internet review sites. New media offers us so many opportunities as this way we can cast out a huge net to contact golfers. Gavin Ellis of the Knockomie Hotel, who is part of the trail, said: Encouragingly, for this venture it is the golf courses who are leading. Usually a collaboration of this sort tends to be accommodation led, so there are exciting new opportunities. The Boat of Garten Golf Club, Highland: P Tomkins Knockomie Hotel, Forres, Moray

25 4 WHAT DO OUR GOLFING VISITORS WANT? Helpful Hints Top Tips > > > > > > Golfers have a busy schedule which is dictated by the tee times that they can book. Try to be flexible with meal times etc as it can often be a long and tiring day for them. With a packed golf schedule, golfers need to know lots of information before and during their stay so that they can make the most of what the area has to offer. Do you have enough local information to hand? Remember that your personal recommendations can make their day. Don t forget that non golfers in the group need to be given lots of ideas on what to do and see in the area shopping, sightseeing, pampering etc. Do you offer drying facilities? A day can go from good to great by the offer of a way to dry clothes, a warm fire and an even warmer welcome when they leave the course. For a wealth of top tips on how to give a great experience go to and download the Walking Tourism guide. Consider who you can collaborate with to offer your golfing visitors the very best authentic experience that your area has to offer. It could be with providers of local food and drink, retail, accommodation, attractions, history and culture experiences etc. Golfers, like all visitors, are looking for the best value deal that they can find. What else can you offer that would add value to the experience and could make it memorable? 25

26 Golf Tourism in Scotland 5 Opportunities for tourism businesses Who is involved? Many businesses and organisations are involved in supporting golf tourism. From the golf courses themselves to tour operators, events, hotels, retailers and many others. Each type of business contributes to the overall golf experience that we collectively offer visitors, and so are very much reliant on each other. The degree to which any business is involved in golf tourism will vary depending on their location and how willing they are to engage and collaborate with each other. The types of businesses that combine to offer visitors a golf experience are shown on the diagram below. With so many business types involved in delivering the golf tourism product, it is worth considering where your business fits within golf tourism, and by knowing your key markets consider who you can collaborate with to add value to the golf experience through new innovative packages and promotions. 26 RESTAURANTS & BARS TRANSPORT OPERATORS Train & coach operators, Taxis & car hire, Air links TOUR OPERATORS Golf tour operators, Activity operators MANUFACTURERS Golf equipment, Souvenirs, Branded food & clothing MEDIA & MARKETING Familiarisation trips, Trade shows, Promotional websites, Press advertising GOLF CLUBS AND COURSES Commercial, Private, Municipal PUBLIC AGENCIES Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, VisitScotland, Local Authorities EDUCATION & TRAINING Golf schools, Customer care training ACCOMMODATION PROVIDERS Hotels, B&Bs, Self Catering RETAILERS Specialist golf shops, Tourist shopping SGU Other representative bodies EVENTS Open Championship, Ryder Cup etc

27 5 opportunities FOR TOURISM BUSINESS Machrihanish Golf Club, Argyll: G Satterley Effective partnership working is the key to success for golf-related businesses At the national level, Golf Tourism Scotland (GTS) is the lead, private sector industry body providing a broad range of networking opportunities for any tourism business wanting to focus on and participate in the sector. Its aim is to raise Scotland s golf tourism game in areas of product development, marketing and other generic tourism activity such as travel, training, research and monitoring, as well as lobbying for additional policy/funding support for the sector as a whole. There are 8 categories of membership fee available from GTS that range from 100 to 900. Currently they have around 140 member organisations across a variety of sectors: Golf Courses and Resorts Accommodation Providers Tour Operators Travel Providers Service Providers GTS offer a huge range of direct and indirect benefits and practical help to its members. For details of these go to Each member has their own page within the website, and by clicking on the category above and scrolling through the list of Golf Tourism Scotland members, you can find out more about courses, accommodation and tour and travel operators with information provided directly by the businesses themselves. To contact Golf Tourism Scotland go to As the lead industry body, Golf Tourism Scotland is doing a terrific job in driving forward a number of exciting initiatives designed to attract more visiting golfers to our shores. Industry collaboration is key to unlocking our undoubted tourism potential and I would encourage any golf related business whether it be a golf course, an accommodation provider, a travel provider or a tour operator to join GTS and access new business networking opportunities Stephen Carter, OBE, Managing Director, Cameron House on Loch Lomond. Scottish golf passes Another widespread successful product development has been Scottish Golf Passes. The passes allow a visitor to play at more than one course within an area. There are opportunities for accommodation providers to promote these to visitors through literature or online. It is sometimes possible to also earn commission by featuring these golf passes in a package or by having passes available for guests to buy on arrival. Additionally many schemes offer passes to operators on a sale or return basis. For details of all the Scottish Golf passes available and how to access them go to 27

28 GOLF TOURISM IN SCOTLAND Regional golf development groups At a regional level, there are many strong industry collaborations in areas such as Angus, Ayrshire, East Lothian and Fife which offer joint packages and promotions. There are also more informal networks of golf tourism businesses in the Highlands and in the Scottish Borders. Region Angus Ayrshire East Lothian Fife Golf Development Group Carnoustie Country Golf South Ayrshire West Coast Links Association Golf East Lothian First in Fife Links with History St Andrews Golf Development Group Websites The groups that have been most successful have been driven by the private sector (golf course, local hotels etc) and, unsurprisingly, in those areas that have at least one of the signature courses to act as a focal point for their promotion of golf tourism. These groups undertake joint marketing and usually work alongside VisitScotland in key markets such as North America, Scandinavia and Germany. They also offer visitor passes for local courses and some have websites that offer visitors a one-stop-shop for organising their golf and accommodation. There is no group in the North East of Scotland yet, and this is a gap in our product but it has great potential to develop one with courses such as Royal Aberdeen, Murcar Links and Cruden Bay. At least two other facilities are planned the Trump development and the Blairs Estate development, which will add profile to the area. Also, the Highlands has potential too with the new Castle Stuart development near Inverness adding to the top quality courses at Nairn and Royal Dornoch. Golf development groups also do their own marketing, targeting specific markets that are particularly important to their area. East Lothian, for instance, has been developing links with Sweden to exploit the Ryanair flights into Edinburgh. NEW MEDIA SUCCESS STORIES The more that a potential visitor can engage with the product, the more they will be encouraged to come to Scotland. Go Golf ( is one company which provides VisitScotland with online video footage of the courses in Scotland to host on their golf website Consider how you can also host golf video content on your own business s website to inspire those potential golfers to visit. The St Andrews Links Golf Academy ecoaching TM program is a web-based solution designed to continually enhance your golf performance wherever you are in the world. ecoaching provides video instruction, performance journaling, tip & drills libraries, and the state-of-the art two-way communications between you and one of the academy instructors. Having a remote lesson capability means that you never have to leave your home town to have a lesson direct with the St Andrews Links Golf Academy. For more information go to

29 5 opportunities FOR TOURISM BUSINESS Routes to market There are a variety of ways that a tourism business can market itself effectively to capture more lucrative golf visitors. However this is a difficult market to tap into alone, and so the key to success is through working with partners. VisitScotland offers a range of opportunities to both golf courses and other tourism businesses through PR, events, exhibitions and other marketing opportunities. To find out what is available contact your local business relationship manager It also produces the Official Guide to Golf in Scotland annually (November). This is a directory for consumers to book a golf holiday in Scotland. There are advertising opportunities in it for businesses, as well as a comprehensive guide to all of Scotland s courses and golf destinations. The guide is distributed worldwide (115,000 a year) as well as being available digitally on Another opportunity for businesses is to work directly with an incoming golf tour operator. There is a list of these on and also on (Scottish Incoming Golf Tour Operators Association). There are many golf regional development groups around Scotland. It is a great opportunity to join one in your area as this will give you access to a range of networking and collaboration opportunities with other like-minded businesses. For more general routes to market for both golf courses and businesses, go to and download Knowing our Markets...Scotland Visitors. In section 7, Routes to Market, there are a host of ideas on the various options available. Remember that you need to first consider your location, who your business might attract and also who you can collaborate with in order to select the right methods for you. Hop aboard the World s First Golfing Seaplane The world s first airline dedicated to golfers was launched from Prestwick Airport in 2010, offering fares to Scottish destinations including Machrie and Machrihanish Dunes. Golf Links Express, an offshoot of the award-winning Loch Lomond Seaplanes, ferries up to nine golfers at a time with their clubs in an amphibious Cessna 208 aircraft close to destinations which also include Kintyre, Loch Lomond and the Island of Islay. We ve already had bookings from golfers from Ireland and as far afield as the US and Scandinavia, says David West, founder of Golf Links Express. Prestwick International already welcomes tens of thousands of golfers every year but many rarely venture further than Ayrshire because of the travel time by road. Now they can access some of the best links courses in the world within minutes. The Golf Links Express is the only air service dedicated primarily to golfers, although the flights will be open to anyone. According to Brian Keating, founder of Machrihanish Dunes, the airline opens up tremendous possibilities for changing golf tourism in Scotland. Golf Links Express is just what Scotland needs. There are more than a quarter of a million golfers arriving in Ayrshire every year and this airline will enable them to experience more of what Scottish golf has to offer and spread the value of those visitors throughout the economy. Loch Lomond Sea Planes, Ayrshire: P Tomkins 29 your own customer database Word of mouth your own website VisitScotland s marketing opportunites marketing your business marketing Intermediaries Collaborating with others direct promotions

30 Golf Tourism in Scotland Event-led business opportunities Scotland regularly hosts The Open Championship, and in 2014 will be hosting The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. In addition to these major events we also host a variety of smaller, but important events on an annual or regular basis such as: Johnnie Walker Championship, the Barclays Scottish Open, the Senior Open Championship, the Women s British Open, and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Depending on the location of these events, there are huge opportunities for businesses to get involved and maximise the increase in visitors to their area. Businesses interested in getting involved in any major event coming to Scotland should register with Business Club Scotland, Also go to to keep informed about which golf tournaments are taking place each year in the run up to The Ryder Cup 2014 at Gleneagles King s Golf Course at Gleneagles, Perthshire: G Satterley The Ryder Cup is recognised as the 3rd biggest sporting event in the world in terms of TV/media coverage (after The Olympics and The World Cup) so the world s eyes will be on Auchterarder in The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles is a once in a lifetime event for Scotland and there is no doubt it will provide a pivotal focus for golf tourism activity in the run up to Around 45,000 visitors are expected to attend for each of the six days of the event (three practice days plus three days of competition). There will be a higher proportion of overseas visitors than at most other golf events, and these will be predominantly US visitors so spend will be higher. Whilst The Ryder Cup will provide the focus for a lot of support and marketing activity, we need to remember that it is just one event in a whole programme which aims to establish Scotland as the place to play golf. It will ultimately be used to raise the profile of other golf events taking place in Scotland. So it is important that businesses don t view The Ryder Cup as being the only golf event to reap business benefit from. Golf tourism in Scotland is a market that can provide many ongoing business opportunities, and businesses who take part can build their experience and expertise in other golf events in the run up to and beyond EventScotland, as the lead government agency preparing for The Ryder Cup, will need to provide at least 5,500 rooms with major accommodation providers for the event. This will initially be from hotels that have more than rooms and are located within a two-hour drive of Gleneagles. However, in the immediate run up to the event in 2014, there will definitely be opportunities for other accommodation providers (guesthouses, smaller hotels, B&Bs, self catering etc). A dedicated Ryder Cup website will be set up nearer the time, which will outline how these smaller accommodation providers can get involved.

31 5 opportunities FOR TOURISM BUSINESS Top Tips Helpful Hints To widen your networking/business horizons, why not join Golf Tourism Scotland (GTS) and play your own part in enhancing Scotland s reputation as a world-class golfing destination? Consider 3 new ways in which your business could benefit from future event-led business opportunities such as The Open Championship, The Barclays Scottish Open, The Women s British Open and, of course, The Ryder Cup Are your business efforts at being golf friendly going unrecognised? If so, why not join VisitScotland s Golfers Welcome Scheme. Encourage golf visitors to bring partners and families with them on their golf trips e.g. work with your Key Attraction Groups in your area. Since the golf visitor is now more likely to stay in one particular part of the country, promoting regional destinations is a way to get repeat golf visits. Think of ways to work together and pool resources to develop your area s golf offering, and consider setting up a marketing Golf Development Group to promote what s on offer, if your area doesn t have one already. Work alongside VisitScotland in promoting Scotland at a range of golf events and trade shows. These take place both in the UK and at international venues. Work closely with other local visitor attractions in order to promote golf alongside other activities. 31

32 Golf Tourism in Scotland 6 Opportunities for golf clubs and courses 32 Although Scotland is already a leading player in golf tourism, it s not enough to expect golfers to just turn up. To continually attract golfers, the product quality must be high and, at minimum, satisfy and if possible, exceed golfers expectations. Golf courses need to develop skills and techniques to compete in the growing sector, and capitalise upon the opportunities available, by attracting and delivering good quality experiences. They need to make sure that their course is always at the forefront of a consumer s mind. It has never been more important for every golf club and course in Scotland to really understand the changing trends in visitor behaviour and to react accordingly. According to a survey of golf clubs (Scottish Golf Club Survey 2007/8), when asked what their three most pressing issues were, their response (in order of the number of times mentioned) was: Maintaining membership Increasing costs Lack of / growing the number of visitors Cost of course maintenance and improvement Ageing membership N o 1 Within these issues there are clearly challenges, but in facing them, the starting point has to be to develop a deeper knowledge and understanding about the buying behaviours and trends of current and potential golfers, and then develop the business to make sure you are able to deliver what they want, in the way they want it. For many golf clubs and courses this requires a significant mind shift into becoming more proactive and more commercially focussed and building the management systems needed to be able to do this. There are many examples of golf clubs and courses in Scotland that have effectively managed to do this, and they are going from strengths to strength and reaping the benefits as a result. More information on membership marketing can be found at

33 6 Opportunities for golf clubs AND COURSES Issue Maintaining membership Increasing costs Lack of / growing the number of visitors Failure to target specific golf visitor types Cost of course maintenance and improvement Ageing membership Consideration If the membership is declining significantly - do you know why? Why not gather feedback from the members and take action on their reasons Consider offering more flexible/tiered membership deals Join together with other courses in your area to develop joint promotions/memberships Do you have a strategy in place to balance the needs of members with visitors - what works for both? Do you market and promote your club or course effectively with good value deals and offers that would appeal to current and future members? Analyse why costs are increasing and look for new ways to deliver your service without decreasing the value Consider training staff so they are more likely to stay with you Effective use of ICT and other technology can significantly reduce costs. How effective is yours? Make sure your ICT is up to date and that you use technology to gather information and control/analyse your costs. How good is your information and website? Can visitors easily find you? Have you integrated social networking within your website Facebook, Youtube, Twitter etc? Do you collaborate with other businesses in your area to develop joint promotions and good value offers? Do you work with local accommodation providers to make it easy for visitors to book? Do you continually get feedback from visitors on how well you are doing and also act on any areas for improvement? Do you make the most of opportunities in the area tourism events and festivals, championship golf events etc Do you have a strategy for the availability of visitors tee times is it enough and is it easy to book online? Invest in online tee bookings for your website so that visitors can plan and book. Make sure your website is informative, helpful, welcoming and engaging. Do you find out detailed information about visiting golfing parties so that you know their expectations before they arrive? Do you keep track of who visits you and also do you find out what they thought of the experience? Do you keep in touch with them to invite them back? Do you capture data on visiting golfers so that you can understand better what the different types of golf visitors want? Do you use the information you gather about golf visitors to keep in touch with them and regularly send them targeted promotions and offers to encourage them to return? Be aware of the different types of golf visitors. They don t all want the same thing so by being able to segment your market you can better offer them the right experience. Keep in touch with visitors and invite them back. Do you adopt sustainable practices for your golf course as there is a variety of savings that can be made with the right approach? Do you have a policy for turf management in place that adopts sustainable principles? Do you plan for course maintenance and improvements and budget accordingly on an annual basis? Have an environmental management framework in place to adopt sustainable practices both on and off the course, and use the framework to plan the expenditure. How do you attract junior members to your course? Do you offer enough to attract them (and their parents?!) Do you work with local community groups, schools, colleges, local businesses to encourage their students and employees to get into golf? What do you offer apart from golf at your club? Perhaps a crèche, an excellent bar/restaurant, corporate function facilities, something else that people like to do? Do you ask your staff for their input and ideas? Do you use their ideas to innovate your products and services? Do you attract more young people to your course through events, functions and excellent facilities. Once they like you they might want to play golf and join the club! Understand why younger people may not be attracted to your course and make changes to be more relevant for them. Involve all staff to develop new ideas to try. 33

34 Golf Tourism in Scotland 34 Balancing the needs of visiting golfers with the needs of golf club members As the majority of golf courses in Scotland are membership clubs, there is a balance to be found in catering for both types of golfers within a club/course. The main frustration for golf club members is playing alongside a group of visiting golfers who may be less understanding of a golf course s etiquette and also may be moving more slowly around the course. Courses are increasingly realising that they must welcome more visiting golfers for their economic survival and so it is their responsibility to manage the expectations of both groups. The key to doing this is more and better use of technology within a course, and a more commercial outlook where the aim of selling more rounds and filling the course is paramount. Some of the ways that successful courses balance the needs of visitors and members are: Online tee booking systems for both members and visitors, to give better accessibility for all Developing a visitor area within a clubhouse Careful analysis of actual course usage time (through the online booking system) so that the course usage can be maximised (and not lie empty on a Sunday afternoon for example) Tiered membership fees to cater for a more varied members use Collaboration with other nearby courses to develop a golf pass for visitors Better management during play by the starter to avoid hold ups caused by unaware visitors If we continue to advertise the way we have been, we will continue to get our grandfathers as customers. If we want younger buyers, we have to go where the younger buyers are: Twitter, YouTube, Blogs and Facebook. A good example of a website that really gives visitors what they need is the new St Andrews Links Trust website which has recently launched. It includes social media; interactive facilities; film clips/video; online booking system for all courses; a single transaction system covering all areas of operation including tee times, merchandise etc. For dedicated and passionate golf visitors to the Home of Golf there is everything here that they need to know. Kathleen Matthews, Executive VP Global Communications and Public Affairs Marriott International

35 6 Opportunities for golf clubs AND COURSES Information gathering This is crucial for effective marketing, monitoring and product development. It is only by knowing who actually comes to your golf course and what they thought of the experience that you are able to tailor your products and services to meet their expectations. Golf courses should hold a good database so that they are better able to market and target existing visitors. For more information on how to gather your own intelligence and information go to Listening to our Visitors to download the guide. Royal Dornoch Golf Course, Highland: G Satterley Dragon s Tooth golf course, Ballachuilish The Dragon s Tooth golf course website is a great example of a golf club which has recognised its role in tourism for the area. The website is packed with information for visitors that covers everything from recommended local accommodation to sample menus in the clubhouse of locally sourced food and activities for kids and families etc. They focus on welcoming golfers and non golfers alike. They also offer a variety of ways for local tourism businesses to collaborate with them through special deals to play golf for their visitors and other promotional ideas. In addition, the green fees are modestly priced, which is a clear indication of how they view the commercial advantage of attracting visitors. Members, too, have their own login area so that the club can remain intact alongside more commercial activities. As a visitor to this Ballachulish golf course, you will receive a warm West Highland welcome. We are light on rules but heavy on enjoyable golf (we are all passionate about the ground and the game, not so much about etiquette). The course and club house are open to all - please just arrive, make yourself at home and meet the small team. Excerpt from 35

36 Golf Tourism in Scotland 36 The Golf Tourism Monitor The Golf Tourism Monitor is a key way for golf courses to be able to benchmark themselves and provide intelligence and insights to the sector as a whole. Golf Tourism is a key sector of Scotland s tourism industry, and measuring its performance is vital to the future growth of the sector. The Golf Tourism Monitor does this by gathering, analysing and reporting on monthly figures provided by a wide cross-section of golf courses across Scotland. The Monitor is carried out by Golf Tourism Scotland on behalf of VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise, supported by the Scottish Golf Union. If your course has not yet taken part, we would encourage you to do so. The more who participate, the greater benefit to golf courses across Scotland. For more information go to Technology is essential to make the most of the golfing visitor As visitors are predominately using the internet to look for and book their visits, a good website with online booking facilities is essential for the golf market. For a golf course, as any other tourism provider, using information and communication technology (ICT) as part of the back end operations and management to manage a database, tee times etc is as essential today as a telephone was yesterday and this is not likely to change! The Scottish Golf Union (SGU) and Scottish Ladies Golfing Association (SLGA) are fully supportive of the Golf Monitor and encourage all member clubs to participate. The Monitor results will help individual clubs compare their own performance with average figures for similar clubs around the country, and so identify opportunities for improved utilisation and yield management of their golf courses. The results will also help the SGU, SLGA and other stakeholders monitor the importance of golf tourism to clubs and the industry as a whole. Andy Salmon, Scottish Golf Development Manager, SGU Pitlochry Golf Course, Perthshire: VisitScotland We need courses to develop electronic information systems. At the moment most don t collect info on visitors and are lacking real information with which to make business/marketing decisions. This is leading them to make knee-jerk decisions. The Marriott at Dalmahoy is an example of a course which has a good system in place and is carrying out monitoring Nick Hunter, Chair of Golf Tourism Scotland

37 6 OPPORTUNITIES FOR GOLF CLUBS AND COURSES Marketing and sales According to the Scottish Golf Club Survey 2007/8, only 28% of the clubs surveyed had a committee or board member responsible for marketing and only 32% had a marketing budget. If these percentages give an indication of the picture as a whole across Scotland, they are very low bearing in mind the crucial role of marketing and sales in attracting new members and visitors. Similarly, from the same survey, 79% of clubs have their own website. Again, as we know the vast majority of golfing visitors use the internet to research their visit, if a course doesn t have a website, it will have significantly less chance of being found! In looking at where courses typically do advertise their products and services, the survey reported the following: 10% 15% 5% 7% 15% 28% 20% Course Website SGU Golf Central Other Websites Local Newspapers Scottish Club Golfer Member Referral Scheme Courses who indicated that they don t advertise Source: Scottish Golf Club Survey 2007/8, SGU PROMOTION TO ATTRACT NEW MEMBERS Murcar Links Golf Club in Aberdeen, had to come up with an innovative way of attracting new members to the club. They held an Open Day which they advertised through local press and radio, charging golfers only 10 to play on that day. For this day only joining fees were suspended and anyone joining could pay pro rata subscription. One hundred golfers booked in advance and the club made all their advertising money back. Through the Open Day 47 new members joined the club. 10 marketing and sales ideas 1. Add value to standard packages by including extra items such as golf balls, bottles of wine etc 2. Offer to organise golf competitions for visiting groups 3. Ensure that you have a website and encourage visitors to register their details 4. Offer online tee booking times on your website 5. Advertise links to accommodation providers that you would recommend 6. Work with VisitScotland on joint marketing campaigns, such as Drive-it-Home 7. Target lapsed members with special offers to encourage a return. Build in price flexibility to the membership fees such as tiered membership etc 8. Offer the golf club as a venue for corporate hospitality with or without golf 9. Keep in regular touch with visitors to encourage them to return. Offer special promotions when you contact them 10. Work with others to grow you business package specific offers and deals with tour operators, other local businesses and other golf courses 37

38 GOLF TOURISM IN SCOTLAND 38 A SIMPLE MARKETING IDEA THAT REAPS REWARDS Helensburgh Golf Club has a current membership of 750 in total and, like all clubs, has been experiencing difficult times. However in 2009 they saw an upturn in income which they attribute, at least in part, to the distribution of their Yearbook. They used this to promote the club locally, distributing it widely, not just to members, but to hotels, B&Bs, tourist offices and other businesses in the area such as dentists, doctors, the library etc. They produced the Yearbook free of charge with production costs covered by advertising revenue. This is a great example of how a relatively inexpensive piece of marketing can bring in additional revenue from within the local area. To see the yearbook online go to The Glen Apartment - an innovative idea! After its existence was threatened due to membership decline, Dollar Golf Club, came up with a creative and innovative idea of generating an extra income for the club. The second floor of the clubhouse has been converted into a spacious holiday apartment, called The Glen. With the enticing slogan Just step out the door and on to the first tee, guests can play at greatly discounted daily or weekly rates. They have also listed various local attractions for the non-golfing guests and other courses in the area for the golfers. RECESSION BEATING IDEAS Re-opening after a major clubhouse refurbishment and course upgrade in 2007, Swanston Golf Club outside Edinburgh, proved that they could beat the recession. By making golf as flexible as possible since re-opening, they saw their membership soar from 200 to 960, of which 170 are juniors, despite one of the worst recessions in decades. The manager-owners, Colin McClung and Stewart Snedden, did extensive research to identify and understand their audience and found that people needed alternatives to rigid annual memberships. By introducing Limited Play (20 rounds for 245), pro rata rates, attractive prices for families, cheap rates for children and no annual levy or joining fees, the club s massive success is down to its flexibility. Offering flexible memberships would definitely work elsewhere too. My view is that clubs have to be more proactive and more open to change. Appreciating children are the future of the game; Swanston is making sure that it costs next to nothing for them to join. I know that a lot of clubs frown on kids. But if you integrate them properly, teach them etiquette, give them a games room and get them to play with the adults, it works a treat. Stewart Snedden, Swanston Golf Ltd s Director

39 6 Opportunities for golf clubs AND COURSES Management challenges As the old adage goes failing to plan is planning to fail. Every golf course needs a business plan so that it can follow a clear path to improve efficiency and lead to profitability. The golf courses that don t do this run the risk of being left behind without a financial and operational direction to follow. It is likely that valuable resources will be spent in the wrong ways leaving no resources to invest in marketing, innovations, staff etc. Above all the plan needs to be: Stirling Golf Club, Stirlingshire : P Tomkins for a minimum of 5 years to help clarify your thoughts on the future. It should also cover the short, medium and long-term goals to make these achievable and recognisable for you able to determine the policies and procedures for both members and visitors, so that both can enjoy the club harmoniously able to help you to really understand the market. It will also give you a better understanding of the trends and how they are likely to shape the future 39 able to help you understand quickly when you are going in the wrong direction and that you need to get back to the plan a well thought out document that would help to raise finance if necessary On the tee - golf tourism initiative Scottish Enterprise are piloting a business development and marketing programme, to help golf clubs and courses gain a better understanding of the market, the benefits of a collaborative approach and also to develop a more professional approach to marketing and promotions. 10 courses are involved in the year-long pilot programme, and once this evaluation is completed the programme may roll out more widely. For more information go to

40 Golf Tourism in Scotland 40 Kingsfield Golf Centre, Linlithgow, West Lothian Online tee booking systems Displaying the available tee times online is the secret weapon of many prospering golf clubs and courses in Scotland today. Referring again to the Scottish Golf Club Survey 2007/8, the ways in which the golf clubs and courses booked their tee times showed a very basic level of sophistication. This leads to a lack of effective data being gathered and an unnecessarily cumbersome process for a visitor to book a round of golf. Online tee times + collaborative accommodation deals = Golf Success Instead of having to come to the club, the players can now go online and book a tee time, enter a competition, see who else is playing, and do all of this from the comfort and convenience of their home or office. Crieff Golf Club on the BRS Golf Tee Time Manager According to the SGU, currently only 40 courses in Scotland market themselves as having online tee times. So there is clearly a major opportunity for a more extensive roll out of online tee time systems in Scotland which are geared to the needs of the independent golfing visitor. To find out more about which golf courses offer this facility go to: There are a variety of online tee booking solutions available. Some examples of these are: Speeditee - Golfbox solutions - teeofftimes - BRS Golf % of clubs do not have a booking system for tee times, 17% use a paper based system for visitors only and 38% a paper based system for members and visitors. 13% use a computerised diary operated by club personnel and 3% have a computerised diary available on line. Of those not using a computerised system, 36% could envisage utilising one in the future. 22% of clubs capture data regarding the number of rounds played on their course. This is very low considering that all pricing and availability decisions (Yield Management) should be based on this basic level of data. Source: Scottish Golf Club Survey 2007/8

41 6 Opportunities for golf clubs AND COURSES General guidance for clubs and courses The Scottish Golf Union (SGU) is the governing body for amateur golf in Scotland, incorporating more than 630 golf clubs across the country, representing a total membership of approximately 260,000 golfers. Based at the Home of Golf in St Andrews, the SGU s responsibilities span across most aspects of the game in Scotland. From its original core business of staging national amateur championships and managing Scotland s national teams, the SGU also has a strong role in encouraging more youngsters to play golf. It also provides support services to member clubs including a number of Best Practice Guides. To find out everything you need to know about Scottish courses and SGU go to SGU Golf Central at: The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association works closely with the SGU to promote the interests of amateur ladies golf in Scotland. For more information go to Scottish Golf Awareness Week As part of its role in providing support to clubs to become more proactive in marketing towards prospective and lapsed members, the SGU host an annual Golf Awareness Week which is supported by the R&A and other partner organisations. The campaign activity features a mix of national media advertising, outdoor advertising, PR activity, online marketing and other promotional messages, aimed at stimulating interest in joining a golf course, whilst encouraging existing members to make the most of their time as a member. The SGU provides a range of marketing tools to assist clubs and courses in the development of their own campaign. These include best practice case studies from other courses, creative templates, presentation documents and sample documents (new members letters, exit surveys, membership benefits guide etc). For courses which would like to get involved, contact the SGU or go to PGA Centenary Golf Course, Gleneagles, Perthshire : G Satterley 41

42 Golf Tourism in Scotland The role of the public agencies in developing golf tourism Scottish Enterprise has a key role in supporting the delivery of the National Golf Framework in ways that align with its wider remit around Enterprise, Innovation and Investment, and to support wider industry engagement. This includes gathering and disseminating market intelligence and support for the industry leadership groups such as GTS, SGU & CMAE to help them to support clubs and other golf tourism businesses to become more innovative and more visitor focussed. One such business support programme is the On The Tee Initiative. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) recognises that golf tourism plays a vital role in supporting and growing the economy of the region. HIE can work with busineses within the golf tourism sector that are ambitioous, and can demonstrate a desire to grow and contribute to the long term success of this important sector. By joining forces, HIE and its clients can plan for growth, either by expanding their markets or by developing new products or services. HIE also supports projects which can have a major impact on the area and can attract inward investment, like Machrihanish case study illustrated below. 42 Machrihanish Dunes, Argyll Machrihanish Dunes is an ambitious new project which is helping put this part of Scotland firmly on the global golf tourism map. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) had already worked with Kintyre Development Company who were involved in the initial development of the Machrihanish Dunes golf course and for which HIE provided a funding package of 0.5 million. This large scale development was given real leverage when Southworth Development LLC of Boston, Massachusetts, an international golf resort management and development organisation, came in with substantial financial investment. Southworth clearly saw the potential to make Machrihanish and Kintyre a must-visit international golf destination. But there was a lack of top quality accommodation that needed to be addressed. Golfers would fly in from all over the world to play on the Machrihanish courses but would stay elsewhere. Southworth set about addressing this. A number of luxury apartments were built and the next step is to carry out extensive refurbishment to the Royal Court Hotel in Campbeltown and the Ugadale at Machrihanish, which is now underway. Southworth s commitment and particularly its international experience of luxury golfing developments brought real confidence to the vision. As the development of the hotels is on a scale currently not available in the area, there are important supply chain links such as local sourced produce including whisky and seafood and a good transport infrastructure. With all These hotels are an integral part of our aim to make Machrihanish a must-visit golf destination for national and international visitors and provide world-class accommodation. David DeSmith, Director of Marketing for Southworth these elements in place it was clear that Machrihanish Dunes would transform golf in this part of Scotland and be a hugely important development in the national golf tourism product along world-class lines. For this reason, HIE invested a further 1.12million, which includes 744,000 from the European Regional Development Fund. HIE continues to work closely with Kintyre Development Company Ltd (which is now a subsidiary of Southworth Development) as an account managed business helping to drive forward the growth of the business.

43 6 OPPORTUNITIES FOR GOLF CLUBS AND COURSES VisitScotland has a dedicated consumer site for golf visitors There is a wealth of information here for visitors to plan their holiday, including where the courses in Scotland are and what they offer. It also features a variety of offers, packages, campaigns, news, events and competitions. Businesses who would like to participate in VisitScotland s marketing activity should contact their local business relationship manager to find out what is available. Go to Golfers Welcome Scheme As part of the Welcome Scheme from VisitScotland, there is a Golfers Welcome Scheme to encourage businesses to make a particular effort to give golf visitors a fantastic experience. For example, visitors particularly appreciate having lockable storage for golf clubs; a daily weather forecast; or details of local transport, golf shops, or tee-off times. To be awarded accreditation in the Golfers Welcome Scheme, a business needs to have a positive attitude towards golfers and a genuine desire to anticipate and meet their needs. For more information and to see the criteria required, go to: PGA Centenary Golf Course, Gleneagles, Perthshire: G. Satterley The official Golf site of Scotlandʼs national tourism organisation In 2009, as part of Homecoming Scotland, VisitScotland launched a major international campaign, Drive it Home. This attracted the attention of of an impressive 47,500 international golfers, of whom almost 6,000 were referred as leads from the promotional website to trade and carrier partner websites. This campaign is running again in 2010 from February to April, with a variety of press and experiential activity both within the UK and in our key market countries. For more information go to Research has confirmed that good customer care is absolutely vital in order to satisfy the increasingly sophisticated demands of the discerning golfing visitor. As part of VisitScotland s Quality Assurance Scheme, a variety of Welcome schemes are offered for businesses to get involved with. These indicate to a visitor that participating businesses have fulfilled a range of criteria, to ensure an excellent visitor experience is offered. For golf visitors there are two schemes: Golfers Welcome Scheme for tourism businesses and Visiting Golfers Scheme for golf clubs and courses to demonstrate their excellence. Details of both schemes are listed opposite. Visiting Golfers Welcome Scheme Like the Golfers Welcome Scheme, the Visiting Golfers Welcome Scheme is aimed at golf clubs and courses to recognise the efforts made in the quality of the welcome given and the facilities that they offer visitors. For example, visitors particularly appreciate having lockable storage for their equipment; and flexible tee-off times. For more information and to see the criteria required, go to: 43

44 Golf Tourism in Scotland Gourock Golf Club, Renfrewshire: P Tomkins 44 Golf and the environment Golf facilities by their very nature interact with the environment in a wide range of ways. Out on the course, issues such as nature conservation, landscape, cultural heritage, pollution prevention, water resources management, waste and energy management and environmental education and awareness are all relevant. Clubhouses, maintenance facilities, professional shops and other built elements are areas where waste management, energy efficiency and communication of environmental issues equally apply. Golf course management is not simply about maintaining well presented turfgrass, it is about the overall integrated management of the golf course estate. This involves understanding the management of a wide range of habitats beyond the turf. Integration of sound environmental principles can ensure that courses: Reduce over-management Minimise maintenance costs Look after important landscape features such as woodlands, heather and hedgerows Enhance the aesthetic character, atmosphere and challenge of the course Avoid unwitting environmental damage such as pollution incidents Ensure all policies and practices meet relevant legislation Raise member, visitor and local community awareness of the Clubs stewardship of the golf course Other organisations The Scottish Incoming Tour Operators Association (SIGTOA) To return Scotland to the number one golf destination in the world by collectively developing and strengthening the Scottish golf tourism product SIGTOA Mission Statement SIGTOA was formed in 1994 by a group of Scotland s leading golf tour operators to develop the golf tourism business in Scotland. The members all are based in Scotland and use their golf and local experience to create itineraries for golfing visitors. They also offer to put golf courses and other golf trade businesses in touch with their members which can be very beneficial for businesses who would like to welcome more golf visitors. Go to The Scottish Golf Environment Group provides environmental advice to the golf industry in Scotland. It has published a number of useful resources including Nature Conservation in Golf Developments ; Energy Efficiency in Golf Facilities ; SGU Green Event Guidelines; Waste Management Toolkit; and a series of Turf Management Factsheets. Copies of these and other publications can be downloaded at The Golf Environment Organisation is working to strengthen the links between people, golf and the planet. GEO s website contains a raft of innovative hints and tips for developing a more sustainable golf course and club operation, along with a guide to best management practice in areas such as implementing an effective water management programme; developing a sustainable turf management strategy; pollution prevention; improving waste management; and saving energy across your operation. A Toolkit for sustainable golf development is currently being developed and will be launched early in The Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) is a non-profit making professional association with members involved in the management of sports clubs (golf, tennis, sailing, rowing, rugby, football and cricket), health & fitness clubs, leisure, city and dining clubs located throughout Europe. It is the lead body for golf club managers and secretaries. Members can take advantage of some wide reaching benefits including: networking events, international activities, education, guidance etc. For more information and details of how to join, go to