Scotland key player in success of golf in UK

NEWS RELEASE

Golf tourism and major events in Scotland are vital to the future success of golf in the UK, according to a new report funded by The R and A.

The report, compiled by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield's Hallam University, indicates that Scotland accounts for 20 per cent of added value to the UK economy from the golf industry, despite comprising just eight per cent of the population.

Scotland’s highly developed golf tourism and events offering, its worldwide reputation as Scotland, the Home of Golf and the country’s higher golf participation rate compared with the rest of the UK are cited as the key factors in Scotland’s strong overall performance within the UK golf industry.

The report also concludes that the golf industry in Scotland grew significantly in the three years from 2011 to 2014.  Increases in consumer spending, gross value added (GVA) and job creation during this period have been linked with the hosting of major events such as The Open and The 2014 Ryder Cup as well as investment in major golf resorts and a stronger economy.