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Scotland’s stellar summer of golf

11th July 2022

Scotland’s stellar summer of golf

By Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland Director of Events

Last week (7 July) marked the start of an unprecedented summer of golf as nine of the top ten, and 14 of the top 15 ranked men’s players in the world, competed at the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick.

It was the first of five of the world’s biggest and most prestigious golf tournaments to be taking place across Scotland over five weeks which includes this week’s milestone, The 150th Open, at the world-famous Old Course at St Andrews, followed by The Senior Open Presented by Rolex at Gleneagles (21 to 24 July). We then move to Dundonald for The Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open (28 to 31 July) where eight of the world’s top 10 and all the current major champions will tee off ahead of the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield (4 to 7 August).

This is the strongest portfolio of golf events in Scotland’s history, and we are very fortunate to be in a position to be able to host all five back-to-back. I’m sure many countries around the world will envy our position as just one of these events would be a major contributor to national events, participation, and economic strategies. It certainly is a unique opportunity and testament to the hard work and dedication we have put in with partners that sees us invest more than £3 million annually to supporting golf events and market Scotland globally as the Home of Golf.

No other country is able to match Scotland’s history or heritage in the game and over the coming weeks we have an unparalleled opportunity to showcase this to a global audience. The golf industry in Scotland is worth more than £1.1 billion with golf tourism accounting for approximately £286 million annually, supporting around 4,400 jobs, and this summer will play an important role in the sector’s recovery from the pandemic and welcoming international visitors to our shores once again.

It will also be an opportunity to showcase the work we are doing on sustainability. For us here in Scotland, our key objective is to promote our country as a leading responsible tourism and events destination to the world. Our partnership with the GEO Foundation, the first national tourism body globally to become a strategic partner, is allowing us to establish a connection and alignment between our responsible tourism goals and the sustainability activities being carried out through this year’s tournaments. This includes supporting the protection and considerate enjoyment of Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage; ensuring tourism and events contribute to thriving communities; supporting Scotland’s transition to a low carbon economy; and ensuring tourism and events in Scotland are inclusive.

These five weeks are going to be amazing. Few industries have the impact that events do. They play an important role in our communities, enabling us all to connect, enjoy and share memorable experiences. To have the honour to host five majors in as many weeks shows just why Scotland is the perfect stage for golf events.  

To find out more about Scotland the Home of Golf and this year’s tournaments visit Golf in Scotland - Breaks, Courses & Information | VisitScotland

 

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