A rising star in the world of golf, who first teed off at the age of three, is helping celebrate a new campaign which will offer free golf sessions to under-18s.
Bradley Neil, one of Scotland’s most promising young golfers, was joined by children from Crieff and St Dominic’s Primary Schools for a fun putting session at Crieff Golf Club to mark Golf Perthshire’s funding boost from the VisitScotland Growth Fund.
The group has been awarded £10,725 to support a new family-focused tourism project.
The Golf Perthshire Family Golf initiative will provide a unique offering of free golf for under 18s, with a paying adult, along with the introduction of family tickets throughout the area and is backed by local golf clubs.
Golf Perthshire want to put the region on the map as the perfect destination to spend time golfing with the kids, sharing the beauty of the outdoors, creating lifelong memories and spending quality time together. And away from the golf course, the campaign will show why Perthshire is already one of the most popular areas in Scotland for family holidays, where you can soak up the history, enjoy stunning views as you walk or cycle through forests and woodlands or push yourself to the limit kayaking, white-water rafting or canyoning.
As well as offering family incentives, the campaign will feature a series of short promotional videos to highlight Perthshire’s perks. The campaign comes as Perthshire prepares to play host to both the European Golf Team Championships in August and The 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles next September, both of which will help position the region as a family-friendly golf events and tourism destination, on a global stage.
Golf Perthshire is a collaboration of golf clubs and accommodation providers, which aims to enhance Perthshire’s reputation as a golf destination and increase golf tourism spend.
The most recent Golf Visitor Survey commissioned by VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise in 2016 demonstrated that Perthshire performed slightly better than the rest of the country attracting visiting female golfers with 20% against the national average of 12%.
Golf tourism is worth more than £286 million to the country annually, supporting 4,400 jobs, with Scotland known around the world as the Home of Golf.
Bradley Neil, a European Tour rookie this season, said: “I’m delighted to support this great initiative from Golf Perthshire. Having grown up playing my golf in Perthshire at Blairgowrie Golf Club, I have a real fondness for the area and its superb variety of courses, as well as its many other attractions.
“For Perthshire golf clubs to be offering free golf for under-18s when playing with green fee paying adults is brilliant and I hope it attracts more golfers to the fairways of the region. From challenging 18-hole courses to fun 9-holers, Perthshire has so much to offer.”
Allan Minto, Project Manager at Golf Perthshire said: “Perthshire is recognised as one of the most popular areas in Scotland for family holidays due to its fantastic choice of fun outdoor activities and attractions.
“Our aim is for Perthshire to be known as one of the world’s most family friendly golf destinations, with great incentives to make the game more accessible and affordable to families holidaying in the area. Quality time spent together on the course, combined with exciting activities on our lochs, rivers and mountains will create unforgettable family experiences and lifelong memories together.
“We’re grateful for VisitScotland’s Growth Fund award, which will enable us to create inspiring new digital content and reach out to a much wider audience.”
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said: “Golf is a key driver for tourism so it is great to see this campaign reaching out to other markets within the sport. VisitScotland’s Growth Fund will help Golf Perthshire achieve their goal and we are delighted to support them. Partnership and collaboration is at the heart of Scottish tourism and VisitScotland works with local industry to develop and deliver innovative initiatives that grow the visitor economy.”
Top picture: children from Crieff Primary and St Dominic’s Primary School and Bradley Neil
For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
Golf Perthshire http://www.golfperthshire.co.uk/