Golf tourism is providing a welcome financial boost to clubs across the Highlands, with research for Golf Highland, a group representing more than 30 clubs across the region, revealing that visitor income over the last six years has soared from £5.8m to over £9m.
While well-known links courses attract the majority of foreign golfers, more and more visitors are being tempted to expand their horizons during their stay in the area.
Golf Highland board founding member Willie MacKay, a retired PE teacher and past captain at Royal Dornoch, has welcomed the role visitors are playing in securing the future of smaller community clubs.
“The jewels in the crown will always be the key players driving golf tourism in the Highlands,” he said. “In 2023, Royal Dornoch, Cabot Highland, Nairn and Brora generated 75% of the total income but the next nine clubs raised over £1.2m through visitor green fees.
“The High9s group of clubs – nine-hole courses which have banded together to create a unique golfing challenge – enjoyed a total green fee income of over £350,000.
“In addition to providing a vital income stream to Abernethy, Aigas, Bonar Bridge and Ardgay, Carrbridge, Durness, Gairloch, Isle of Skye, Portmahomack and Ullapool, the spin-off benefits will be substantial in terms of the spend on travel, food and accommodation in the local communities.
“Throughout the Highlands we are blessed with spectacular courses and marvellous scenery. he clubs are strengthening their ties with local attractions like distilleries and historic buildings.”
Golf Highland was created in 1999 with Neil Hampton, now the general manager of Royal Dornoch and chair of the Scottish Golf Development Group, at the helm.
In 2016, Neil and Willie rolled out the Golf Highland Golf Strategy, designed to encourage lesser-known clubs to piggyback on the success of the world-famous jewels in the region’s crown. While the pandemic posed a serious threat to the strategy, the bounce back has been impressive.
“The latest figures are very encouraging,” said Neil, who credited a new-look website for raising the profile of the smaller clubs. Golf Highland is a great example of what can be achieved by a cooperative approach to golf tourism, with the nine-strong board and area coordinators representing the broad range of clubs in the Highlands.”
The first visitor income data was gathered in 2018 and clubs large and small have enjoyed a post pandemic boost.
“Visitor numbers jumped 10% to around 110,000 for the latest 12-month period,” he said. “In the past six years the average increase for High9s clubs such as Abernethy, Aigas, Bonar, Skye, Portmahomack and Durness is 30%.
“Last year, Carrbridge and Portmahomack reported a 20% increase in visitor income. Bigger clubs like Brora, Fortrose and Rosemarkie, Golspie, The Kings, Nairn, Reay and Royal Dornoch have reported an increase of more than 40%.
“Clubs are seeing the fruits of their labours, attending free Golf Highland marketing workshops – live streamed for clubs like Fort William and Wick – and benefiting from expert advice on improving their websites to entice visiting golfers.”
