Last week’s Scottish Golf Tourism Week saw local, national and international businesses coming together for the annual three-day event held at Fairmont St Andrews.
Returning for its sixth year, the partnership between DC Thomson and Visit Scotland aims to support Scottish golf businesses and encourage growth in the industry.
This year, SGTW featured a new appointment matching service for suppliers and buyers to get the most out of the event. This entailed 3,700 face-to-face appointments, familiarisation trips to six regions across Scotland (Aberdeenshire, the Highlands, Dundee and Angus, Fife and the West and East coasts) and nightly networking sessions.
Over 80 inbound golf tour operators from 30 different countries and 90 golf businesses attended the event, based again at the five-star Fairmont Hotel in St Andrews. It is estimated that the tour operators in attendance bring approximately 50,000 golf tourists into Scotland every year.
The week culminated on February 2 with 480 people attending the 10th Scottish Golf Tourism Awards which celebrated the best the industry has to offer from courses, clubhouses, shops and courses to tour operators and accommodation providers.
Due to the growth of the awards, this year the winners were chosen by a panel of independent judges from across the industry for the first time. The 2023 ceremony saw 12 awards handed out including, a new award for the country’s best Sustainability project won by Dundonald Links as well as two new awards for the best domestic and international Tour Operators, won by Connoisseur Golf and Celtic Golf.
Carnoustie Golf Links was the big winner of the evening scooping up two awards for best course over £150 and best pro shop.
An economic impact report prepared for VisitScotland and Scottish Development International in April 2022 found that suppliers who attend Scottish Golf Tourism Week forecast an average increase in turnover of over £215,000 across the following three years as a direct result of the new connections they build at the event.
Craig Blue from Visit Scotland said: ‘Every year this event goes from strength to strength. There was a lot of buzz and excitement in the room with lots of positive meetings and networking opportunities taking place.
“With 80 tour operators representing 30 different countries around the globe along with 90 Scottish businesses, the appetite for the Home of Golf is very much alive and in demand. We look forward to welcoming both domestic and international golfers to Scotland in 2023 and beyond.”
Scottish Golf Tourism Awards 2023 winners
Best Hotel 20 Rooms & Under – Old Loans Inn
Best Hotel 21-50 Rooms – The Machrie Hotel & Golf Links
Best Hotel Over 50 Rooms – Rusacks St Andrews
Best 9-Hole Course – Kingsfield Golf & Leisure
Best Course Under £75 – Strathmore Golf Centre
Best Course £75-£150 – Cruden Bay Golf Club
Best Course Over £150 – Carnoustie Golf Links – Championship Course
Best Clubhouse – Dundonald Links
Best Pro Shop – Carnoustie Golf Links
Best Sustainability Project – Dundonald Links
Best UK-Based Golf Tour Operator – Connoisseur Golf
Best Overseas-Based Golf Tour Operator – Celtic Golf