Wales Masters of Golf

As Golf fans turn their eyes towards the US Masters in Augusta, Georgia, figures released today show that golf tourism in Wales has seen an increase of 40% in the number of golf visitors to Wales in the  last decade.

The total value of Golf Tourism in 2014 was £37.9m million, with a total of 79,000 overnight golf visitors and 139,000 day visitors, which is an increase of 14% on 2013.

The Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Ken Skates, launched the new Wales Golf Brochure during a visit to Nefyn Golf Club where he also opened the new holes at the club.

The Wales Golf guide is published every two years and as well as listing  all the clubs in Wales it  features articles on the links courses of Wales; hidden golfing gems; A family focus – three generations play Aberdovey; a feature on a group of Swedish golfers playing Royal St David’s and an interview with Jodie Kidd at Celtic Manor Resort.
The Deputy Minister, said:

“These golf tourism monitor figures show the importance of golf to our economy and that hosting major golfing tournaments, such as last years hugely successful Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl, has played an important part in raising the profile of Wales as a golf destination – a destination where visitors can experience golf as it should be.

“As the US Masters gets underway, Wales will also be seen on TV screens as the Visit Wales golf advert, featuring the iconic Nefyn links. The advert  will be broadcast on Sky Sports  during the tournament as a reminder of what Wales has to offer as a golf destination with big  ambitions.”

Following the Ryder Cup, golf remains a key part of the Welsh Tourism offer. Visit Wales will continue to capitalise on the successful hosting of The Senior Open Championship Royal Porthcawl in 2014 and look forward to hosting the event again in 2017, as well as the Wales Seniors Open at Celtic Manor this May.

The Sky advert and the launch of the new brochure are key to the marketing efforts. The Golf Monitor revealed that 45% of those interviewed stated that communications from Visit Wales had influenced them to visit Wales instead of another destination, while 25% stated that Visit Wales’s communications had influenced them to play different courses in Wales.
Simon Dennis, Secretary at Nefyn & District Golf Club, said:

“The Welsh Government, and the “golf as it should be” campaign has helped enormously to support golf tourism across Wales.   For us here at Nefyn & District Golf Club, one of the major tourist attractions on the Llŷn Peninsula, the adoption  of the  iconic  images of “The Old Course – The Point” at Nefyn as a key part of the campaign has ensured golfers from around the world are eager to play our course, frequently referred to as Wales’s “Pebble Beach”, and others in the area.”