Tag: panorama

Categories
Panorama

The 150th Open at St Andrews generates over £300 million in economic benefit

Spectator records at the 150th Open. (Photo: Getty)
Spectator records at the 150th Open. (Photo: Getty)

The historic Championship provided a total economic impact of £106 million to Scotland – new money entering the economy – according to the study conducted by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC).

Independent research led by YouGov Sport also shows that £201 million of destination marketing benefit was delivered for Scotland, the Home of Golf, as a result of The 150th Open being broadcast worldwide through linear television and digital platforms.

The total economic benefit delivered last year is the highest in the history of the Championship.

Martin Slumbers is proud of the “world-class event”

Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said, “The 150th Open was a historic occasion for golf which has generated a substantial economic benefit for Scotland thanks to a record-breaking attendance at St Andrews and tens of millions of fans worldwide who watched the Championship broadcast.

“We enjoyed a hugely memorable week in which we welcomed tens of thousands of visitors to the home of golf for perhaps the most eagerly anticipated Open of all time that certainly lived up to its billing. We would like to thank all of our partners for their support and commitment to staging a world-class event.”

Culture Minister Christina McKelvie said, “Scotland is the Home of Golf and this independent report confirms the significant benefit The 150th Open brought to our economy.

“The Scottish Government has a long-standing track record of supporting golf events, including direct support for the annual men’s and women’s Scottish Open. Last year was an unprecedented success for golf events in Scotland, headlined by The 150th Open at St Andrews.”

Spectator influx from all over the world

The 150th Open attracted a Championship record 290,000 fans to St Andrews, surpassing the previous high mark of 239,000 set at the same venue in 2000. The study concluded that Fife alone had received a £61 million injection of new money as tens of thousands of visitors travelled to the region to attend the Championship.

Over half of the spectators who attended The Open (62.3%) travelled from outside of Scotland, including visitors from elsewhere in the UK (31%), the United States of America (19.2%), Canada (2.6%) and Republic of Ireland (2.3%). Around 48% of spectators stated that this was their first visit to The Open and 76% of visitors from overseas were making their inaugural trip to the Championship.

More than half (52%) of all spectators expressed an intention to attend at least one of the next three editions of The Open being played at Royal Liverpool (2023), Royal Troon (2024) and Royal Portrush (2025).

Economic benefit for the entire region

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, said, “2022 marked a momentous year for golf in Scotland with a number of the world’s biggest and most prestigious golf championships returning home to be played over an action packed five weeks. Hosting the historic 150th Open last year in St Andrews, a venue synonymous with the greatest names and most memorable moments in golf, once again underlines the quality, scale and capability which Scotland has when it comes to showcasing major events to both domestic and global audiences.

“Today’s impact figures emphasise the importance of the Championships to both Fife and Scotland, and to the wider post-pandemic recovery with the scale of benefits strengthening another significant chapter in Scotland’s rich golfing history.”

Councillor Altany Craik, Fife Council, said, “We were delighted to welcome record-breaking numbers of visitors to Fife in 2022 for The Open. The past three years have been a very difficult time for tourism, and this provided a very welcome boost to our accommodation providers, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses. The Open is an ideal way to showcase Fife to an international audience, many of whom are visiting for the first time, and I hope that the positive experiences they had mean that many will come back again either for golf or for a holiday. The economic benefit to the area is clear to see, and we congratulate The R&A and partners on hosting such a successful event.”

(Text: The R&A)

Categories
Equipment

ARCCOS UNVEILS NEW APPLE WATCH APP WITH MAJOR UPGRADES

The brand new Arccos for Apple Watch (photo: Arccos).
The brand new Arccos for Apple Watch (photo: Arccos).

Arccos – the pioneer of big data and Artificial Intelligence for golf – has today unveiled a new Arccos for Apple Watch app update highlighted by UX enhancements that provides golfers with the ability to start an Arccos Caddie round on the world’s #1 selling smart watch without ever touching their iPhone.

A completely re-developed caddie app

The preferred shot-tracking hardware for almost 20% of Arccos members, Apple Watch also allows Arccos Caddie members to view A.I. Rangefinder distances, receive personalized club recommendations, add penalty strokes, see shot history and holes scores, and make any necessary edits.

“From a product standpoint, we have completely re-developed the Arccos Caddie app for Apple Watch architecture from the ground up,” said Dave LeDonne, Arccos’ Vice President of Product. “With well over half a million rounds played by Arccos members on Apple Watch last year alone, this redesign makes the experience dramatically better,” he added.

Additional app functionality includes the ability for players to mark the hole locations on the green with a simple click of a button on the watch device when standing directly next to the pin. This provides more accurate short game and putting insights along with highlighting areas for player improvement via the powerful Strokes Gained analytics insights.

More than 650 million shots for Arccos members

To access the new experience – which is optimized for Apple Watch Series 5 and newer – members simply open the Arccos Caddie app for Apple Watch, confirm the course and tees being played and press start round. The app then syncs with the smart sensors in the grip of each club to pinpoint exactly when and where a shot has been played.

Arccos members have now recorded more than 650 million shots during 13.5 million rounds in 162 countries worldwide. The largest on-course dataset in golf has collected over 700 billion separate data points to power Arccos’ industry-leading Strokes Gained engine that allows a player to select their personal handicap goal, then provides personalized analysis for every game aspect and each club in the bag.

Golf’s first Artificial Intelligence platform, Arccos automatically tracks your shots while delivering in-round insights and personalized Strokes Gained analytics for every game facet and each club in your bag. The system is highlighted by an A.I.-powered rangefinder, smart club distances and caddie advice for every golf hole on earth. These innovations helped new Arccos members who played at least 10 rounds lower their handicap by an average of 5.71 strokes in their first year of membership.

(Text: Arccos)

Categories
Panorama

St Andrews: Construction work on golf’s most famous bridge causes debate

The landmark in St Andrews: Swilcan Bridge on the Old Course. (Photo: Getty)
The landmark in St Andrews: Swilcan Bridge on the Old Course. (Photo: Getty)

It is one of the best golf courses: St Andrews Links on the east coast of Scotland has attracted not only professionals but also photographers and tourists for years. One of the reasons for this is the Swilcan Bridge. The old stone bridge crosses the ‘Swilcan Burn’ canal of the same name between the first and eighteenth fairways of the Old Course and has become an important symbol of golf. However, reconstruction work around the iconic landmark is now causing uproar.

Turmoil over new paving stones in St Andrews

Day in and day out, tourists, amateur photographers and golfers head to Tiger Woods’ favourite course in St Andrews to take a photo of the legendary Swilcan Bridge. At almost any time of day or night, feet trample the grass around the bridge. Hardly a problem in summer, but in winter it gets muddy. But no matter what time of year the visitors come, one thing is clear: the trampled area around the bridge approach does not look nice. More mud than grass appears when the masses of people want to take their souvenir photos. A reason for those responsible in St Andrews to lend a hand. In an official statement, they announced that reconstruction work is underway around the bridge to remove the brown “eyesores”.

The solution: paving stones. The Swilcan Bridge has been lined with light-coloured paving stones on the left and right. This is to prevent the footpaths from being trampled in the future and the perfectly mown grass from becoming a trampled piece of earth. Instead of having the bridge closed to visitors several times a year, they opted for a “historic” option, as the statement says: “Historically the bridge has previously seen a stone pathway leading onto it and the current works are designed to see if we can replicate this while being fit for purpose for the amount of foot traffic it has to endure,” reads the statement. “The shape of the current installation covers the ground that receives the most traffic as the area where the majority of photographs are taken of people on the bridge.” However, these alterations are not always well received by admirers of the bridge.

Much ado about nothing?

Fans are venting their anger on social media. One Twitter user writes: “But they could have made it look so much better and more natural. This whole installation makes Swilcan Bridge look like a random bridge built 2 years ago and not one of the most historic landmarks in golf.” Evan Gale pokes fun at the ongoing discussions on the internet and posted this tweet with the caption: “Found the culprit”.

However, there are other views. “I’m of the opinion (as someone who hasn’t visited the bridge) that the reaction to Swilcan Bridge is a bit overblown…. it retains its iconic status regardless,” writes Ben from Philadelphia. Either way, the recent alterations are causing uproar in St Andrews and on social media. In the end, however, it is up to the operator which solution he chooses. Whether one likes the circular arrangement of the paving stones or a trampled piece of earth better is something everyone has to decide for themselves. In any case, the new variant looks better than the artificial turf solution from 2019.

The approach to Swilcan Bridge in 2019. (Photo: Michael F. Basche)

By the way, these improvements are not the only ones at St Andrews. Among other things, the clubhouse is currently being built with a basement and a new area for female members who have been registered at St Andrews since 2015. Female golfers have had to cope without their own changing rooms at St Andrews until now. For guests, male or female, the Royal & Ancient Clubhouse is not accessible anyway. They have to be satisfied with the St Andrews Links clubhouse. Whether these renovation measures will also cause a sensation will probably be seen in the coming weeks and months.

Categories
Panorama

Golf Post Community Award 2023: These destinations are recommended by the community

Golf Post Community Award 2023 - International. (Foto: Golf Post)

For golfers, it is obvious to combine the annual vacation with the game of golf and make it a golf trip. Both within and outside Europe, the Golf Post community has already had unforgettable experiences and can make first-class recommendations. The clear favorite, however, is right next door: most of the golf courses that receive an award from the Golf Post Community, as well as all category winners, are located in our neighboring country of Austria. This speaks above all for the strength of the Austrian Golf Post Community, but also for Austria as a sought-after golf travel destination.

Golf Post Community Award 2023: The category winners

The Adamstal Golf Club in the foothills of the Alps in Lower Austria won five stars in the “Landscape” category. With a total of 27 holes, the golf course nestles into the hilly mountain panorama and amazes many a golfer. Streams, terrain steps, forest clearings and rock formations make the course unique and the golfing experience at the Golfclub Adamstal an unforgettable one!

The Golfclub Zillertal Uderns was remembered by most community members for its excellent maintenance. In the category “course condition” the golf course impresses with excellently maintained fairways. At 550 meters above sea level, the flat golf course invites to a sunny playing season from March to November under best conditions.

In the “welcome culture” category, the Murstätten Golf Club in southern Austria came out on top with five out of five stars. Whether golf course, restaurant or golf school – cordiality is written in capital letters at the Golfclub Murstätten, so that the club can call itself the winner in the category “Welcome Culture”. With a total of 27 holes in beautiful natural surroundings, the course is a popular destination that our community will rave about for a long time to come.

The Golf Club am Mondsee was voted top club in the “value for money” category by the Golf Post community. Last year, the golf club already won a community award, and this year it can also call itself the category winner. The Austrian golf course promises a coherent overall package at a fair price. Idyllic location and beautiful ambience at the Mondsee as well as Drachensee meet challenge and vacation flair.

In the last category, the “Gastronomy” category, the winner is the Dolomitengolf Golf Club in East Tyrol. This is also a repeat offender in the history of the Golf Post Community Award. Among other things, the golf club is remembered for its restaurant, which attracts not only golfers but also excursionists and gourmets. The restaurant promises culinary variety from small snacks for in between meals to daily fresh recommendations from the kitchen team.

From golfers for golfers

The Golf Post Community Award was presented for the fifth time this year, and for the first time international golf clubs were also honored. The “jury” here is the Golf Post Community, whose ratings paint an authentic picture of golf facilities in Germany. Golf clubs all over the world can also be rated beyond Germany. Up to five stars can be awarded in each of five categories. A total of 15 facilities outside Germany receive the coveted “Top Golf Club” award thanks to the best ratings. 35 other international clubs with an average rating of at least 4.5 out of 5 stars will receive the award as a recommendation from the community.

The international top golf clubs:

  • Golfclub Dolomitengolf Osttirol (Austria, category winner “gastronomy”)
  • GC Adamstal – Franz Wittmann (Austria, category winner “Landscape”)
  • GC Zillertal Uderns (Austria, category winner “course condition”)
  • Golfclub Murstätten (Austria, Category Winner “Welcome Culture”)
  • GC Achensee (Austria)
  • Club de Golf Alcanada (Spain)
  • GC Reit im Winkl Kössen (Austria)
  • GC Wilder Kaiser Ellmau (Austria)
  • Golf Club Novo Sancti Petri (Spain)
  • Gardagolf Country Club (Italy)
  • Diamond Country Club (Austria)
  • GC Kitzbühel (Austria)
  • Aphrodite Hills Golf (Cyprus)
  • Golfclub Klagenfurt-Seltenheim (Austria)
  • The Montgomery Maxx Royal (Turkey)

More Golf Post community recommendations worldwide:

  • GC am Mondsee (Austria, category winner “value for money”)
  • Gloria Golf Resort Belek (Turkey)
  • Grazer Golfclub Thalersee (Austria)
  • Pula Golf (Spain)
  • Lopesan Meloneras Golf (Spain)
  • Golf Club Crans-sur-Sierre (Switzerland)
  • Golf Club Salzburg Gut Kaltenhausen (Austria)
  • Mieminger Plateau Golf Park (Austria)
  • Monte Rei Golf & Country Club (Portugal)
  • Golf Son Gual (Spain)
  • Golf de Andratx (Spain)
  • Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Italy)
  • GC Radstadt (Austria)
  • GC Seefeld (Austria)
  • GC Mondsee (Austria)
  • Canyamel Golf (Spain)
  • Franciacorta Golf Club (Italy)
  • Ile aux Cerfs Golf Club (Mauritius)
  • De Texelse Golf Club (Netherlands)
  • Carinthian Golf Club Dellach (Austria)
  • Colony Club Gutenhof (Austria)
  • Golfpark Klopeinersee-Südkärnten (Austria)
  • Praia d’El Rey Golf & Country Club (Portugal)
  • Pine Cliffs Golf & Country Club (Portugal)
  • Robinson Club Nobilis (Turkey)
  • Costa Navarino – The Dunes Course (Greece)
  • Lana Golf Club (Italy)
  • Arzaga Golf Club (Italy)
  • Golf Club Dolomiti (Italy)
  • Golf Club Linz St. Florian (Austria)
  • GC Schwarzsee (Austria)
  • Golfpark Bregenzerwald (Austria)
  • Golf Club Murau Kreischberg (Austria)
  • Arabella Golf Son Quint (Spain)
  • Golf Santa Ponsa I (Spain)

You have already played these golf courses? Then rate them now in the Golf Post Course Finder. Other golfers will benefit from your experience and you can also view tens of thousands of reviews and plan your next golf experience. You can also rate all other golf courses in Europe.

Categories
European Tour

The DP World Tour and BMW Group sign five-year partnership extension

Bernard Kuhnt (left) and Guy Kinnings (right). (Photo: BMW Group)
Bernard Kuhnt (left) and Guy Kinnings (right). (Photo: BMW Group)

The DP World Tour and BMW Group have signed an extension to their partnership that will see the leading premium automotive brand BMW remain an Official Partner, and the Official Car, of the DP World Tour until the end of the 2027 season.

As part of the agreement, BMW will also remain as Title Partner until 2027 of both the BMW PGA Championship – a Rolex Series event – and the BMW International Open, where it will remain the promoter of the tournament.

This partnership extension cements BMW as one of the Tour’s longest standing partners. The relationship dates back to 1989, when BMW ran and promoted the first BMW International Open in its hometown of Munich. BMW then became Title Partner of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in 2005.

BMW Group underpins position as global partner in golf

As an Official Tour Partner, BMW will benefit from highly visible branding and product placement at DP World Tour tournaments each season and across the Tour’s media and digital platforms. BMW will also enjoy access to the Tour’s premium hospitality services and Pro-Ams to create unique customer experiences. As Official Car of the DP World Tour, BMW will continue to supply its luxury high end and fully electric vehicles to the DP World Tour and make a valuable contribution to a sustainable tournament experience for players, staff and fans.

“The close collaboration with the European Tour group, which started back in 1989 with the inaugural BMW International Open, played an important role in the BMW Group becoming one of the most reliable and dedicated partners in international golf. We are delighted to continue along this successful path with the DP World Tour, and to bring innovative developments to both the sport and our events,” said Bernhard Kuhnt, Senior Vice President BMW Group Europe. “The BMW International Open and the BMW PGA Championship are tournaments that are very popular with golf fans and players alike, thanks to their long tradition and the excellent sporting and BMW brand experience. Based in two core markets in Europe, these events will form important pillars of our worldwide commitment to golf going forward.”

Guy Kinnings, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Commercial Officer of the European Tour group, added: “The BMW brand stands for luxury, innovation, and sportiness – all values that closely match our own and the Tour benefits significantly from partnering with such an iconic brand and respected partner of the game of golf. Over the last 33 years we have developed an extremely close working relationship that continues to drive strong value to BMW’s global engagement in sport. With this extended partnership, we will have ample opportunities to use the DP World Tour to showcase both their range of products and our collective leadership credentials in passion areas such as sustainability and technology innovation.

Together, we will also make sure that the BMW PGA Championship and BMW International Open keep innovating to elevate the fan experience and continue to be key moments on the sporting and entertainment calendars in Germany and the UK each year.” 

(Text: DP World Tour)

Categories
LPGA Tour

Lydia Ko: Despite mom’s insult, the former prodigy is better than ever at 25

Lydia Ko (Photo: Getty)
Lydia Ko (Photo: Getty)

Lydia Ko will probably have to put up a new wardrobe at home in Orlando – with all the trophies she brings home from the CME Group Tour Championship: the glass globe for winning the LPGA final tournament, the silver bowl of the Vare Trophy, the “Player of the Year” awards and everything else the 25-year-old was presented with at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples. “The winner takes it all,” ABBA once warbled. But despite the record check for two million dollars and a total of 4,364,403 dollars for three victories and a total of seven top-five finishes since the Amundi Evian Championship in July, the most successful prize money season of all time didn’t work out. Lorena Ochoa was “better” by $591 in 2007.

“She’s made peace with herself”

But money, as we all know, isn’t everything. Especially when the “main prize” is standing on the edge of the 18th green: Ko’s fiancé Jun Chung. “He makes me smile, motivates and inspires me to become a better person and a better player,” says the New Zealander. “Since she met him, she has made peace with herself,” confirms her sister Sura.

Lydia Ko and Jun Chung have been a couple for almost two years, writing letters to each other for six months until the Corona pandemic allowed the first real date. Meanwhile, Chung, who lives in San Francisco, is the son of a Hyundai manager, works in the finance department of the Korean car company and first had to Google his new pen pal’s golf career, had taken up golf himself. On December 30, the two will marry in Kos and Chung’s native Seoul.

But after that, not much will change, says Chung, who likes to stay out of the camera’s focus: “She’ll keep playing. I don’t want to get involved in that. I want ‘Lyds’ to give all she can in the time she has ahead of her at this top level.” In turn, she says, “Since I’ve been with him, I want to make better use of the time I have to work on my game. To then be able to really enjoy the time off. I feel like that helps me train better and focus more.”

Three “meager” years already count as a crisis there


Time is the key word in every sense of the word for change, for the development of exceptional golfer Lydia Ko, who began as a teenage sensation, won her first professional tournament at 14, became the youngest tour winner in LPGA history at 15 years, four months and two days at the Canadian Open in August 2012, was number one in the world amateur rankings for 130 weeks and won her first professional tournament at the age of 18. Before the age of 20, she had already won two majors and the silver medal in golf’s Olympic comeback, and now has 19 LPGA victories to her name.

With such a golfing career, three years, the period between July 2016 and April 2021, with only one tournament title and a drop to 46th in the world rankings, can seem like a sporting crisis: “When you’re not playing so well, you have these weaker moments that feel so long. All too often, she has linked her existence exclusively to the numbers on the scorecard, identifying herself by her results on the golf course, Ko admits self-critically and unapologetically.

Interviewer rendered speechless

As bluntly as she spoke in June about her menstrual cramps and their effects on her back muscles (“It’s that times of the month”) after asking for medical help during the round – which literally left the interviewer from the “Golf Channel” speechless.

Equally candid, she says Jun Chung has given her “a new outlook on golf and life”: “How he perceives me doesn’t depend on my performance on the course.” And that’s precisely why “above all, I really wanted to win the BMW Ladies Championship last month in both our motherland, South Korea, with him by my side.” Mission accomplished. If Rosamunde Pilcher had written this plot, the whole world would have called it kitsch.

“You played better when you were 15”

So be it. From Ko’s point of view, the balance in her life has never been better. Without the period of the so-called form crisis, “I probably wouldn’t have the attitude I have today,” she says after her first season of multiple wins since 2016. “I feel like I matured a lot during that time.” And then isn’t fazed by a “You played better when you were 15” comment from her mother Tina: “What am I supposed to do with that information?” After nine years on the tour, you act differently, you’re simply more experienced, more familiar with the processes and conditions.

“Experience is the reason why some players play successfully on the tour for 15, 20 years. They hit their balls and know what’s going to happen. That comes naturally over time. Experience is like having a 15th club in the bag.”

Lydia Ko

On and off the court – starting with training on “more different types of grass than you can name in the same breath,” grins the new world number two behind Nelly Korda. “I used to play up liberated because I was young and clueless. Today I’m freer because I’ve learned to take things as they come and deal with them.”

Soon to be youngest Hall of Fame member

No question, the former child prodigy has grown up. And will probably soon become even the youngest member “ever” in the LPGA Hall of Fame. Until now, or since 2016, this privilege has gone to Inbee Park, who had to turn 27 to become a member. Ko, meanwhile, is only two points short.

Categories
Panorama

Top ways to get more involved in golf

How to get more involved in golf. (Photo: Getty)
How to get more involved in golf. (Photo: Getty)

Golf is a fantastic sport with a long history. Unlike other sports, however, there is less of a communal viewing culture. You don’t typically see groups of friends meeting up to tailgate at the Ryder Cup or sports bars full of golf fans going wild during the final holes of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.


Watching golf can be a bit of an isolated activity. It can also feel like there isn’t much else that you can do besides watch the tournaments and read news about what’s going in the various Championships.
Here are our top four suggestions for things you can do to get more involved in golf.

Bet on tournaments

Betting on sports is a great way to get more involved. When you have a little bit of money riding on the outcome of an event it makes it even more exciting. With the PGA, you can bet on the winners of individual Championships. Another popular bet type is futures bets, including on the winner of the FedEx Cup.


Golf isn’t just an American sport, in fact, it was invented in Scotland. The United Kingdom and Ireland both have extensive histories with golf. Betting on golf has been growing in popularity in Ireland in particular, likely due in part to the number of high-profile tournaments the country hosts.

The 112th Irish PGA Championship Pro-Am at the Wild Atlantic Dunes in Belmullet is just one example of the rich golfing culture the country has, and just one example of the tournaments you can bet on.

Make your voice heard about LIV

Sportswashing is a fairly new term, but the problem has been around for quite a while, and it has finally reached the golf world. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, sportswashing is when a corporation or government tries to improve its reputation by investing heavily in a sports team or tournament. It is a form of reputation laundering and incredibly problematic.


In Saudi Arabia’s case, the Public Investment Fund is being used to fund the LIV Golf Invitational Series in the hopes of distracting the public from their ongoing human rights violations. The massive payouts they are using to attract leading golfers are working and LIV is growing.


You can get involved by contacting top golfers, either through their agents or social media – whatever way the golfer has made themself accessible to fans – to either thank them for refusing to participate in LIV if they have already rejected an offer or encouraging them to do so if they are currently being scouted. You can also reach out to major golf sponsors to encourage them to pull any support from LIV.


This is not only an important human rights issue, but also a golf issue. By splitting professional golfers into two tours, both will be weakened. If half the top competitors aren’t in the PGA Tour, it will make wins less impressive. A split viewership will also drop viewing numbers, which can lead to loss of advertising revenue and less golf on TV.

Use a course app

There is an app for everything, and golf is no different. Some are designed to help you with your swing, some give club recommendations or track your progress over time. These are all great for your personal golf game.

There are also some great apps that can increase your engagement with professional golf. The PGA Tour App allows you to follow every shot as it happens and includes 3D shot tracking too. There are apps that also have all the breaking news, highlights and coverage.


Golfshot GPS is another app that adds another interesting element to the Tour — it allows you to navigate through over 40,000 courses worldwide. You can see all the distances between holes, the hazards and the lay of every inch of the course. This year’s BMW Championship is being held at the Wilmington Country Club for the first time in its history, making it a perfect opportunity to explore the course along with the players.

Get out on the course

Playing a sport is possibly the best way to get more involved with it. There is only so much you can learn about a sport by reading about it or atching it on TV, the best way to understand a sport is to play it yourself. You don’t have to go play on world famous courses or use top of the line clubs. Just spending some time at your local course with friends is a great way to turn golf from something you like to something you love.

Categories
Panorama

Survey shows: The golf boom in the UK continues

A study shows: Golf remains a popular sport in pandemic times. (Photo: Getty)
A study shows: Golf remains a popular sport in pandemic times. (Photo: Getty)

The average number of rounds of golf played at courses across Great Britain was down 9% compared to Q2 2021. Despite this, the numbers continue to highlight growth above pre-pandemic levels.

A strong Q1 means that even with the Q2 numbers, rounds played in Great Britain are up 24% compared to the first half of 2021, although it is worth remembering that the first quarter of last year was affected by ongoing lockdowns, while April-June benefitted from the easing of restrictions and working from home.

Viewed even in their fuller historical context, the Q2 2022 figures represent a strong industry performance. April and May’s national rounds were the highest in the last five years with the exception of 2021.

(Photo: Sports Marketing Surveys)

This explains why rounds played remain up 19% in Q2 compared to 2019. That in turn indicates, encouragingly, that many of the new golfers attracted during and after lockdowns, including through successful efforts from governing bodies to change perceptions of the game, remain engaged.

The North was the best performing region in Q2 2022, down only 1% compared to 2021, but up 51% against 2019.

“We do expect growth against 2021 to continue to slow in the second half of the year”, cautioned Richard Payne, director of SMS. “Q2 2021 was an exceptional time, with the release from lockdown but still widespread working from home. We also expect the cost of living crisis to have an effect on leisure spend, in golf and other sports. This is likely to affect visitor rounds and equipment sales first, with many having already paid memberships for the rest of 2022, but there will undoubtedly be pressure on renewals in the coming months. So, whether rounds played can remain above 2019 is, in our view, one of the key metrics to look out for over the next six months and into 2023.”

Text: Sports Marketing Surveys

Categories
Panorama

British Open preparation: Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy on the course together

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy play together in preparation for the 2022 British Open. (Photo: Twitter/@RMTracker)
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy play together in preparation for the 2022 British Open. (Photo: Twitter/@RMTracker)

Earlier this week, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods competed in the famous JP McManus Pro-Am together with many other stars of the (golf) world. But while most professionals are now using the Scottish Open as a final rehearsal for the upcoming British Open 2022, the two superstars are preparing in their own way. McIlroy and Woods played a round of golf at Ballybunion Golf Club, one of Ireland’s top courses.

Tiger Tracking on Twitter

When Tiger Woods gets on a plane or plays a practice round, the golf world looks intently at social media. So it was before the other majors this year that the 15-time major winner played again a year after his nasty car accident. When Tiger landed at Augusta, crazy scenes played out on Twitter. Well, before the British Open, Tiger had flown across the pond early for the charity pro-am – not unnoticed by the attentive fan community either, of course.

Several pictures and videos of the relaxed round on the links course of Ballybunion GC with his friend Rory McIlroy are circulating on social media. In typically dreary weather, preparations are underway for the 150th Open Championship, which will be played on the Old Course at St Andrews next week. The Scottish Open followed by a Major would probably be too much for the convalescent who had cancelled the US Open. The superstar was also out in a cart at the JP McManus in order to rest the leg that had been so badly injured.

Together with Rory McIlroy, who is also taking a break from tournaments after energy-sapping weeks, Tiger seems to be enjoying the round of links golf. McIlroy shares memories of “back in the day”, as a video reveals. “I used to aim down the middle of the fairway, it would start down the right edge and then draw back to the middle of the fairway,” “Rors” told his playing partner, demonstrating his skills.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy ahead of the British Open 2022

Of course, we don’t want to deny you the pictures and videos of the two superstars. Simply two legends of golf playing a casual round of links golf – delightful!

Categories
Panorama

The “Tiger Effect”: Tiger Woods’ Path to Billions

Legend in golf: Tiger Woods. (Photo: Getty)
Legend in golf: Tiger Woods. (Photo: Getty)

So far, there have only been two athletes who have become billionaires: American basketball legends LeBron James and Michael Jordan. According to Forbes, probably the best-known business magazine in the world, another athlete has now joined the circle of billionaires: Tiger Woods cracked the 10-digit mark. The composition of the fortune of the golfer, who has so far celebrated more victories than any other, is surprising.

The importance of winning money

Tiger Woods’ net income, estimated by Forbes Magazine at at least one billion dollars, is based only to a small extent on his sporting successes and prize money. After hard years in golf, marked by tour victories, major wins and records, the 46-year-old can boast total prize money of 120,895,206 dollars. A horrendous sum, but one that represents only a small portion of the billions he has earned.

Tiger Woods’ most profitable sources of income

Woods’ key to making money has always been his income from endorsements. As a world-renowned athlete who regularly generates buzz among non-golf fans, Tiger Woods could hardly be more valuable to his advertising partners. Joe Favorito, a veteran sports business consultant, analyzes, “He hit the right time in the right sport, being an athlete with a diverse background who was approachable. Brands love knowing they’re getting someone who is embraced not just by the traditional but also by the casual fans.”

Brands like Monster Energy, TaylorMade, Rolex and Gatorade all benefit from their contracts with the legend – as does Tiger Woods himself. Woods has been working with Nike, his biggest backer, since as early as 1996. James and Jordan were also under contract with the sporting goods manufacturer.

In addition, Woods used his earnings to buy and found companies. Whether golf design, live events, a restaurant or miniature golf courses: Tiger Woods always knows how best to invest his money. ““[He’s] been extremely skillful in taking parts of businesses, in creating their own business, in ways that athletes before them just weren’t,” explains sports agent Leigh Steinberg. Off the golf course, Tiger Woods earns more than $100 million annually.

The “Tiger Effect”

Digitization, which has undergone tremendous development over the last few decades, also made itself felt in golf. Golf tournaments without a TV broadcast have been unthinkable for many years. 95 of the 100 most-watched TV broadcasts last year were sporting events: TV contracts, and with them player salaries, have been skyrocketing since the early 21st century. The influence of Tiger Woods was clearly evident here: the ratings of tournaments in which Woods did not compete were 30 to 50 percent lower than those of tournaments in which Woods did compete. This “Tiger effect” ensured that PGA Tour earnings almost tripled between 1996 and 2008 – Woods’ most successful period.

Phil Mickelson, another major-winning golfer, is also clear about the golf legend’s influence: “Tiger has been the instigator. He’s been the one that’s really propelled and driven the bus because he’s brought increased ratings, increased sponsors, increased interest, and we have all benefited.”

Woods turned down several $100 million from Greg Norman

Considering these incredibly high earnings that have now made Woods a billionaire, it is hardly surprising that Woods turned down an “mind-blowingly enormous” offer from Greg Norman and LIV Golf. According to reports, the Saudi Golf League offered Tiger Woods a high nine-figure sum if he would participate in the LIV Golf Invitational Series. For Woods, who is at home on the PGA Tour, the offer might not have been too tempting – the estimated net worth of at least one billion dollars seems to be enough for him…