St Andrews Archives

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)

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 image from October 2022 highlights the issue of wear & tear in the area and the problem we are seeking to resolve to ensure the bridge remains accessible for all golfers and visitors throughout the year. pic.twitter.com/Fln8jqP9gg
— St Andrews Links (@TheHomeofGolf) February 5, 2023

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.