St Andrews golf worth £317m annually to the Scottish economy
Researchers calculated the amount visitors spent directly on golf in St Andrews as well as on hotels, restaurants, bars, shops and local travel providers.
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St Andrews Links - whose other courses include the New, Jubilee, Castle, Eden, Balgove and Strathtyrum courses - welcomes an average of 2,000 playing visitors every week. Around 72% of those visitors come from overseas, with the USA (40%) and Canada (6%) being the key markets. A further 28% of visits were from the UK, with the remaining 26% coming from elsewhere.
Across visitors from all locations, 84% said they were 'likely or very likely' to return in the future.
'This is the first such study looking solely at the impact of golf in St Andrews on the town and the wider Scottish economy," said Neil Coulson, chief executive of St Andrews Links Trust.
'It clearly shows the massive impact on the town and that our visitors are delivering a boost to communities across Scotland each and every year. This impact has probably been undervalued in the past.
Neil Coulson, chief executive of St Andrews Links Trust (Image: Gavin Craigie)
'The unique place that St Andrews holds as the lifeblood and source of the sport means that both golfers and non-golfers want to come here and experience this place for themselves. But this only works if we continue to invest in our facilities and in ensuring we strive for excellence in customer experience.'
St Andrews Links Trust is a charity with all of its revenue reinvested into the sport, facilities and in community initiatives across the region. For every £1 that passes through the tills of St Andrews Links from visitors, an additional £3.43 is generated for other businesses in the town.
"Scotland has a proud reputation as the birthplace of the game and St Andrews is home to many links courses, not least the Old Course, which are the envy of the world," Scottish Business Minister Richard Lochhead said.
"This report hits home the scale of the benefits we all reap from the trust's courses, alongside the broader impact of golf tourism, which boosts the economy by £300 million every year and supports around 5,000 jobs.
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"I commend the Trust for all it does to sustain and grow the game and I'm looking forward to the return of The Open to St Andrews in 2027, which, backed by Scottish Government funding, will further increase our standing as a first-class host of major events."
Of the 283,000 rounds played on the seven St Andrews Links courses in 2023, 152,000 (54%) were played by visitors to St Andrews. More than half of visitors combined their St Andrews Links trip with a visit to another iconic layout in Scotland, the most popular being Kingsbarns (29%), Carnoustie (25%), Dumbarnie (15%) and Crail (14%).
Vicki Miller, chief executive of VisitScotland, added: 'This comprehensive study showcases the important role golf plays in Scotland's visitor economy, with St Andrews standing at the heart of this as a globally recognised asset.
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'Scotland continues to be the destination of choice for golfers worldwide, and beyond the course, our renowned hospitality, culture, and heritage offer a truly distinctive and enriching experience for all who visit. We welcome this research, which reinforces Scotland's reputation as a world-leading tourism and events destination.'
Professor Simon Shibli, from Sheffield Hallam University, said: 'Economic impact studies tend to look at the effects of one-off major sport events. For St Andrews Links Trust we have had the opportunity to investigate the economic impact of a permanent year-round golf business.
"Using gold standard methods to interview over 2,400 golfers, our research reveals a significant asset to the Scottish economy, which has arguably not been fully appreciated. St Andrews Links Trust is not only a thriving business in its own right, it is also a catalyst for considerable tourism and employment benefits.'
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The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
St Andrews golf worth £317m annually to the Scottish economy
Researchers calculated the amount visitors spent directly on golf in St Andrews as well as on hotels, restaurants, bars, shops and local travel providers. Read more: St Andrews Links - whose other courses include the New, Jubilee, Castle, Eden, Balgove and Strathtyrum courses - welcomes an average of 2,000 playing visitors every week. Around 72% of those visitors come from overseas, with the USA (40%) and Canada (6%) being the key markets. A further 28% of visits were from the UK, with the remaining 26% coming from elsewhere. Across visitors from all locations, 84% said they were 'likely or very likely' to return in the future. 'This is the first such study looking solely at the impact of golf in St Andrews on the town and the wider Scottish economy," said Neil Coulson, chief executive of St Andrews Links Trust. 'It clearly shows the massive impact on the town and that our visitors are delivering a boost to communities across Scotland each and every year. This impact has probably been undervalued in the past. Neil Coulson, chief executive of St Andrews Links Trust (Image: Gavin Craigie) 'The unique place that St Andrews holds as the lifeblood and source of the sport means that both golfers and non-golfers want to come here and experience this place for themselves. But this only works if we continue to invest in our facilities and in ensuring we strive for excellence in customer experience.' St Andrews Links Trust is a charity with all of its revenue reinvested into the sport, facilities and in community initiatives across the region. For every £1 that passes through the tills of St Andrews Links from visitors, an additional £3.43 is generated for other businesses in the town. "Scotland has a proud reputation as the birthplace of the game and St Andrews is home to many links courses, not least the Old Course, which are the envy of the world," Scottish Business Minister Richard Lochhead said. "This report hits home the scale of the benefits we all reap from the trust's courses, alongside the broader impact of golf tourism, which boosts the economy by £300 million every year and supports around 5,000 jobs. Read more: "I commend the Trust for all it does to sustain and grow the game and I'm looking forward to the return of The Open to St Andrews in 2027, which, backed by Scottish Government funding, will further increase our standing as a first-class host of major events." Of the 283,000 rounds played on the seven St Andrews Links courses in 2023, 152,000 (54%) were played by visitors to St Andrews. More than half of visitors combined their St Andrews Links trip with a visit to another iconic layout in Scotland, the most popular being Kingsbarns (29%), Carnoustie (25%), Dumbarnie (15%) and Crail (14%). Vicki Miller, chief executive of VisitScotland, added: 'This comprehensive study showcases the important role golf plays in Scotland's visitor economy, with St Andrews standing at the heart of this as a globally recognised asset. Read more: 'Scotland continues to be the destination of choice for golfers worldwide, and beyond the course, our renowned hospitality, culture, and heritage offer a truly distinctive and enriching experience for all who visit. We welcome this research, which reinforces Scotland's reputation as a world-leading tourism and events destination.' Professor Simon Shibli, from Sheffield Hallam University, said: 'Economic impact studies tend to look at the effects of one-off major sport events. For St Andrews Links Trust we have had the opportunity to investigate the economic impact of a permanent year-round golf business. "Using gold standard methods to interview over 2,400 golfers, our research reveals a significant asset to the Scottish economy, which has arguably not been fully appreciated. St Andrews Links Trust is not only a thriving business in its own right, it is also a catalyst for considerable tourism and employment benefits.'
Edinburgh Reporter
7 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Winter fuel payment announced in England and Wales means uplift for Scotland
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It is believed that means-testing of the Winter Fuel Payment will save around £450 million, subject to certification by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) compared to the system of Winter Fuel Payments for everyone regardless of income. In Scotland this payment is devolved and the UK Government said the government will receive a 'mechanical uplift' in their funding as a result of the change in England and Wales. It is thought that might be around £100 million. Social Justice Secretary, Shirley Anne Somerville, said: 'The UK Government's decision to cut the winter fuel payment was a betrayal of millions of pensioners and that is why the Scottish Government took action to introduce a winter heating payment for all pensioners in Scotland. 'I welcome any extension of eligibility by the UK Government, but this is a U-turn the Chancellor should have made a long time ago. But there is still no detail about how the Chancellor intends to go about that. Unfortunately, it still sounds as if many pensioners will miss out. 'We have once again not been consulted on the policy and its implications in Scotland and will scrutinise the proposals carefully when then are announced. I would therefore urge the UK Government to ensure the Scottish Government is fully appraised of the proposed changes as soon as possible. 'The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury last week to urge the UK Government to share its plans with us as quickly as possible, so that we can understand any implications for our own programmes and, crucially, our budget.' Previously the UK Government announced that Winter Fuel Payments would be restricted to pensioners in receipt of Pension Credit. When First Minister, John Swinney, attended the round table meeting in London at the end of May he asked the prime minister to restore winter fuel payments to all pensioners regardless of means. The costs will be accounted for at the Budget and incorporated into the next OBR forecast. The Chancellor said she will take decisions on funding in the round at that forecast to 'ensure the government's non-negotiable fiscal rules are met', and confirmed that this will not lead to permanent additional borrowing. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: 'Targeting Winter Fuel Payments was a tough decision, but the right decision because of the inheritance we had been left by the previous government. It is also right that we continue to means-test this payment so that it is targeted and fair, rather than restoring eligibility to everyone including the wealthiest. 'But we have now acted to expand the eligibility of the Winter Fuel Payment so no pensioner on a lower income will miss out. This will mean over three quarters of pensioners receiving the payment in England and Wales later this winter.' HMRC will reclaim the payment from anyone earning more than £35,000 and no-one is required to take any action or register for the payment. Winter Fuel Payments are worth £200 per household, or £300 per household where there is someone over 80. Shared payments are made to pensioners not on an income-related benefit. Scottish Labour Scottish Labour Social Security spokesperson, Paul O'Kane, said: 'This is welcome news that will bring even more money to Scotland – on top of the record funding settlement Labour delivered in the budget. 'The last Tory government left our public finances in chaos but Labour has made good progress cleaning up the mess it inherited. 'The Winer Fuel Payment is a devolved payment in Scotland and Scottish Labour has long been clear that we want to see it reinstated for the majority of pensioners up here – but despite their loud spin, the SNP voted against our attempts to do so. 'The SNP must not go ahead with plans that would rob poorer pensioners in order to fund payments for millionaires. 'The SNP must re-examine their own proposals in light of this game-changing announcement, ensure payments reach those most in need, and give a cast-iron guarantee that no struggling Scottish pensioners will be left out of pocket under their plans.' Scottish Greens Scottish Greens Social Security spokesperson Maggie Chapman MSP said: 'Cutting the Winter Fuel Payment was one of the first acts of this Labour government. Elected on a promise of 'change' they brought in sweeping austerity that harmed older people across the UK at a time when the cost of living remains sky high. 'There is no doubt that the damage has already been done, families will have lost loved ones, and illnesses will have been caused over the winter months because of the brutal decision by Rachel Reeves and the Labour Government. 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By widening the eligibility criteria, more older people in financial hardship will now receive this vital lifeline in time for winter. 'Our helpline receives thousands of calls from older people making drastic cutbacks just to get by and the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment made this worse. For millions living on low incomes, the entitlement supports them to turn their heating on and stock up on food during the colder months. 'While the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment are positive, they are not a silver bullet that will end pensioner poverty. Around 2 million older people still live in poverty, and measures must be taken to ensure the long-term financial security of all people in later life. There needs to be a cross-party consensus on the adequate income needed in later life to avoid financial hardship. Once this is established, every older person should be supported to receive this amount. Nobody should have to live in poverty as they age.' Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'Commonsense has finally prevailed as the winter fuel cut is reversed for most pensioners. Whilst this is an important step forward, questions will be asked about how this disastrous decision was made in the first place, the damage may not easily be reversed. 'Leadership is about choices and the choice to pit workers against pensioners was simply wrong. 'Instead of what seems to be a never-ending cycle of cuts, Labour needs to revisit the fiscal rules and bite the bullet on a wealth tax. Britain is the sixth richest economy in the world, the idea that we would be picking the pockets of our pensioners was unnecessary and unforgivable.' When the government announced it was cutting the winter fuel payment, Unite mounted a campaign to get the decision overturned. This included organising a vote at Labour conference opposing the cut in winter fuel payments, and grassroots campaigning which got the cut partially reversed in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Westminster Like this: Like Related
The Courier
8 hours ago
- The Courier
Carnoustie Golf Links snaps up popular town centre restaurant
Carnoustie Golf Links has bought a popular town centre restaurant in a move it hopes will restore the venue as a favourite with locals and visitors. Links bosses have confirmed the purchase of the former Maxibell tapas bar at 5 Park Avenue. It sits just off the High Street and close to the legendary Championship Course. The premises have been a busy spot since its original days as the Golf Inn. But the restaurant closed last year and was later offered at auction with a £150,000 starting price. Links management are now developing new plans for the restaurant. The move comes after major changes to the running of the Open Championship venue. A new company has been formed to run the courses and resort hotel. Carnoustie Golf Heritage and Hospitality Group Limited has promised huge investment to secure the return of the event to Angus. And the Links said it is 'excited' about a comeback for Maxibell's. A spokesperson said: 'This decision reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting the community and preserving valued local institutions. 'Maxibell's has long been a place of connection and joy for many. 'We felt it was important to safeguard its legacy, ensure its continued success and to contribute positively to the community. 'We believe that this is a special opportunity for us to support something that means a lot to people. 'We're excited about the positive impact this will have both now and into the future.' 'We are currently in the process of exploring renovation works, including carrying out necessary surveys to assess the building and its facilities. 'We are working through this as quickly as we can and our aim is to re-open and welcome guests as soon as possible.' CGHHG now operate the golf assets and Carnoustie Golf Hotel as a single entity. In January, Angus Council agreed the biggest ever change to the way the council-owned courses are run. The Links said a new deal was essential to secure the external investment needed for Carnoustie to retain its place on The Open rota. A £3 million spa upgrade at Carnoustie Golf Hotel was completed earlier this year. Links chief executive Michael Wells said the investment was a 'sign of things to come' from its new owners.
