2 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Club collaboration to put Wigtownshire on the golfing map
'We are aware that it really helps the local economy because they are all staying somewhere, so that drives people into the accommodation providers and the restaurants, so there's a bigger picture to the whole thing outwith the golf clubs,' says Chris Robinson, head professional at Portpatrick Dunskey.
The club relies on visitors for about 60% of its annual income, a relatively high proportion compared to most taking part in The Herald Scottish Golf Survey. Visitors are also vital to Stranraer Golf Club, though slightly less so.
Entry fees for open competitions are substantially cheaper than standard green fees, making them a popular draw. Stephen McCauley, the general manager at Stranraer, says the Nan Cook makes money but is primarily a marketing tool.
'The point for us of open competitions is it's a way for us to introduce the golf club to other golfers and allow them to play the course at a very good preferential rate, with the thought process being that they will then either return to the club to play again at a full green fee, or to bring a society back with them,' he said.
'But the truthful part about it is that if I had a group of 20 golfers here for that day – in golf that's just five tee times – I would make more off of them paying the full price for a round than what I do in the open competition.'
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Mr Robinson said all clubs in the area work on a collaborative basis, which is the 'sensible approach'.
'There are six local clubs within the Wigtownshire area and we all communicate and try to agree fixtures that don't clash with each other to drive support to each other's open competitions,' he said.
Mr McCauley added: 'For us it is the right approach, rather than working against other local clubs, because we want to put Wigtownshire on the map because a lot of people don't even realise that Stranraer and Portpatrick fall under Wigtownshire.
'Yes, it is overall Dumfries & Galloway, but a lot of people haven't even heard of Wigtownshire even though we've got a lot of good golf courses here on our doorstep…so we realised very quickly that we have to work together to put Wigtownshire on the map.'
