Golf tourism at St Andrews

St Andrews, the Home of Golf, is more than just the Auld Grey Toun that is nestled on the east coast of Scotland. It is a destination for golf enthusiasts the world over. Each year, thousands of tourists, many from overseas, make the pilgrimage to experience its legendary courses, especially the world-renowned Old Course. But beyond its significance to the sport, golf tourism is a powerful economic driver. 

A new report by the Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) at Sheffield Hallam University highlights just how vital tourism is to St Andrews. It found that 88,235 unique visitors travelled to play golf in St Andrews – accompanied by 12,763 non-golfing family members or friends – during the 2024 season. 

Around 72 per cent the of visitors originated from overseas, with Americans being the most common and making up over 40 per cent. North America is a key market on the whole with a further six per cent coming from Canada.

A spokesperson for the St Andrews Links Trust said: “As a public facility open to all, visiting golfers are an important part of the golf ecosystem at the seven St Andrews Links courses, accounting for around 50% of rounds played annually, alongside our ticketholders.

 “We are proud that so many golfers from near and far want to visit the Home of Golf and use this as a catalyst for visiting and playing elsewhere in Scotland. The Old Course is not the end of a pilgrimage but the starting point of everything. Many of our visitors return as a result of the unique experience and world class service.”

The result of this is that the direct financial gains saw £117.2m being generated. The figure for the Scottish economy overall is even greater, standing at £206.0m. When you factor in the spending power of visitors who aren't necessarily there for the golf, the figures equate to £123.1m to St Andrews and £317.2m to Scotland.

The power of overseas visitors is shown by the fact, that the 72% of visitors from overseas actually account for 80% of visitor spending and therefore their invisible export effect would be £93.8m for St Andrews and £164.8m for Scotland.

This spending doesn’t just benefit the golf courses; it benefits the whole region and even the Scottish economy. It flows into business ventures and sectors such as hotels, restaurants, shops, local transportation, and entertainment venues, enhancing the entire community. 

The St Andrews Trust added: “The revenue generated from visitors is reinvested to support the ongoing maintenance and preservation of St Andrews Links for future generations and is vital to support the wider visitor economy across the country.

“Research shows that for every £1 spent by a visiting golfer at St Andrews Links, £3.43 is spent elsewhere in the country to support jobs, businesses and communities across Scotland, underlining the importance of golf visitors and St Andrews Links as a vital economic engine. In St Andrews itself, this activity supports many organisations and contributes to the vibrant and diverse offering of bars, restaurants, accommodation providers and retailers.”

The St Andrews Links Trust alone credits 60 per cent of its total income down to visitors. Each tee time sold via an Authorised Provider is worth £8,813 to St Andrews and £12,176 to Scotland.

Tourism’s role in supporting full-time jobs, all 1,686 of them in St Andrews, cannot be underestimated. Visitors and their families also support 4,345 jobs across Scotland.