Spain remains top golf destination in Europe

Great views, wonderful weather, excellent courses, unbeatable facilities: no wonder the Costa del Sol is the leading golf region in Europe

Spain’s multitude of golf resorts – the majority of them to be found on the Costa del Sol – are not merely above par: according to Sports Marketing Surveys Inc, they’re top of the European leaderboard.

Their recent study into European golfing habits revealed that Spain is the destination of choice for the continent’s keenest golfers.

The survey asked golfers from the UK, Germany, Scandinavia and France about their preferences in Europe, with Spain being the destination of choice for almost a third in the past 12 months…

In total, more than 28 per cent of those surveyed said they had visited Spain in the past year to play golf – more than any other European country.

When those figures were broken down even further, it soon became clear that the Costa del Sol is the most popular golfing region in Europe, and one of the most popular in the world.

12.7 per cent of golfers who visited Spain in the past 12 months headed to the Costa del Sol, putting it way ahead of the Costa Brava region (which claimed 3.9 per cent of the share) and the Canary Islands, where only 3.2 per cent of those polled went.

Lagging behind Spain in second-place was Portugal with 17 per cent of the share, followed by Great Britain and Ireland at 16.1 per cent, and Turkey at 7.5 per cent.

Golf and the Costa del Sol have gone hand-in-hand for decades. The growth of the resort coincided with the explosion in golfing tourism, and the region now boasts some of the most beautiful, challenging and varied holes anywhere in the world.

The British and the Irish in particular have helped make this corner of Europe a golfing success story: British, Irish and Scandinavian golfers overwhelmingly favour the Costa del Sol than any other region, spending on average €200 per day over a seven-day stay.

“This latest study proves that Spain remains at the heart of the European golf tourism industry, and illustrates why thousands of golfers still put its golfing regions at the top of their wish list,” said Peter Grimster, Exhibition Manager for IGTM, an events agency that commissioned the study.

It is not hard to see why Spain, and particularly the Costa del Sol, is so popular with golfers. The area is easily accessible from Northern Europe, boasting a mild winter climate that makes golfing all-year-round a possibility. Some of the finest course designers have been given free rein to shape their dream courses, and the range of views, challenges and golf-related treats (spa hotels, apartment complexes overlooking courses, excellent 19th-hole establishments) make the Costa del Sol the foremost golfing destination in Europe, perhaps the world.