News

Scotland’s golf courses are set to be showcased to a global audience with the launch of VisitScotland’s latest marketing campaign, Drive it Home.

The promotion will target key golfing markets including the UK, Sweden, Germany and North America by creating a Ryder Cup style competition highlighting golf from Fife, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and East Lothian.

Offering a ‘money can’t buy’ prize, Drive It Home gives golf fans the chance to play on the very course on which the professionals will battle it out at the 2014 Ryder Cup - the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles.

The campaign is one of many marketing tools that will be used to build momentum towards the Ryder Cup in 2014 which will see 45,000 spectators on each day of the event. Recent calculations estimate the Gleneagles showdown will contribute around £100 million to the Scottish economy during the week of the competition.

Golf is worth around £220 million to the Scottish economy and supports some 4,400 jobs.  It is a lucrative market, with golfers spending twice that of other visitors to Scotland. Recent research shows that for every £1 spent on a green fee, a further £5 is spent elsewhere in the Scottish economy.

Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said: “Drive it Home is an integral part of positioning Scotland as a leading golf destination, the campaign really shows what Scotland has to offer in terms of excellent golf with accommodation and service to match.

“We are now only two years away from hosting the biggest golfing competition in the world and the excitement is building. The opportunities that come with hosting the Ryder Cup are massive from both an economic perspective and for creating a lasting legacy for Scottish golf. We hope to see visitors return and explore our many courses year after year.”

Andrew Coltart, who played in the 1999 European Ryder Cup team, said: “The Drive it Home campaign is an excellent initiative that really highlights the breadth of quality Scotland has become synonymous with. I wish all those entering the competition the very best of luck and look forward to working with some of the winners at our TPEGS coaching experiences at Archerfield Links on Scotland's Golf Coast in East Lothian.

“It’s an exciting time to be involved in the golf industry and the jewel in the crown will undoubtedly be The 2014 Ryder Cup. I was lucky enough to be a part of the European side in 1999 and there truly is no other feeling like walking out on that first tee with the whole of Europe cheering you on and wanting you to bring home the trophy. To be hosting the event in Scotland at Gleneagles is fantastic and it undoubtedly supports Scotland’s reputation of being the home of golf.”

Gullane and North Berwick golf courses, and the Macdonald Marine Hotel and Spa, will partner VisitScotland by offering fans the chance to play on the links courses before competing in a Ryder Cup-style competition on the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles, where the stars will battle it out at the 2014 Ryder Cup.

Entry to win the fabulous prize is free at www.driveithome2012.com