Ireland can’t be too far behind, with Adare Manor scheduled to host the Ryder Cup in 5 years’ time, but Scotland has been officially awarded the honour of being the best golf destination in the world.
Scotland – the spiritual home of the sport – was awarded the accolade at the recent World Golf Awards, this year held in Abu Dhabi.
With more than 550 golf courses, Scotland was also voted by fans, tour operators and golfing media as the best location in Europe to play golf.
This year alone, Scotland has hosted the Open, the AIG Women’s Open, the Seniors Open, and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
“These awards are a fitting end to an extra special year for golf in Scotland and fantastic recognition for all the people who work so hard to grow and enhance our reputation as the Home of Golf,” VisitScotland said.
“Every year, we welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors eager to play our great golf courses and relax in our accommodation after a day’s golf, enjoying local produce and visiting nearby attractions,” VisitScotland added.
“Scottish golf tourism is thriving, and Scotland is a bucket list destination for most golfers around the world. It offers a vast range of parkland and links options across all its regions, so the travelling golfer really is spoilt for choice,” World Golf Awards’ Dermot Synnott was quoted as saying.