Fife Business Matters

Green light for Golf Alliance

Famed worldwide as the Home of Golf, Fife welcomes thousands of visitors each year, tempted by the lure of the Old Course and the challenge of golfi ng gems around the region.

It’s big business and translates to turnover, employment and investment for Fife’s economy.

But competition for the golfi ng pound has increased dramatically with locations in the UK, Europe and around the globe now offering an all-round golf experience, often with the bonus of a warmer climate.

So questioning whether Fife is getting the most from one of its major commercial assets is central to the future prosperity of the region’s golf-related sector, and this challenge provided the rationale for Fife Council to

commission a project to explore the potential benefi ts of establishing a Fife Golf Alliance.

The project, led by Stewart Walker, MD of leisure industry consultants BTS, has just completed its fi rst phase report.

Stewart and his team talked to representatives from golf clubs, tour operators,

hotels and travel businesses and the report concludes that while there is a lot of energy and commitment across the sector in Fife, there is also a high sense of fragmentation and evidence that the overall product and customer experience can be improved.

Speaking to Fife Business Matters, Stewart said, “An effective private/public partnership is going to be essential to drive the maximum economic benefi ts for the golf-related economy if Fife.

“The aim of the project is to bring more golfers to Fife and to increase the

amount of money they spend.

“Fife has some of the best courses in the world but in truth we can learn

lessons from elsewhere about customer service, the use of technology and marketing of golf in Fife.”

The phase 1 report outlining the benefits of a Fife Golf Alliance has been received by Fife Council and is in the process of being shared with industry

stakeholders.

Its recommendations have received a positive response and work is now underway on scoping the second phase of the project which will map out the implementation and operation of the Golf Alliance.

Keith Winter, Fife Council’s Head of Development Services, is encouraged by

the progress made so far.

“Golf is at the heart of Fife’s tourism industry,” Keith said.

“Our Tourism Strategy has the vision of making Fife ‘the location of choice for golf’ and this is a vital piece of work to enable us to achieve this objective.

“We will be consulting with businesses across the region as the next phase develops and our aim is to make the Fife Golf Alliance a successful partnership that delivers economic benefi ts for all concerned.”

Businesses interested in becoming involved in the project should contact

Stewart Walker on 0131 625 7040 or email stewart@bts-solutions.com

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