Club travel becoming a truly global pastime

The Irish abroad: Fáilte Ireland has rightly trumpeted Ireland becoming one of the foremost golfing destinations in the world, the Irish economy benefiting to the tune of about €150 million from foreign golfing visitors.

However, despite the plethora of top quality courses, both links and parkland, dotted around the emerald isle, the one thing that can not be guaranteed is the weather and that, along with a national curiosity amongst Irish golfers to experience the product in other countries, means that about 20,000 golfers leave this country for foreign climes each year. They generate approximately €30 million in revenue across myriad destinations.

According to the travel agencies who specialise in golf travel, it is an ever expanding market both in terms of volume and destinations. One market trend that has emerged in recent years is that the long-haul package is beginning to dent the dominance of the previously ascendant short-haul market.

Spain remains the most popular golfing venue with Irish golfers, a lob wedge ahead of Portugal but the indications are that golfers are becoming more adventurous in terms of world travel, prepared to take the clubs to Thailand, South Africa and the fast growing market, Argentina.

France is the most popular destination in the world according to World Tourist Organisation figures (WTO) for 2003 with Spain in second place, the latter attracting 78.9 million visitors. The French golf market is largely untapped from an Irish perspective and that is something that the French tourist board in Dublin has noticed and set about redressing.

Last week a symposium was held in Druids Glen, involving Directors of Golf from an assortment of regions and courses in France, with a view to aggressively recruiting in the Irish market. The obvious attraction is that it represents a short flight that in most cases would be direct. As a destination it would also have the cachet of being new.

In just one single Spanish region, Andalucia, over 213,000 golfers visited, staying an average of nine nights and playing five rounds of golf (WTO figures). The traditional Irish short-haul package to the Iberian peninsula includes flights, hotels, transfers and four rounds of golf for about €900. The golfer would spend about two thirds of that sum again while in the country.

Indeed, a corollary between a golfer and your average tourist is that the guy or gal with the clubs will spend on average about eight times more than a regular tourist. It's hardly a surprise that many of the world's tourist spots which can offer quality golf spend large budgets on publicising the domestic market.

Sean Skehan specialises in golf travel and has done so for nearly three decades. "You can see the shift from short-haul to long-haul packages (the latter usually last about 10 days and include six rounds of golf, costing in the region of €1,500) although Spain and Portugal remain the most popular destinations.

"The Spanish market is a peculiar one in that they attract great business, shoot themselves in the foot by significantly increasing prices, endure two years of bad business and then decide to drop prices in the hope of attracting the golfing market back again.

"South Africa is in danger of following their lead. A few years ago it was possible to get 10½ Rand to the euro while now it's down to eight Rand.

"That's a 25 per cent increase in the cost of packages but at the same time some of the South African venues have put up their prices by 20 per cent as well.

"Argentina is a new destination that is proving very popular. Three years ago the exchange rate bought you one for one in terms of the peso, now you get three to one. There are packages that take in Buenos Aires and also Iguaçu Falls."

The latter, perched on the Argentina/Brazil border is hugely spectacular, producing six times the volume of water than Niagara manages.

On one of the more celebrated golf courses in the region, it is possible to tee off in Brazil and play the 17th and 18th holes in Argentina. Skehan will take eight groups there this year with about 60 in each party. He maintains that the best value is still to be had in Thailand, a destination he's been going to since 1975.

"It's tremendous value for money with quality provided. For €40 you get your round of golf, transfer to the course and a caddie, while the cheapest reasonable course in Spain would cost about €80 a round. Cyprus is also another super destination: three courses on the island and just four in total in Greece. They don't seem to have copped on to the golfing market."

America is a niche market, the strength of the dollar in recent years rendering it expensive. A little less exotic and closer to home, British golf boasts a loyal following in Ireland with Scotland, far and away, the most popular golfing mecca. David Newberry of the Britain and Ireland tourist board in Dublin explained: "There is an ever increasing interest in package golf to the UK but particularly Scotland, where the lure of Carnoustie, St Andrews, Kingsbarn and Troon amongst others is almost irresistible.

"The exchange rate used to be an issue but people are still aware that there is good value to be found. The fact that it is possible to fly from Dublin to 27 regional airports in Britain also makes it more attractive. Wales offers golf to suit any budget and the fact that it is so readily accessible by ferry means that it has generated interest in the Irish market."

It really is a matter of preference and given the expanding options it'll be interesting to see where those Irish golfers willing to travel abroad will find themselves in the next decade. Still golf with the gauchos, is not a bad starting point.