Straddling the world between traditional business news and the economics of golf is an intriguing task, as the latter often seems to simultaneously defy both reality and financial fundamentals.
I was reminded of this at the end of the week while taking a look at the latest retail sales figures from across Scotland, which made for dire reading. There was no Easter bounce in March as consumers slammed the brakes on spending amid concerns about the impact of the conflict in the Middle East.
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Of course, where there is disruption there is also opportunity, at least for some. According to one report, staff at Donald Trump’s Turnberry have written to golf tour operators offering to switch trips in the United Arab Emirates to the Ayrshire resort.
Meanwhile, speculation is swirling that the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia may be positioning to pull the plug on LIV Golf after the end of this season. PIF has bankrolled the tour from its establishment in 2021, with total investment to date of nearly $5 billion (£3.7bn) and losses across the whole project estimated in the low billions.
(Image: Damian Shields)
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The ability to absorb such losses (the PIF manages assets in excess of $1 trillion) naturally creates a disconnect between the world of LIV and that inhabited by the vast majority of the remaining population. If PIF stays the course, issues such as surging inflation will be of limited concern to LIV.
A greater worry would be if, as some have suggested, a “systematic shortage” of jet fuel materialises as a result of constraints on the Strait of Hormuz. Shuffling players around the globe, and bringing in paying spectators, would get considerably more problematic.
And if it’s a chokepoint on the rarefied planet of elite professional golf, it will certainly also present challenges to the industry in Scotland. The healthiest end of the spectrum has historically proven astonishingly resilient to real-world financial difficulties, but as Covid proved, there are limits.
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Fuel shortages and a potential return to acute inflation could be of significant impact to those relying heavily on inbound golf tourism. Meanwhile, going back to those figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium, domestic consumers are clearly feeling the pinch.
It has been suggested by some that Scotland is in danger of pricing itself out of the golf tourism market. We will have to wait and see how current events translate into the end-of-season figures.
Kinross Golf Courses moves upmarket with £800,000 investment
The investment programme includes restoration of bunkering across both the Montgomery and Bruce Courses (Image: Kinross Golf Courses)
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A venue known for offering affordable golf is looking to move further upmarket following an £800,000 investment programme by its owners.
The two 18-hole courses are set for set for a full bunker restoration programme to return them to their original architectural intent, with subtle refinements to ensure they remain both strategically challenging and relevant for the modern game. A range of other equipment and facility enhancements will further underpin a “subtle shift in positioning”.
Greig McSporran, director of golf at Kinross Golf Courses near Loch Leven, said this will lead to an increase in prices charged to reflect the upgraded experience across the Montgomery and Bruce courses. The two tracks were created in their current layout in 1972 by Sir David Montgomery, the laird whose family owns the Kinross estate.
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Read the full story here.
(Image: Damian Shields)
The Herald Scottish Golf Survey is back in 2026 with some important changes we hope will be particularly useful. If your organisation has not received an invitation to take part, please contact kristy.dorsey@newsquest.co.uk.Ex-pro drives Scottish golf business onto global stage
Paul Robinson says the design concepts from Fourteen Twenty-One ‘speak to the story of the golf clubs’ (Image: Supplied)
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Rooted in Scotland, Fourteen Twenty-One provides custom collections to more than 30 elite clubs and resorts such as Dumbarnie Links, Nairn Golf Club and The Old Course Hotel, and has now linked up with one of the biggest names in golf apparel.
The business was set up in 2023 by Paul Robinson, who started playing at the age of eight at Largs Golf Club and went on to compete on the Tartan Tour. He explains how this has translated into concepts for designs “that speak the story of the golf clubs, as I’ve played them all my life”.
Read the full story here from Around the Greens.
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