Strategy and market
The future of the golf industry in Spain: what the data says
Golf generates almost €16 billion a year in Spain, and nearly 9 in every 10 euros are spent outside the golf course. We review the figures from the latest official study and what they mean for destinations, courses and tour operators.
Stellaris Golf · 6 min read
1. A sector that creates wealth beyond the course
According to the study Economic Impact of Golf in Spain (IE University for the Spanish Golf Course Association and the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, 2024, with 2022 data), golf generated a total output of €15,937 million: €1,785 million through golf courses and €14,152 million through golf tourists’ spending.
The key conclusion is where that money ends up: 8.9 in every 10 euros (89%) benefit other sectors such as hotels, restaurants, shops and transport. For a destination, the golf course is the gateway to spending that spreads across the whole territory.
2. The golf tourist: more spend, more nights and a different season
In 2023 Spain welcomed 1,401,875 foreign golf tourists, 17% more than in 2018. Their profile is very different from the average tourist’s:
| Indicator | Foreign golf tourist |
|---|---|
| Average daily spend (excluding the course) | €352 |
| Average spend per trip | €4,189 |
| Average stay | 11.9 nights, compared with 7.5 for the average tourist |
| High season | March–April and October–November |
| Average green fee | €71 (18 holes, mid-season) |
Golf’s high season does not coincide with sun-and-beach tourism: golf fills hotels when the rest of tourism slows down. And spend varies a lot by market: an Irish golfer spends €653 a day, a Nordic golfer €419, a British golfer €289 and a French golfer €209. Choosing the right market matters as much as the campaign.
3. Golf courses: revenue and quality jobs
Spanish golf courses earned €875 million in 2022, an average of about €2.2 million per course. Membership fees account for around 58% of revenue, and golf activity as a whole (green fees, lessons, rentals and shop) for 71%.
- 132,994 jobs generated in total, directly, indirectly and induced.
- 93.4% permanent contracts at golf courses, compared with 82.9% for the Spanish average.
- 94.7% full-time, compared with 86.6% on average.
4. A tourist who comes back: property
In 2023, foreign golf tourists owned 382,755 homes in Spain, worth €82,342 million. 27.3% stay in a second home, compared with 5.7% of average tourists. They are loyal customers who return to the destination.
5. Major events as a shop window
The 1997 Ryder Cup at Valderrama, the first played in continental Europe, put southern Spain on the international golf map. For the 2023 Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesín, more than 82,000 tickets had been sold a month before the tournament, half of them from the United Kingdom. Events work when they turn into bookings in the months that follow.
6. What changes with data and artificial intelligence
The figures above are national averages. What makes the difference is knowing what happens in each destination: which tour operators sell it, which tee times stay empty and which market is about to go on holiday. For example, analysing 5,711 packages from 56 tour operators in 7 source markets, we found that 47% of UK golf packages go to the Algarve.
- Market intelligence: see competitors’ packages by market and their prices.
- Daily occupancy: spot the time slots that empty out and launch the offer in time.
- Automated packages and campaigns: prepare the product for each market’s public holidays and measure the result.
AI does not replace a destination’s strategy: it gives it the data to decide and takes away the repetitive work of executing it.