Andalucía and golf, a match made in heaven
The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, a European Tour event that will take place from September 3-6 at the Real Club Valderrama, serves as the perfect example of the close and long-standing relationship that Andalusia and golf have had for decades.
With the sixth edition of this event at Valderrama, Andalucía have held 61 elite men’s professional tournaments, more than any other region in Continental Europe. From 1966, the most skilled golfers in the pro tours have played the best Andalusian courses in world-class events, including 21 Volvo Masters, 11 Andalusian Opens, 11 Spanish Opens, 6 Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, 3 Volvo World Match Play Championships, 3 World Cups, 2 World Golf Championships and the 1997 Ryder Cup as the icing on the cake. In that historic event, the first played in a Continental Europe course, the European team captained by the great, late Seve Ballesteros obtained an epic win and millions of spectators around the world could enjoy the best Andalucía could offer in terms of tourism and golf.
This sport, key for the Andalusian community as a tourist destination, is an integral part of the Junta’s strategy and a priority product in its promotional efforts. This is reflected in the fifteen specific actions launched throughout 2020 (specialized golf fairs, fam-trips and press-trips, professional meetings, direct promotions, actions with tourist boards and tourism marketing exchanges) with an 1,5 million euros investment.
In addition, golf serves as an ideal vehicle to communicate the many attractions of this community, since Andalusia's offer is characterized precisely by the great variety of tourist products that invite you to expand the golfing experience during any stay. Gastronomy, high-quality accommodations, health and wellness centers, entertainment, almost a thousand kilometers of coastline, the community with a greater extension of protected areas, snow... The list of merits is almost infinite and adds up to a perfect climate for golfing throughout the year.
Besides leading in Continental Europe as a host of pro events, Andalucía is also at the forefront as golf destination for amateurs. With more than a hundred golf courses (more than 20% of the Spanish courses), the region welcomed 560,000 golf tourists in 2017, most of them from UK, Germany, the Nordic countries and Spain, and the potential growth for this number is marked by the 3,7 million of registered golfers in those European markets.
However, when thinking about golf the Junta de Andalucía is no only thinking about tourists (whether national or foreign). This community intends to bring golf closer to any Andalusian who may be interested in playing and the promotion of public schools helped the sport reach the 44,000 registered golfers, only surpassed by Madrid at the national level. Thanks to the many initiatives launched in order to promote this sport among young people, women and families, important steps are still being taken to bring golf to any audience.
A great example is Álvaro Mueller-Baumgart Lucena, a young amateur player coming from the Real Club de Golf de Guadalmina, one of the top Andalusian golfing hotbeds. Mueller-Baumgart will play the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters along with other two illustrious Andalusian golfers, Álvaro Quirós and Alejandro Cañizares from September 3-6. Once again, this tournament will show the outstanding Andalusian offer through its worldwide television broadcast to more than 400 million households.
The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, an event in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai made possible by the essential contribution of the Real Club Valderrama, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Consejería de Turismo, Regeneración, Justicia y Administración Local of the Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by the EU, declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Spanish Government. This tournament is also supported by Rolex, Exterior Plus, Santander Private Banking and Shell. Callaway, Coca-Cola, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, Kyocera, Marca, Maui Jim, the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, Riversa, Varma and Volvo are official suppliers.