The remarkable development of golf tourism worldwide can be observed through the evolution of the number of players in recent years, especially in those countries with a greater golfing tradition.

North America (the United States) and Asia (Japan) stand out as the driving forces behind the global golf industry in terms of player numbers. These two regions account for 90.1% of all players. Europe follows at a considerable distance, with 5.91% of players, although it has experienced significant growth in recent years.

If we consider the number of fields, North America again ranks first, with more than half of the fields, although Europe comes in second with 191 TP3T of the world total. Asia occupies third place, with 111 TP3T of the total.

The golf offering in Spain

To trace the origins of golf in Spain, we must go back to 1891, when the Real Club de Golf was inaugurated in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. However, it wasn't until 1914 that it definitively spread to the Iberian Peninsula, the year the Real Club Puerta de Hierro opened its doors in Madrid. From that moment on, golf courses began to appear across the country.

The Spanish golf course market offers courses with 60, 54, 36, 27, 18, and 9 holes. Par 3 courses, rustic courses, and pitch & putt courses are also available. Within the Spanish Golf Federation, there are also clubs without courses or golf facilities.

According to the Spanish Golf Federation, as of June 1, 2009, there were 560 golf clubs in Spain, of which: 390 are federated golf courses, 114 are entities without a course, 38 are practice fields and 18 are rustic courses.

Geographical distribution of golf supply

The development of golf courses in recent years has not been uniform across the country. The greatest growth has been recorded in tourist areas, especially in Andalusia (Costa del Sol), the Canary Islands, Murcia, Galicia, and the Valencian Community. Meanwhile, Cantabria and Navarre have experienced the smallest increase, with one more course each since 2004.

These areas are tourist destinations, attracting both domestic and international visitors. In coastal areas, the aim is to offer an alternative or complement to sun and beach tourism, while in inland areas (such as Castile and León) seek to develop exclusive golf tourism, enhanced by the appeal of gastronomy and natural landscapes.

Andalusia is the Autonomous Community with the largest number of golf courses: a total of 98, which represents a quarter of the total in Spain.

In second place is Catalonia with 47 fields (11.51% of the total), followed by Castile and León, Madrid and the Valencian Community (37, 33 and 30 fields respectively).

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