By Tony Winterburn • Published: 26 Apr 2020 • 13:29
SPAIN has long been a favoured destination for British holidaymakers and it’s no secret why with its sunny climate, beautiful beaches and delicious cuisine. Spain also has some of the finest golf courses on the continent having already hosted plenty of tour events and even the Ryder Cup, until now…
Major events cancelled
The Estrella Damm N A Andalucia Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation, which had been scheduled to take place from April 30-May 3 at Real Golf Club Valderrama in Spain, was postponed due to the ongoing threat posed by Coronavirus (Covid-19).
In fact, every major event was cancelled leaving Golf Courses and of course the famous ’18th hole’ clubhouses bereft of any thirsty punters. A professional golf course, of which there are hundreds of scattered throughout Spain, costs a fortune to maintain and run.
The membership for some of the top courses can range from €3,000 to €30,000 for some exclusive courses, even that figure doesn’t come anywhere near to sustain a championship course.
Groups of golfers used to make a welcome sight to Spain’s shores, there would often be parties of six, eight or even 20 golfers using the excuse of a much-needed break to come and ‘play a-round’ on one of the Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca’s courses.
Bar owners and the plethora of ‘private taxi firms’ were often spotted rubbing their hands together at the sight them meandering through the streets of Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol looking for a watering hole after a day at the sweltering golf course.
There is a large knock-on effect taking place behind the scenes, car rentals have dropped by over 80 per cent, hotel bookings the same, even the airline industry cannot escape the devastating effects the coronavirus epidemic has had on Spain’s tourism industry.
Golfing holidays to Spain bring much-needed funds to the economy of Spain and thousands of people rely on it for their survival. The whole industry is in turmoil and unless something is done very soon Spain will lose one of its greatest assets, the Golf Course.
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