- 59 international events held in Andalusian golf courses since 1966.
- Around half a million golf tourists visit Andalusia every year.
The staging of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters hosted by the Sergio García Foundation, from October 19-22, will mark the 59th international golf tournament played in Andalusia, most of them at the Real Club Valderrama. The southern Spanish region has thus become a classic stop on the European Tour, having held more events than any other in continental Europe.
Since 1966, Andalusian courses have hosted 59 elite professional tournaments, including 21 Volvo Masters, 11 Open de Andalucía, 11 Open de España, three Volvo World Match Play Championships, three editions of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters, three World Cups, two World Golf Championships and the 1997 Ryder Cup.
Many of the world’s best – Major winners, Ryder Cup heroes – have competed in Andalusia: Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Phil Mickelson, Roberto de Vicenzo, Vijay Singh, Graeme McDowell, José María Olazábal, Bernhard Langer, Sir Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Sergio García, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Sandy Lyle, Darren Clarke, Martin Kaymer, Justin Rose, Ernie Els or Davis Love III.
The majority and most prominent of these events have been hosted by the Real Club Valderrama. The flagship of Andalusian golf will gather the fans once again next month for the third edition of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters, where Sergio García and Jon Rahm have already confirmed their attendance.
Andalusia is a well-established golf destination and the leading Spanish region in golf facilities, boasting 114 courses. In fact, the Costa del Sol has the largest concentration of golf facilities in continental Europe. A flourishing industry has developed around golf in order to welcome the increasing number of visitors attracted to this area. 480,000 arrivals of golf tourists were recorded in southern Spain in 2015.
According to data provided by the Regional Government of Andalusia, the golf industry generates an estimated yearly income of 730 million euro for this region. The importance of this market is highlighted by the fact that golf tourists spend on average 129.68 euro per day, while general tourists spend 62.84. In addition, golfers tend to stay longer – their average length of stay is 11.4 days, as opposed to 8.7 for general tourists.
In words of Francisco Javier Fernández, Regional Minister for Tourism and Sports, “Andalusia is an international benchmark for tourism, but also for sports and particularly for golf. Our region is the best choice in Europe for playing golf all year round. Because of its climate, its numerous courses and its rich complementary offer, Andalusia is a privileged venue for top-class sports events.”
Tickets for the Andalucía Valderrama Masters are available at:
http://www.andaluciavalderramamasters.com/en/public-tickets
