Golf has always been seen as an elitist sport, practiced by few people mainly because of the excessive cost. However, in recent times things have changed, and currently, golf is one of the most played sports in the world.
It may be because it is good for the body and mind and trains coordination and muscle elasticity, or it may be because it keeps joints and bones active, relaxes, and helps socialize. For these and other reasons, many people are getting into this sport: they play it, watch it, or do golf betting online.
Also, we see how, recently, the combination of golf and tourism has been increasingly in vogue; the most hardened golfers traveling around armed with their golf bag to discover new golf resorts, driving ranges, and holes to conquer often use the Green Pass. This promotional card offers discounts and concessions at European golf courses.
Golf vacations in Europe
If you are interested in golf vacations in Italy, you should know that our country has over a hundred golf courses with at least 18 holes and about 20 actual golf resorts.
For this reason, Italy is increasingly becoming a popular destination for golf lovers who can try their hand along courses of extraordinary technical and aesthetic qualities.
In the northern, central, and southern regions of Italy, it is possible to find golf courses set in beautiful and evocative settings, where facilities offer numerous services beyond sports, combining the concept of golf and wellness and thus satisfying the desires of the whole family. Remember that it is possible to start playing golf at any age, from 6 years old and up.
In France, too, it is possible to find many golf resorts that offer relaxation and sporting activity formulas. For example, after a morning on the green field, athletes can relax and take advantage of a massage or rest in a spa with a view.
Côte d’Azur, Paris, or the Bordeaux region, whether you want to play a day game, or experience a week-long stay, with friends, as a couple, or with the family, in France, you will find the course that meets your needs and have the opportunity for exciting excursions.
If you are a golf lover, Spain is another well-known destination for fans of this sporting activity. Catalonia, Costa del Golf, and Marbella, take advantage of their favorable climatic conditions to offer driving ranges surrounded by nature.
Among them, Andalusia is one of Europe’s top destinations for golf travel lovers. The year-round high temperatures and breathtaking locations have made this southern Spanish region popular with golfers worldwide.
Which country has the most golf courses?
At the end of 2018, there were as many as 38,864 golf courses in 209 countries worldwide. Considering that there are 249 countries worldwide, golf covers nearly 84 percent.
Just as in Italy, however, the concentration changes abysmally from country to country. A vast gap divides the first and the last among the top 20 countries with the most golf courses. As we shall see, the territorial extent is only one reason.
Forty-three percent of the world’s golf courses are concentrated in the United States, with 16,752 courses and 248,787 holes. This should surprise us to a certain extent since the total area of the U.S. is 9,834,000 km2. To give you an idea, it is slightly less than that of the European continent, which measures 10,180,000 km2.
In the second place, far below, is Japan: 3,169 golf courses for 45,684 holes. However, Canada is on the third step of the podium, with 2,633 golf courses and 36,591 holes.
Where are the golf courses concentrated?
No, this is not a repetition of the question seen above. However, some countries have far fewer golf courses than the United States, concentrated over a smaller area. This might indicate a greater interest in the population, although it is not the case. So, let’s see which countries have the most courses and holes relative to population.
If we focus on the population ratio to the number of holes, the United States falls to seventh place in the ranking. We have one hole for about every 1,323 inhabitants. These are still huge compared to Italy, where we have one pothole for every 14,640 inhabitants. In any case, some countries manage to do much better.
Scotland and Ireland are battling for the gold medal, which year after year vie for the title of “country with the most holes about population.” The gap is small: one hole for every 645 inhabitants in Scotland and one hole for every 641 inhabitants in Ireland.
Just below are New Zealand, with one pothole for every 824 inhabitants, and Australia, with one for every 995 inhabitants.
In which country is golf most popular and played?
The density of golf courses and holes per inhabitant can give us an idea of how many golfers there are, but only to a certain extent. In general, New Zealand, Australia, and Oceania are also popular areas for golf tourism.
If we talk about the internal players in the population, the country with the most golfers in the world are the United States. About 24 million golfers are registered here, just over 7 percent of the population. About 36 percent of people have tried to play at least once. About 15 million people have never played but would like to try. And in Europe?
The country where the most golf is played in Europe is Ireland. There are about 281,000 regular golfers here, which is just under 6 percent of the population. In total, they are about 43 percent of European golfers.