Recently I have been asked a number of times by different friends and contacts the impact that the Tiger situation will have on golf travel. Possibly I am not insightful enough to appreciate the nuance of it all but with respect to international golf travel, I foresee little impact. Curiously a number of friends who are Club golf professionals have indicated that members have said to them that spouses have begun to question proposed trips to Las Vegas. Right or wrong, Las Vegas seems to have drawn another bad hand in golf circles after the beating it took at the hands of the President Obama earlier this year.
One of the challenges that golf in the British Isles has always faced is that it is perceived as a “guys trip”. The weather is not predictable and often times the spouses are perfectly satisfied to let their husbands bond with their buddies for 7 days of cigars, wine, whisky and wind! Perception is everything and the British Isles is not perceived as a “party” destination beyond wholesome golf entertainment. Given the current climate, that perception may well be a plus for the golf tourism industry in the British Isles.
The wild card is what impact will the uncertainty of when Tiger returns to playing tournament golf have on Americans travelling to the (British) Open Championship and Ryder Cup. St. Andrews which is hosting the Open this year has always been a strong draw for Americans regardless of participants and I would expect that to continue. I also have a theory that Tiger will desperately want to play at both Pebble Beach and St. Andrews as both hold fond memories and victories for him 10 years earlier and in some ways defined the decade in golf.
About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+
