The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, a European Tour tournament to be held from September 3 to 6 at the Real Club Valderrama, serves as a magnificent example to endorse the close relationship that Andalusia and golf have maintained for decades, a stable and consolidated marriage.
With the sixth edition of the Valderrama tournament, Andalusia has 61 international men’s tournaments held on its golf courses and stands out as the region of continental Europe that has hosted the most European Tour events. Since 1966, the best players in the world have passed through the Andalusian region to play in twenty-one editions of the Volvo Masters, eleven of the Andalusian Open, eleven of the Spanish Open, six of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, three Volvo World Match Play Championship, three World Cups, two World Golf Championships and four open tournaments of different names. As a cherry on top, the 1997 Ryder Cup in which Seve Ballesteros captained the European team to an epic victory, a tournament that brought the benefits of Andalusia to millions of homes around the world and served to reinforce its position as an essential reference in terms of tourism and golf.
It is clear that this sport, an essential segment for the Andalusian community as a tourist destination, is an integral part of the Board’s strategy and is a priority product in its promotional efforts. This work is reflected in the fifteen specific actions launched throughout the year 2020 (specialized golf fairs, reverse actions, professional meetings, direct promotions, actions with boards and marketing exchanges) with an investment of nearly 1.5 million euros.
In addition, golf serves to disseminate the many other attractions of the community, since the offer of Andalusia is characterized precisely by the great variety and complementarity of tourism products that invite you to extend the experience during any stay. Gastronomy, quality accommodation, health and wellness, leisure, almost a thousand kilometers of coastline, the community with the largest extension of protected territory, snow… The list of tourist merits is almost endless, a set of values to which is added an enviable climate that makes it possible to play golf all year round.
In addition to being a leader as a venue for professional tournaments, Andalusia is also a leader as a golf destination for amateurs. The region has more than a hundred courses (almost 21% of the national facilities) that attracted some 560,000 tourists in 2017, mostly British, Nordic, German and Spanish, and the growth potential is marked by the more than 3.7 million federative licenses issued in the main European markets, a unique opportunity.
Even so, the visitor (whether national or foreign) is not the only objective of the Board, since the aim of this community is to bring golf closer to any Andalusian who may be interested in its practice. The promotion of public schools, which favor the popularization of this sport, has helped golf to be the third sport modality in the community in number of licenses with almost 44,000, only surpassed by Madrid at the national level. On the other hand, thanks to the implementation of initiatives to promote this sport among young people, women or families, important steps continue to be taken to bring golf to any public.
A magnificent example is Alvaro Mueller-Baumgart Lucena, a player from the quarry of the Real Club de Golf de Guadalmina, one of the most notable nurseries of Andalusian golf, and who will rub shoulders from September 3 to 6 at the Real Club Valderrama with Alvaro Quiros and Alejandro Canizares, two other illustrious Andalusians. This tournament, the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, will offer a notable impact through the media thanks to its worldwide television broadcast, which will show, once again, the exceptional offer of Andalusia in terms of climate, courses and complementary offer.
The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, a European Tour tournament valid for the Race to Dubai that is held thanks to the essential collaboration of the Real Club Valderrama, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Ministry of Tourism, Regeneration, Justice and Local Administration of the Andalusian Regional Government, as well as being co-financed with European funds, declared an Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Spanish Government, and supported by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation and the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation.
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