Francisco de Béthencourt, manager of Anfi Tauro Golf on the island of Gran Canaria, began his journey in the golf industry in 2005 with Global Golf Company, first in Madrid while studying for a Master’s degree in Sports Facilities and Golf Course Management at the European University of Madrid, and then in Morocco as business expansion and manager of Bensliman Golf Club on the outskirts of Casablanca.
Later he was commercial director of Tecina Golf in La Gomera and then joined as manager of Salinas de Antigua Golf Club, on the island of Fuerteventura. In 2009 he was hired as head of Anfi Tauro Golf.
-What can you tell us about the Canary Islands as a golf destination?
-The Canary Islands is not a golf destination: it is more like four golf destinations in one, since players do not usually move between islands to play. When tourists choose an island, they stay there for the entire stay. On the one hand we have Lanzarote, with only two golf courses, which makes this island a very unattractive golf destination, as players usually want to play three or four different courses during their vacations; Fuerteventura with four courses, and Tenerife and La Gomera with nine courses on the first island and one on the second. The players who travel to Tenerife, because of the proximity, usually take a boat trip to play the course of La Gomera. And finally we have Gran Canaria with seven courses. Of all the islands, the two most consolidated destinations are Gran Canaria and Tenerife, with some 400,000 green fees a year.
Why do you think that Gran Canaria has become such an appreciated golf destination in Europe?
First of all, because we have a privileged climate, with spring-like temperatures all year round. There is a false belief that in the Canary Islands it is very hot in summer, and nothing could be further from the truth: our temperatures are never extreme and this is one of the great virtues of the destination. In addition to the wonderful temperature, there are a series of factors that make the destination very appreciated: the quality of the courses, the hotels, the gastronomy, the air connections …., and all this, together with the more than 100 years that we have been receiving tourists in the islands, make up a formula for success.
-Do you consider that the quality of the Canarian countryside is up to the standards of a major tourist destination such as the Fortunate Islands?
-I think that, as in any destination, there are excellent courses and not so excellent courses. We definitely have top-level courses, not only in terms of design but also in terms of maintenance, service and gastronomy. Then it is up to the player to decide which one best suits his game, in which one he feels more comfortable and therefore in which one he wants to play the most.
-What are the high and low golf seasons in the Canary Islands and which nationalities predominate among golfers?
-Our high season is from October to May and the nationalities that visit us are mostly German, British and Scandinavian. We also get players from the rest of Europe, but in smaller numbers. During the season we have a lot of local, peninsular, Italian and French players.
-Anfi Tauro Golf is one of the best courses in the Islands, what are its characteristics and what would you highlight in particular?
-For starters, Anfi Tauro has a great design by Robert von Hagge. For those who don’t know, he is the designer of the Golf National de Paris where the Ryder Cup will be played this year. When you have a designer of recognized prestige, in most cases you are guaranteed a well-designed and balanced course, apart from a good engineering project, and therefore you start from a good base. From there, you have to maintain the course at an agronomic level, you have to offer an excellent service, a gastronomy focused on the golfer and create the best possible golf experience for the client, and that happens at Anfi Tauro Golf from the moment he arrives until he leaves.
– How do you see the future of golf as a sport?
-I think golf has had many competitors in recent years, there are more and more fun sports and less time to devote to them, plus people are getting younger and want to continue practicing, as long as the body allows it, sports that keep them in shape, Therefore the federations and golf courses, especially the social ones should focus on streamlining the game, make it more flexible and create players not only from the grassroots but of any age and somehow attract women to golf, I think the future of social golf in Spain is to involve much more girls.
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