They advance, inexorable, with their rhythmic little steps, the hands of our existential clock. Time drags us towards that certain uncertain destiny. Twenty-five years have passed and the memory rescues less and less episodes of this spent time. Diffuse flashes barely illuminate those five lustrums that we have been here, in these papers, talking, with writing, about golf. I remember Jeff and Lola, who got off too soon from this strange streetcar they call the world, I remember those archaic first official Volvo Masters newspapers, with endless nights fighting against the clock to get to the printer on time, in that prehistoric time when the only nets were those of fishermen and when cell phones were the stuff of science fiction. Antonio would take the photos at night from Valderrama to the photomechanics almost 100 kilometers away in order to make the photolithographs needed for printing… I remember that diary of the 1995 Ryder Cup that we made in Rochester and it was the first one made in situ in the history of that great tournament… And of the Ryder Cup at Valderrama, and of Seve playing and fighting, always fighting, against the course and getting angry for not having hit a good shot, and I see myself with plastic bags covering my shoes to walk, or sail, through Las Brisas during the World Cup in 1989, which you have to see how it rained then in Marbella. And in the British Open and in so many tournaments.
We have changed office, colleagues, computers, we have changed the format of the magazine (we started with the tabloid size), we have made guides, many guides, and not only golf, we have taken Andalusian golf to the major international golf events, we have fallen, how could it be otherwise, in the network of networks and we are enhancing our website to make it more attractive and competitive… Times are changing and we are trying to adapt, among other things because we have no choice if we want to continue to work and business alive…
And here we continue, always thinking of how to offer our intelligent readers a product of professional workmanship, of a certain quality and which, within our limited possibilities, will entertain and even interest them. Times are adverse for us -what can I tell you that you don’t know-, but we are not and we don’t want to be defeatist. Quite the contrary: we are optimistic and we look to the future with moderate illusion, quite moderate, but not as bad as a stone.
The question is that the economy has to improve and we are going to fight to keep afloat this ship that has always carried with honor engraved in the most prominent part of its bow the name of Andalusia, to which later was added the name of Spain. Andalusian golf still has a lot to say on the international scene. This southern land, which some refer to as the European California, is an enviable and envied golf tourist destination that, however, cannot rest on its laurels, especially because this globalized world is becoming increasingly narrower thanks to cheaper air travel and the increase in the population with the economic capacity to travel. The global tourist flow is adding millions of travelers every year and the prospects for growth are overwhelming, especially in view of the expected economic growth of the population of giants such as China. We must not lose sight of Russia, the Emirates, Brazil and other American countries, nor, of course, of our traditional European markets, with Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, Holland, Ireland and France as major golf tourist emitters.
Andalusia, like all of Europe, is going through a period of uncertainty and a year that many are predicting to be terrible. This publication, in its twenty-five years of existence, has gone through, with more or less damage, some crises and so far -and hopefully for a long time to come- has remained afloat. There are always reasons for hope. For example, the fact that, according to a survey by the travel search portal skyscanner, 88% of Britons are considering moving abroad in the next five years and that Spain is the second favorite destination, second only to Australia, to start a new life.
Spain is also the number one vacation destination for the British, who form the main tourist group in our country. Logically, English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada and New Zealand are also among the favorite places for the British to live. As far as golf is concerned, the British constitute the first market of players on the Costa del Sol, followed by Spaniards and Germans. Now we just have to hope that the economy improves in the Old Continent and the sunny golf courses of Andalusia return to the good occupancy of yesteryear. Quality, professionalism, friendliness and good weather are not lacking.
Another interesting survey conducted by the organizers of the International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) among British golfers reveals that the most important factor in deciding on a golf destination for a vacation is word of mouth. Seventy percent of those surveyed said that recommendations from friends were the most important factor in choosing a destination. The next factor in deciding on a vacation spot is golf magazines, at 43 percent, followed by professional golfer recommendations (425) and online course reports and blogs (35 percent). The implications of this data for golf destinations and golf courses are clear: we must ensure that the visitor’s playing and leisure experience in general is outstanding in every way, since that person will become the best ambassador of our product… or the worst if the experience is negative. So you know: let’s take care of our golf ambassadors. For our own good.
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