County Down golf clubs take part in Tourism NI development day to prepare for 153rd Open
Tourism NI has brought the region’s golf clubs together for a specialised development day in preparation for the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush.
During the Golf Club Development Workshop, which took place at Shandon Park Golf Club in Belfast, attendees were given a detailed overview of the upcoming Championship and were offered support and advice on how best to maximise the opportunities the world-class event will bring to Northern Ireland.
Among those who took part in the development day was Spa Golf Club, Ardglass Golf Club and St Patrick’s Golf Club, Downpatrick.
When The Open was last held at Royal Portrush in 2019, it became the biggest sporting event ever held in Northern Ireland, delivering a combined economic and media benefit of more than £100 million to the region.
The success was a ground-breaking event for tourism in Northern Ireland, demonstrating the region’s ability to seamlessly deliver world class events.
The sell-out event, which saw 237,750 golf fans in attendance, set a record for a championship staged outside St Andrews at the time.
During the engagement session, Tourism Northern Ireland updated the clubs on how the region performed as a golfing destination in 2024 and discussed plans to continue the growth of golf tourism between now and the end of the decade.
Those gathered also an heard an overview of The 153rd Open from The R&A.
Attendees also took part in a Digital Marketing Workshop, facilitated by Profile Tree, which was aimed at helping golf clubs best promote their offering to golfing visitors to Northern Ireland this summer and beyond.
In addition, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council also presented a case study on the Heart of Down golf club cluster package, which has been successful in encouraging golfers to visit the region.
George Diamondis, Golf Marketing Manager at Tourism Northern Ireland, said: “The return of The Open to Royal Portrush this summer will once again highlight the exceptional golf offer we have here in Northern Ireland.
“Today’s workshop was about bringing clubs from across the country together to learn how to best maximise the opportunity the Championship will bring.
“Golf Tourism surpassed a milestone value of more than £70 million for the first time in 2024, with more than 29,000 visitors travelling to Northern Ireland to play golf.
“It is an incredibly exciting time and working with the clubs to ensure we meet the expectations of the international visitors is vital to continue the growth in this thriving sector.”
