2014 Gleneagles Ryder Cup Boost to Scotland

Golf can be a serious business when it comes to having a positive effect on the economy. A new report from Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre reveals that the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles made a contribution of £106 million to the Scottish economy, which is pretty amazing for an event that’s in theory only three days long.

The study also showed that 57% of spectators came from outside Scotland, with 22% traveling from overseas to attend the event. We can’t think of a single event that gets so many people to travel from so far away –mainly America - but from all over Europe and beyond as well.

Here are some other Ryder Cup factoids:

• Attendees accounted for a total of 133,104 bed nights during the event

• 10,793 extended their stays before & after the tournament (and why wouldn’t you?)

• Media value alone of  £42 million, including more than 5,000 hours of television coverage by 50 broadcasters in 200 territories.

It may only be in Europe once every four years, but there’s no doubting how important this tournament has become in so many ways, and not least for the economy.