RECORD-BREAKING YEAR AT THE HOME OF GOLF 2023 DELIVERS UNPARALLELED REVENUES AND FINANCIAL RECOVERY AT ST ANDREWS LINKS
The Home of Golf has announced a record year for 2023 with unprecedented demand and revenue across its golf courses and facilities, with 283,082 rounds played at the historic venue.
St Andrews Links Trust, the body responsible for managing the historic courses in St Andrews, has reported an 11% increase on the previous record set in 2019 with course occupancy across its seven courses also hitting a record high of 78%.
Demand was replicated across all facilities with 7.6m balls hit at the St Andrews Links Golf Academy, two million more than the previous record number. Additionally, both retail and F&B operations reported 20% and 29% increases in customer numbers year on year, underlining the growing esteem of the Home of Golf.
Increased custom is linked to the global growth in the popularity of golf and a pent-up demand for experiential travel as well as an enhanced appetite for play from local ticketholders following two years of Covid restrictions.
As a result, 2023 saw a record £44m in operating revenue and an £11.5m operating profit for the Trust, building on revenue of £34m and a profit of £3.7m in 2022. This performance has restored the financial reserves of the Trust following two years of significant losses in 2020 and 2021.
As a charitable trust, all profits are reinvested into the operation, maintenance and preservation of the links at St Andrews and the Trust has also announced an ambitious investment strategy to upgrade ageing infrastructure. Key projects include a multi-year upgrade of irrigation systems across all courses, extensions and upgrades to the Links Clubhouse and the Golf Academy and a plan to open the Castle Course all year round.
In addition, the Trust also plans to continue to invest in and seek funding for sustainability and coastal management measures to protect its coastline from erosion and climate-induced flood risk. This builds on award-winning existing activity including the largest and longest-running dune restoration project in Scotland.
Neil Coulson, Chief Executive of St Andrews Links Trust, said: “These unprecedented results for 2023 underline the renown in which the Home of Golf is held both here in St Andrews and around the world. The demand, not just on our golf courses but across all facilities, has been incredible and has significantly accelerated our recovery from a difficult period in 2020 and 2021.
“The recovery of our balance sheet and reserves allows us to revisit a strategy to invest in our physical and digital infrastructure to further enhance the experience of golfers in St Andrews and to continue to protect the links for future generations.”
A copy of the 2023 Annual Report & Accounts for St Andrews Links Trust can be found here: 2023 St Andrews Links Trust Annual Report & Accounts
About St Andrews Links Trust
St Andrews Links Trust is responsible for the management and maintenance of the seven Links courses at St Andrews, including the world-famous Old Course, host of The Open Championship a record 30 times.
St Andrews Links Trust manages a number of additional facilities including three clubhouses, a golf academy and four retail stores. More than 250,000 rounds are played over the seven courses attracting visitors from around the world to follow in the footsteps of the world’s greatest golfers and become a part of golf’s rich history.
C/O St Andrews Links Trust
