Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Monitor important?

Golf tourism in Scotland is vital, but not enough is known about levels, patterns, and trends in visitor numbers. Golf clubs and courses have scarce resources and face increasing national and international competition, so money can only be well spent if courses understand their own visitor business and how their own performance compares to others. The Monitor will provide the information that will help answer these key questions.

How do I get involved?

The Golf Monitor is open to all Scottish Golf Providers. For further information contact the Scottish Golf Club Development Manager, Kevin Fish, on 01334 466 494, or email k.fish@scottishgolf.org.

Why is the Monitor asking for these particular figures?

The basic figures on visitor rounds and green fee revenue will help courses quantify their own levels and seasonal patterns of visitor business, and the revenue that business generates. They can then compare their figures with the averages for other courses in their region, or courses in similar types of location and with similar levels of business.

If courses can also provide breakdowns of their visitor numbers by main countries of origin, this will help us to produce more detailed reports that will help courses and VisitScotland understand the business of golf better and thus target their marketing more effectively.

How do I know my figures will remain confidential?

The only person who will see individual courses’ figures will be the Project Manager Kevin Fish, and he will only use them for checking purposes since the reports will be produced automatically once the figures are submitted. Kevin is not permitted to use the figures for any purpose other than the Monitor. If you would like to establish a signed copy of the confidentiality agreement please contact Kevin on 01334 466494, or at k.fish@scottishgolf.org.

It should also be noted that the system only produces reports when there are at least 4 returns in the category for which a report is requested, so individual courses’ figures are not identifiable.

What reports will be produced?

As soon as enough courses have submitted their figures for any month, Scottish Golf will produce a preliminary summary report for that month. These monthly reports will be posted on the public area of this website, and will also be sent by email to all participating courses. The aim will be to produce these reports before the end of the month following the month to which the figures refer, eg the preliminary report for May should be produced by the end of June at the latest. Scottish Golf will also produce a full detailed analysis at the end of the year.

Those clubs participating in the Golf Monitor will also be able to access bespoke reports by selecting the criteria from the pre-defined options. In 2011, this facility will only be available in the second half of the golfing calendar, from 1 August 2011.

Do I have to input my figures via this website?

No. If you would rather supply your figures direct to the project manager, Kevin Fish, this can be done by email attachment, fax, or post. Kevin will then input the figures to the system, so that they are included in all reports. If you would prefer to submit your figures by one of these methods, please contact Kevin in the first instance (k.fish@scottishgolf.org or 01334 466494).

What happens if I miss a month? Can I enter backdated figures? Can I change incorrect figures?

No problem. You can log in at any time and enter figures for previous months. If you need to change any data, please contact Kevin Fish (k.fish@scottishgolf.org or 01334 466 494) and he can amend any incorrect figures. The system will continually analyse and produce reports on the latest data is on the system.

Why are 9 hole courses now being included?

About a quarter of all courses in Scotland are 9 hole courses. Visitor income is vital to many of them, and they form an important part of Scotland’s overall golf tourism product, particularly in rural areas.