Is Financial Backing in Golf Fundamental?

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship took place during the first week of October. This prestigious tournament is set up across three of Scotland’s most iconic courses: St Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns. Despite a late scare with a double bogey on the thirteenth and a bogey on the fourteenth hole, Tyrell Hatton emerged victorious, making history as the first player to win the tournament three times.

During the week, the “Home of Golf” was transformed into a mini city with overflowing pubs and crowded streets as people gathered from all over the world to watch the tournament. Golf has been played in Scotland since the fifteenth century, and this rich history, combined with the country’s renowned courses, draws multitudes of tourists. However, this influx raises concerns about its impact on the golfing ambitions of local Scots. Professional golfer Robert MacIntyre, born and raised in Oban, expressed these concerns during his press conference before the Dunhill tournament. He highlighted two major issues in Scottish golf, the first being that it has become extremely expensive for Scots to play at local clubs. MacIntyre criticised the focus on capital gain at the expense of local communities, challenging the fairness of a system where Scots cannot fully benefit from their golfing heritage.

The second concern raised by MacIntyre was the lack of funding available to aspiring Scottish professional golfers. He acknowledged that the Scottish Golf system had previously created a strong pathway for him, but questioned whether it has stayed effective. In comparison, he highlighted the Danish system, which provides a “conveyor belt” of fresh talent. In Denmark, professional golfers benefit from a balanced funding system, where Team Denmark provides public financial support. This funding is distributed alongside private sponsorship, thus creating a stable support structure for developing talent.

Conversely, Scotland’s golf funding is less centralised, with professional golfers relying heavily on private sponsorship. This creates gaps for promising future talents who, despite their abilities, struggle with the financial demands of the sport.

Professional golfer and postgrad Will Smales achieved his Pro status in 2022. He spoke to The Saint and provided an insight into the financial challenges that are often overlooked in professional golf. According to Smales, sponsorship is extremely difficult to secure unless a player is at the very top. As a result, expenses such as PGA subscriptions and qualifications, flights, tournament entry fees, and even smaller, trivial costs like purchasing practice balls, must all be covered by the individual. He concluded that while prize money can be substantial, it only alleviates these burdens for those who win. This leaves many pros without sponsors struggling to finance their careers.

The future of Scottish professional golf may appear bleak, but MacIntyre’s public calls for reform during high-profile press conferences ushers the issue into the spotlight. There’s no escaping the fact that golf is extremely expensive. Furthermore, Scottish Golf will have to provide more public funding. Without addressing the financial challenges, many promising Scottish players may not have the resources to compete at the top level. As Smales put it: “financial backing is fundamental” to succeed as a professional golfer.

Illustration by Holly Ward