Latest news with #MarkKennelly
Irish Examiner
19-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Golf booming as club membership costs fall below €650, says Golf Ireland
The average cost of golf club membership in Ireland is now under €650 and 'comparable to a leisure centre or gym', Golf Ireland said. After a slump exacerbated by covid, golf is enjoying a renaissance in Ireland, buoyed by the international success of players such as Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Leona Maguire. This week, the Open Championship — one of the sport's four majors — comes to Royal Portrush in Co Antrim, attracting 278,000 visitors and worth an estimated £200m (€230m). Ireland now has more than 223,000 members in 377 clubs nationwide. Golf club membership fees and subscriptions are worth €143m, which accounts for 20% of the total consumer spending on the sport. Golf Ireland chief executive Mark Kennelly says that the increased membership has coincided with the game being within reach economically. 'The whole thrust of our strategic plan is around making golf more accessible and inclusive,' said Mr Kennelly. 'We have a big focus on encouraging more people from non-traditional backgrounds. We have a big focus on encouraging more women and girls. 'In some of the bigger urban areas, golf is more expensive just because demand is outstripping supply. But in your average golf club, membership is around €600 or so. 'We would see that as comparable to a leisure centre or gym membership — there's not a huge gap there.' Golf Ireland Chair Paul Haran, R&A Director of Public Affairs Robert Oxley, Golf Ireland chief Mark Kennelly, Prof Simon Shibli of Sheffield Hallam University, and Golf Ireland COO Tracy Bunyan at the launch of Golf Ireland's report on the impact of golf, which was published in June. Picture: Inpho/Tom Maher Memberships are up 20% in the past five years. 'We've nearly 380 clubs who are quite dependent on strong numbers because members pay an annual fee and contribute to the running of their clubs, so that bedrock of growing membership is very important for the future vibrancy of our club network,' added Mr Kennelly. Casual golf — played by people who are not yet members of clubs — now stands at about 350,000 people who play full-length golf at least once in the year. Professor Simon Shibli, director of the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University, conducted research for Golf Ireland which showed the game contributed €717m in direct economic value to the Irish economy. The game generates €277.6m annually in taxes alone from consumption, income, and corporate profits, said Prof Shibli. The Open in Port-rush will see a huge influx of visitors to the island. 'There isn't the capacity in Northern Ireland to absorb all of the economic shock that comes with the Open so some of that will bleed into the Republic of Ireland. There will be spillover effect,' added Prof Shibli. Leona Maguire competing at the KPMG Women's Irish Open Golf Championship at Carton House earlier this month. International success by Irish players is adding to the game's reach. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile The 2025 Women's Irish Open took place earlier this month at Carton House in Kildare and attracted a record 37,000 spectators, while the men's Irish Open will be held in the K Club in Kildare in September. AIB business banking head of hospitality and tourism Jonathan Clarke said golf now links in with the wider visitor ecosystem. 'It's not just the golf which attracts tourists to Ireland,' added Mr Clarke. 'The warm hospitality, history, and scenic beauty in conjunction with highly personalised services in hotels, guesthouses, and golf clubs create memorable stays. 'Ireland's compact size allows golfers to combine multiple courses and sightseeing all within relatively short travel times. 'This area of the economy has remained resilient. While prices have increased, high-net-worth tourists who are less sensitive to price changes continue to favour Ireland's golf offering.' In 2027, the Ryder Cup will come to Adare Manor in Co Limerick, and the Government has committed €50m towards the biennial competition. Separately, the Government has signalled it would support Portmarnock in Co Dublin hosting the Open Championship, with State funding in the region of €40m, which if successful would be the first time the event is staged outside Britain or Northern Ireland. Robert Oxley, director of public affairs with the R&A, the governing body which oversees the Open Championship, says there's a cumulative effect of having a series of events in Ireland. 'We haven't reached a point where we are cannabilising each market for those events. The more opportunities to advertise Ireland to international audiences, the more people are going to come over and spend.'
Irish Examiner
26-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Report: Golf contributes €7m annually to Irish economy
New Golf Ireland research the sport contributes €717 million annually to the Irish economy and supports 15,600 jobs. Conducted by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University, in collaboration with The R&A, the study assesses consumer spending, Gross Value Added (GVA), employment and tax revenues. The report indicates that in 2023, golf activities contributed €717 million in direct economic value to the Irish economy, marking significant growth. This is fuelled by increased participation, strong club membership, and a recovery in golf tourism following the Covid-19 pandemic. Golf-related consumer spending reached €703 million, averaging €100 per head of population. Club memberships accounted for €143 million, or 20% of all golf expenditure. Golf directly supports approximately 15,600 jobs across Ireland, while the sport generates €277.6 million annually in taxes from consumption, income and corporate profits. 'These findings highlight golf's major economic role here, underscoring our sport's ability to drive growth and create employment across Ireland. Through initiatives like Get into Golf, Unleash Your Drive and iGolf, we are actively working to make golf more accessible and inclusive, ensuring its continued appeal,' said Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly. 'We are particularly encouraged by the growth in golf tourism and event attendance, which signals a strong future for golf as both a sport and a key driver of economic activity in communities throughout the island of Ireland.' The return of The Open to Royal Portrush next month is set to deliver a further boost to the Northern Ireland economy. In 2019, The 148th Open generated more than £100 million of economic benefit for Northern Ireland, according to the study. Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, said: 'We have seen the benefits that golf brings in many other parts of the world but what this research makes clear is that golf makes a substantial contribution to the economy of Ireland and positively impacts the wider community in numerous ways. 'The continuing strength of the golf sector throughout Ireland and the efforts of Golf Ireland to encourage more people to take up the sport are hugely impressive. The staging of global sporting events such as The Open can help to catalyse further growth in the sport and The R&A will continue to play its part in helping to maintain that momentum.' The report identifies opportunities for future growth by encouraging higher female participation, investment in infrastructure, and leveraging Ireland's international reputation as a world class golfing destination. 'Golf is a significant industry in Ireland, which might otherwise go under the radar were it not for the Satellite Account research,' said Professor Simon Shibli, Director of the Sport Industry Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University. 'It is an industry that has grown impressively since our 2017 study, based on 2014 data. The fundamentals are in place for future growth in economic impact, notably in the form of invisible exports from visitors coming to play or to watch golf.'
RTÉ News
26-06-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Golf contributes €717m to the Irish economy annually
Around one in ten adults on the island of Ireland play golf at least once a year, with the sport contributing €717 million annually directly to the economy as well as supporting 15,600 jobs, according to a new study from Golf Ireland. The research, carried out in collaboration with global golf body the R&A, looks at the impact of golf across areas such as consumer spending, employment, gross value added, and tax revenue. Conducted in 2023, it found the €717 million figure marked significant growth fuelled by increased participation, strong club membership, and a recovery in golf tourism following the Covid-19 pandemic. The study says that consumer spending from the sport reached €703 million (€509m in ROI and £170m in NI) in 2023, averaging €100 per head of population. It suggests that €1 in every €200 spent in the economy on the island is related to golf. It also notes that club memberships alone accounted for €143 million, or 20% of all golf expenditure. Meanwhile, it estimates that golf generates over €277 million annually in taxes from consumption, income, and corporate profits. Golf Ireland Chief Executive Mark Kennelly said the findings "highlight golf's major economic role here, underscoring our sport's ability to drive growth and create employment across Ireland. "Through initiatives like Get into Golf, Unleash Your Drive, and iGolf, we are actively working to make golf more accessible and inclusive, ensuring its continued appeal." Mr Kennelly added that the organisation is "particularly encouraged" by the growth in golf tourism and event attendance on the island of Ireland. £100m boost from 2019 Open Championship Golf Ireland, which is the sport's governing body for the island of Ireland, says the return of The Open Championship to Royal Portrush next month will provide a significant economic boost. Research from the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University (which also conducted the latest Golf Ireland study), determined that the 2019 Open held at Royal Portrush in 2019 generated more than £100 million for the economy in the North. While estimates suggest the hosting of the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Limerick could contribute more than double that figure to the Irish economy. Opportunity to grow female participation in golf The Golf Ireland report further identifies opportunities for future growth by encouraging higher female participation, investment in infrastructure, and leveraging Ireland's international reputation as a world class golfing destination. Director of the Sport Industry Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Professor Simon Shibli said golf in Ireland "is an industry that has grown impressively since our 2017 study, based on 2014 data. "The fundamentals are in place for future growth in economic impact, notably in the form of invisible exports from visitors coming to play or to watch golf."
Irish Examiner
26-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Golf worth €717m to economy and supports 15,600 jobs, new report reveals
The game of golf in Ireland has bounced back from its covid setback and now contributes €717m to the economy annually and supports 15,600 jobs, new research published on Thursday shows. The report by Golf Ireland, indicates that in 2023, golf activities contributed €717m in direct economic value (gross value added), marking significant growth fuelled by increased participation, strong club membership, and a recovery in golf tourism following the pandemic. Golf-related consumer spending reached €703m, averaging €100 per head of population. Club memberships alone accounted for €143m, or 20% of all golf expenditure. Golf directly supports approximately 15,600 jobs across Ireland, while the sport also delivers significant financial benefits to the public finances, generating €277.6m annually in taxes from consumption, income and corporate profits. This figure far exceeds the level of government grants received by the sector. The research was carried out by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University for Golf Ireland in collaboration with world golfing body The R&A. 'These findings highlight golf's major economic role here, underscoring our sport's ability to drive growth and create employment across Ireland. Through initiatives like Get into Golf, Unleash Your Drive and iGolf, we are actively working to make golf more accessible and inclusive, ensuring its continued appeal,' said Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly. 'We are particularly encouraged by the growth in golf tourism and event attendance, which signals a strong future for golf as both a sport and a key driver of economic activity in communities throughout the island of Ireland.' Further economic benefits are on the horizon, with the Ryder Cup coming to Adare Manor in Co Limerick in 2027. Next month, The Open - one of golf's four majors and the only one held in Europe - returns to Royal Portrush in Co Down, which is set to give the economy a further boost. In 2019, The 148th Open generated more than £100m (€117m) of economic benefit for Northern Ireland, according to an independent study commissioned by The R&A and conducted by the Sports Industry Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University. 'The continuing strength of the golf sector throughout Ireland and the efforts of Golf Ireland to encourage more people to take up the sport are hugely impressive. The staging of global sporting events such as The Open can help to catalyse further growth in the sport and The R&A will continue to play its part in helping to maintain that momentum,' said The R&A chief executive Mark Darbon. The report also identifies opportunities for future growth by encouraging higher female participation, investment in infrastructure, and leveraging Ireland's international reputation as a golfing destination. 'The fundamentals are in place for future growth in economic impact, notably in the form of invisible exports from visitors coming to play or to watch golf,' said Sheffield Hallam University researcher Professor Simon Shibli, director of the Sport Industry Research Centre.
