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KPMG: Dubai and Middle East Top the Leader Board for Busiest and
Most Profitable Golf Courses as International Golf Boom Continues
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Golf Benchmark Survey Summary Report Reveals the Best-performing
Golfing Regions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMA)
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February, 2007 - Golf Courses in the United Arab Emirates are busier and more profitable than those in established European golfing nations such as the UK, Ireland, Spain and Portugal, underlining an ongoing international golf boom.

According to the inaugural KPMG Golf Benchmark Survey Summary Report, average revenues at golf courses in Dubai and the UAE are four times greater than those in Portugal, the highest performing country in Europe. 

While the UAE has just 13 golf courses, growing demand from increasing numbers of expatriates and tourists, particularly in Dubai, is fuelling rapid growth with at least 10 new courses planned or under construction.

Elsewhere, the Golf Benchmark Survey reveals the number of golf courses and players in Eastern Europe has tripled since 2000, with 68 courses and 23,000 affiliated golfers in the Czech Republic alone.

In Northern Europe, lower prices have boosted participation rates. More than 6% of the total population in Sweden and 5% in Iceland now play golf, resulting in a regional participation rate five times greater than the rest of Europe.

Meanwhile Spain tops the league for the most expensive country to be a member of a golf club with average annual subscriptions of just under EUR 3,000.

But the Middle East is proving to be golf�s international hot spot, with courses in the region averaging 45,000 rounds per year, compared to the 26,000 rounds played on courses in Great Britain and Ireland, and profitability levels (average: 45% gross operating profit) far beyond other courses in the seven regions surveyed. 

Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG�s Travel Leisure and Tourism Practice and initiator of the Golf Benchmark Survey, said:  �Golf development in the Middle East, especially in Dubai, has received significant media exposure in recent years. However, the results of our survey demonstrate that the hype has been justified and that the region is fast becoming a major destination for golf.�  

�There are now more than 7,000 golf courses and 4.2 million registered golfers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. With increased life expectancy, improved and cheaper air transport, health and fitness awareness as well as growth in disposable income and media coverage in emerging economies, golf is expected to further develop both in terms of demand and supply.�

Andrea Sartori added: �The Golf Benchmark Survey provides essential performance indicators for golf course owners, operators and financiers, enabling them to compare their own business against high, average and low performers in their geographical market. What�s more, I believe the benchmark indicators we have introduced will become standard measures in the international golf business.�

KPMG�s inaugural Golf Benchmark Survey � based on data supplied by more than 800 golf courses in 27 countries � consists of seven Regional Reports plus a Summary Report The seven regions surveyed are: Northern Europe, Great Britain and Ireland, Western Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South Africa.

All reports can be downloaded free of charge from
www.golfbenchmark.com

The following table summarises the average performance indicators of 18 hole golf courses in the seven regions of the Golf Bench Mark Survey. 
 


KPMG Golf Advisory Services

  • For more information about the KPMG Golf Business Forum, May 16-18, 2007, in Budapest, Hungary, visit: www.golfbusinessforum.com
  • For more information about KPMG�s advisory services to the golf industry contact Mark Sandilands at [email protected] or by phone at 0036 1887 6542 
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Contact:

Mark Sandilands
Tel:  0036 1887-6542
Fax:  0036 1 887-7392 
e-mail: [email protected]

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Also See: KPMG�s Golf Business Forum Welcomes Golf Legend Gary Player; Gary Player to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at 3rd Annual Industry Event / March 2006
KPMG Golf Course Development Cost Survey in the Europe, Middle East and Africa Region / November 2005



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