EarthGolf

While the market for golf in the heavily golf developed areas of the world (USA, Ireland, England) slows, the golf market in other countries is booming.

Today, three-quarters of all golf courses planned or under construction are outside the United States, Britain and other traditional golf centers, according to industry estimates. With 17,000 courses already functioning in the United States, for example, the number of new 18-hole courses opening in the States fell to 119 in 2006 from a peak of 398 in 2000, according to the National Golf Foundation. Britain and Ireland are “among the most mature golf markets in Europe,” with more than 3,100 courses, according to a recent report by the Budapest office of KPMG Advisory, a consulting company.

Of the courses being developed around the world, 70 percent are tied to real estate developments, a much larger proportion than ever before, according to Keith Carter, managing editor of Golf Inc., a San Diego-based industry magazine.

Even more interesting is the notion that developers aren’t necessarily looking for a big name player or even architect to attach his name to a golf project.

“I don’t necessarily buy into it as a developer or as a golfer,” said Brian Dobbin, chief executive of Newfound Property International, a London-based company that is developing projects in Canada and the Caribbean. “I want to go to a course because it is designed well.”

In addition, fees for top designers are skyrocketing, prompting many developers to think twice before signing on with a big name.

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