Turkish golf plans

Often considered a bourgeoisie sport, the face of golf in Turkey is changing. The Turkish Golf Federation (TGF) is scouting the entire country and has already increased the number of licensed players to over 5,000.

While Spain earns 6 billion euros and Portugal gets 2 billion euros, Turkey only receives around 160 million euros from golf tourism, and it is the biggest asset for tourism's biggest countries. “It is impossible to raise golf tourism if there is no golf culture in the country,” says Ahmet Ağaoğlu, federation president. That is why the federation is making a great effort for a leap. In 2001, Turkey had a ridiculously small number of licensed golf players: only 78. Now there are 5,000 with almost 60 percent of them coming from poor Anatolian families.

“The all-in packages in hotels are sold for 20 euros,” says Ağaoğlu. “But an ordinary golf tourist spends 200-260 euros. You have to welcome tourists from different profiles and background, and be prepared for that.”

At first, only 60 kids have showed up for selections because of the resistance of many families. However, after successful runs in the European Championships and the Mediterranean Games, golf has made it on the sports agenda.

Additionally, it has been heard that the federation supports talented players in their education.

“We pioneered the opening of a golf coaching department in the Marmara University and 18 of our scholars are studying here,” says Ağaoğlu, underlining that it was a big deal for not-so-rich families. “Now a thousand people have applied. We are going to pick 60 of them.”

He notes that in Erzurum, there is a strong tendency for girls to play golf. There are almost 500 girls that are licensed golf players in the city. “People are exaggerating the situation when they claim that families do not send their daughters to school,” comments Ağaoğlu. “When you give them the opportunity, see what they can do.”



Golf for the challenged:

The TGF is now preparing another project for physically challenged sportsmen. German national golf team coach and captain are to work in that project. Six machines to help a player with spinal paralysis in golfing are already bought. Each machine costs 18, 000 euros. One wonders about the overall budget of such an active federation. Ağaoğlu states that a yearly budget of 150-200,000 euros is enough to keep the work going, and emphasizes that no outside support is used.

“Golf is the kind of sport that people from every age and economic group can do,” says Ağaoğlu. “It is wrong to promote it as a bourgeoisie sport.” Ağaoğlu gives the example of England and Ireland, where the lower classes play golf, too. Now the federation is trying to break that belief in Turkey. “George Bush is playing golf and Ahmet from Ağrı can play as well,” says Ağaoğlu, and adds that they have made it to a certain point.

“Of the 5,000 licensed players in Turkey, 3,000 are under the age of 18 and kids of families with lower incomes.” Ağaoğlu accepts they were a little behind their plans of 10,000 licensed sportsmen, but it is sure that the country is in fact miles away from being world leaders of the sector. In Spain, there are 304 golf courses and 300,000 players. Even though there is a long distance from the other countries, Turkey is running fast to close the gap.



Golf brings 160 million euros income:

There are currently 11 golf courses in Turkey, eight of which are in Antalya and three in Istanbul. With new courses under construction in the Antalya region, the total number is expected to reach 21 by the end of 2008. Turkish Golf Federation chief Ahmet Ağaoğlu said these courses were among the best in the world. “Between May 2006 and May 2007, Turkey had an income of 160 million euros from golf tourism. That is a pretty good amount, when we reach 100 courses, the income will increase to 1.5-2 billion euros.”

He added golf tourism's share in the general tourism income of developed countries was 15-20 percent while it is 0.4 percent in Turkey. “Foreign investers are willing to enter the Turkish golf tourism market,” Ağaoğlu stressed, “but more than 100 Turkish investors are in line, too. All the Turkish investors are very successful at construction of golf courses, management, and marketing. I do not think that foreigners will have a chance in Turkey.”
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