Golf tourism in Scotland has grown by 30 per cent over the last decade, netting the nation £286m per year.

Since 2008, the economic impact attributed to visitors taking part in the sport has mushroomed by £66m, with almost half (47 per cent) of overnight visitors travelling from overseas.

Overseas golfing visitors spend £338 per night on average, four times more than average overseas visitors who spend on £78.90 per night.

Golf tourism now supports 4,700 jobs across the country’s biggest golfing regions.

The figures we published in a report published by VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise – Scotland’s Golf Tourism Strategy: Driving Forward Together – which revealed a target of £300m per year by 2020.

Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said the sport was one of the nation’s “unique selling points”, and provides a “significant media profile”.

“These findings outline the importance of golf tourism and events play in supporting Scotland’s visitor economy and the Scottish economy as a whole,” he added.

Scottish Enterprise tourism sector portfolio director Danny Cusick said it was “no surprise that the value of this important tourism sector has grown enormously in recent years”.

However, he said it was no time to “rest on our laurels”, adding: “We want ambitious Scottish golf tourism companies to capitalise on this upward trend and consider how best they can develop and scale their business to meet the growing domestic and international demand.”