Here’s three golf industry trends that were exemplified by stories in the final month of 2022

From European golf resorts seeing record demand for 2023 to coastal erosion becoming an ever bigger threat to links golf in the UK, we look at the last few trends of the year.

More golf clubs are sponsoring golfers

Scotscraig Golf Club in Fife has become the latest venue to sign up a leading golfer – Gemma Dryburgh – as a club ambassador.

She will carry club branding on her bag and clothing when she competes in tournaments in 2023.

OTSU, JAPAN – NOVEMBER 06: Gemma Dryburgh of Scotland poses with the trophy after winning the tournament following the final round of the TOTO Japan Classic at Seta Golf Course North Course on November 6, 2022 in Otsu, Shiga, Japan. (Photo by Yoshimasa Nakano/Getty Images)

This follows a year of many top clubs signing deals with big name golfers. For example, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Royal Norwich and The QHotels Collection appointed Danny Willett, Lily May Humphreys and Billie-Jo Smith as ambassadors, respectively.

The clubs worst hit by Covid are looking forward to 2023

Golf participation might have boomed during the pandemic but resorts that rely on overseas visitors had a particularly difficult time.

While the worst has been over for many months now, there were fears that they would never achieve the same profits again, but that seems to be unfounded.

For example, Praia D’El Rey Marriott Golf & Beach Resort in Portugal, a resort that relies on foreign golfers, says demand for 2023 has been the strongest in its history, and is coming from traditional and non-traditional markets.

Praia D’El Rey Marriott Golf & Beach Resort in Portugal, which has experienced record bookings for 2023 from overseas visitors

Meanwhile, Trump International Golf Links, Doonbeg says its revenues increased by 90 percent in the last financial year.

Another coastal club wants to redesign its course

Hartlepool Golf Club in Durham wants to redevelop several holes as they are ‘at high risk of being lost to coastal erosion’.

This is just the latest venue to go down this route for this reason. In recent years Gorleston Golf Club has moved its tees further inland; Royal North Devon Golf Club amended its course; Tenby Golf Club submitted plans to construct a ‘coastal defence project’; Royal Dornoch Golf Club funded a project to help safeguard the 10th fairway on its Struie Course; Caldy Golf Club maintained existing rock armour coastal defences; and Montrose Golf Links has said the venue may have to be moved inland.

As BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter says: “The game was founded on the links turf of the British seaside and provides golf in its most authentic form [but this] should cause concern among golf’s authorities.”