golf

   Since 1979, when Seve Ballesteros won the British Open, golf has attracted increasing numbers of players both from within Spain and from abroad. Within Spain it has become the third national sport in terms of the number of members of the Golfing Federation, partly as the result of a decrease in fees for most greens. At international level the world famous course at Valderrama in the province of Cadiz was host to the Ryder Cup in 1997, the first time it was played outside its traditional venues in the USA and the UK, and with over sixty courses in the area, more per square kilometre than anywhere else in Spain, and some of them able to be played by night, the Costa del Sol has justifiably been nicknamed the "Costa del Golf". A record number of some 6,000 played on the greens each day in the 1996 season, bringing in huge revenues to the area, and as demand continues to outstrip provision, the tourist authorities of Costa del Sol and Andalusia are increasing and promoting the facilities they offer, especially as it is reckoned that each golfer has three times as much purchasing power as the average tourist.

   International competitions held in Spain include the Spanish Open, the Turespaña Masters and various regional Opens such as those of Catalonia, the Balearics, Andalusia and the Canaries, and Spanish professional players such as Ballesteros and Olazábal have featured among the top world players and earners.

   See also: sport and leisure

   EAMONN RODGERS