Golf becomes big business in Switzerland

Beyond the hole: golf is a half-billion-dollar business in Switzerland Keystone-SDA

Half a billion francs a year: golf in Switzerland is no longer just a sport, but a booming economic ecosystem.

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Driving this is an increasingly sophisticated business model that ranges from membership fees to the sale of shares, as well as involving companies through sponsorships.

“Golf is a much less privileged sport than it was 40 years ago,” Lukas Eisner, president of the Swiss Golf Federation, founded in 1902 and based in Lausanne, tells AWP news agency. At that time there were 68 golf courses in Switzerland: after the wave of construction in the 1980s, there are now 98.

“Since the outbreak of the pandemic, demand has been growing,” he points out, estimating the number of members at over 105,000, 30% of whom are women.

The Lake Geneva area reflects the growing trend. Among the most prestigious addresses are the Golf Club in Geneva and the Domaine Impérial in Gland, in canton Vaud. Just over the border to France, the Golf & Country Club in Bossey, Golf d’Esery and Golf d’Evian are very popular with the Swiss.

These clubs, which fall into the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) category, are mainly financed by membership fees, green fees (playing fees for non-members), non-repayable contributions and competitions. At the same time, maintenance costs are high: between CHF2.5 million ($3.14 million) and CHF3 million per year.

Annual membership fees vary widely between clubs, ranging (for those who agree to disclose them) from CHF1,000 to 7,000, compared to the CHF100,000 often used in the United States. Green fees, which range from CHF80 to CHF150 per course, are rising sharply. Non-repayable contributions, ranging from CHF5,000 to CHF100,000, “are likely to become a problem in the future, because people are no longer willing to pay such sums,” Eisner explains. Finally, the sale of shares remains popular.

To play, however, it is not compulsory to be rich. “Access to a course is affordable and equipment rental is not excessive,” agree the enthusiasts interviewed by AWP, with different handicaps (level of play). Despite this, the democratisation of the sport remains a challenge.

Faced with the financial barrier and changing habits, offers from Migros GolfCard and the Association of Independent Golfers (ASGI) have become popular, which, for around CHF380 per year, allow you to play in several clubs at the same time. There are also indoor training centres, such as L’Indoor in Geneva, where nature gives way to artificial intelligence, to the benefit of performance analysis and a more diverse range of players.

However, golf remains important for building relationships. “It’s easier to talk business on the green than over lunch,” says a spectator at the Omega European Masters (OEM) tournament. “An 18-hole match is equivalent to almost four hours of tête-à-tête outside the professional sphere, during which bonds are formed through play and sometimes decisions are made,” adds the entrepreneur. “It is no wonder that brands invite us several times a year to play or that even Donald Trump will organise the G20 at his golf club in Miami in 2026.”

The OEM, organised in Crans-Montana with a budget of CHF12 million, not counting the investment in the course, brings together the world’s best golfers and attracts up to 16,000 spectators a day. The sponsors’ village and the streets of the Valais resort are lined with company names.

UBS has been a partner for more than forty years. These event-related sponsorships, the amounts of which are not disclosed, are intended to help a company’s reputation in a region, reaching a local target group and strengthening the brand’s social bonds.

At the stand of the Vaudoise insurance group, the discourse is similar. ‘This type of commitment allows us to support events that are emblematic of the Swiss landscape and is part of a broader dynamic of territorial development,” explains a spokeswoman. “The event allows us to engage in dialogue with a wide audience, partners, potential and current clients.”

The return on investment? “It goes beyond purely quantitative indicators,” replies the press officer. Without going into details, Vaudoise speaks of a commitment “that is part of a coherent budget” dedicated to sponsorship and that covers several disciplines in collaboration with the federations. There are also those who support players: this is the case of VP Bank, with St Gallen professional Chiara Tamburlini, and Rolex, with Albane Valenzuela, a Swiss athlete born in the United States.

But golf is much more than that, economically speaking. For example, there is the trade in state-of-the-art equipment, which alone accounts for around CHF200 million. In addition, travel agencies are riding the wave of demand for holidays dedicated to playing this sport.

Translated from Italian by DeepL/jdp

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