Scots town tops global poll

Booking.com survey reveals St Andrews as most recommended golf destination in the world.

ST ANDREWS has come out on top in a new survey showing the top-10 golfing destinations in the world.

The Home of Golf finished ahead of areas holding some of the most prestigious courses on the planet to take top spot as two out of every five Booking.com guests recommended it.

The world’s No.1 accommodation site, Booking.com, has revealed its list of the best places to play golf, with the results based on recommendations by 1,000 golfers who shared their favourite locations.

For Paul Hennessey, CMO at Booking.com, the survey was all about helping golfers find the best places to go and play, with very little hassle.

“Golf is a social game and we know that players are more likely to visit courses recommended by their peers,” said Hennessy. “We’ve made use of our site’s Destination Finder function to pinpoint the top destinations as recommended by golfers who use Booking.com”

“By using over 27 million reviews and guest endorsements, we feel that we can show you the best places to go to inspire your next trip.”

INSPIRE

The final list of top-10 golf destinations in the world featured some predictable places, but also some that may not be renowned around the golfing world.

Coming in second, just behind St Andrews, was San Miguel de Abona in Spain. Situated on the Spanish island of Tenerife, it polled well among visitors with one in three Booking.com guests recommending it to fellow golfers.

Vilamoura in Portugal pipped several of the United States top golfing regions into third place, with one in four Booking.com guests recommending it as a premier place to visit and play on its wide ranging style of courses.

Described as Utah’s golf capital, one in six of the participating Booking.com guests were highly impressed with the golf on offer in the area meaning it features high on the list of must-visit areas for golfers.

Scottsdale, Phoenix, Myrtle Beach and Palm Springs make up the next four places respectively before you reach Ireland’s Portrush in ninth place. Touted as a potential future Open Championship venue, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke all played here as youngsters, and the area offers a wide range of fantastic golfing options.

Propping up the list is the little-known Hua Hin in Thailand. Boasting some of Asia’s premier courses, one in 16 Booking.com guests highlighted this as a place to go and enjoy a golf holiday with your friends.

“We know that St Andrews is one of the best places to play golf in the world,” continued Hennessey. “Clearly this is a view held by our users too!

FANTASTIC

“Hua Hin is also a fantastic destination, so we’re not surprised it ranked so well according to guest endorsements.”

The key to planning a good golf trip, according to Hennessey, is feeling comfortable when booking your trip.

“Golfers and all types of holidaymakers should feel comfortable when planning and booking their trips. Booking.com has been operating since 196 and we feel that we’ve got the experience to really get to the heart of what holidaymakers are looking for.

“We offer an unparalleled selection of properties, which allows users to quickly and easily book a stay at over 65,000 destinations around the world. This choice offers that reassurance to customers planning and booking their trip.”

TOP RANK St Andrews, home of seven top class courses, topped the list of the best golf destinations in the world as voted for by guests of accommodation site Booking.com. It finished above a number of world class golfing areas

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