Golf apparel brand Galvin Green has combined 12 common search terms related to golf clubs to reveal the global average monthly search volume for every popular course and the number of hashtags for each location.
While golf courses require significant maintenance and resources, they are highly valuable assets for hotels to possess. Recent international investments in golf lodgings include Romania’s National Golf and Country Club and Marriott’s acquisition of Vinoy Resort and Golf Club.
Augusta National
The Augusta National in Georgia, US, takes the top spot with the highest combined golf index score of 98.62 out of 100. The course is searched 54,050 times on average each month globally and has over 100,000 posts on Instagram.
The site is famous for hosting The Masters and has ten cabins on the grounds for club members. Nearby hotels include the Baymont by Wyndham Augusta West, The Partridge Inn, and Best Western Plus Augusta North Inn & Suites.
TPC Sawgrass
Home of The Players Championship, TPC Sawgrass in Florida, US, is the second most popular course among golfing fans. Each month sees an average of 73,717 searches from across the world – the highest number of any course analysed. There are also 56,552 Instagram posts using the hashtag #TPCSawgrass, the second highest amount, leading the course to have a golf index score of 95.26 out of 100.
Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa is the home of the TPC course. Other nearby hotels are Hilton Garden Inn Jacksonville/Ponte Vedra and La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham.
St Andrews Old Course
St Andrews Old Course in Scotland, UK, ranked third with more than 55,317 monthly searches. Often hailed as the "Home of Golf", pictures of the course have also been posted on Instagram 45,658 times, resulting in a golf index score of 92.39.
The five-star Old Course hotel overlooks the course and is the main lodging option for visitors to the ancient golf site.
Emirates Golf Club
With more than 10,000 average monthly searches, Emirates Golf Club is the fourth most-searched-for golf course in the world. The 36-hole golf course in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has a golfing index score of 81.02 out of 100, due to its combination of high search volume and Instagram posts.
The host of the course is the Grand Hyatt Dubai, while the closest hotels are Taj Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Vida Emirates Hills and Media One Hotel Dubai.
Pebble Beach Golf Links
The Californian course of Pebble Beach is searched 18,325 times on average each month and has been posted 12,015 times on Instagram. This volume of interest gives the famous Pacific Coast course an index score of 79.01 out of 100.
Pebble Beach Resorts is located by the course on the Monterey Peninsula. Other nearby hotels include Country Inn & Suites by Radisson and Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa.
