Causeway Coast and Glens Council commits at least £365,000 funding towards 2025 Open Golf Championship
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has committed a minimum £365,000 to facilitate next year’s Open Championship in Portrush.
The Royal Portrush Golf Course will host the 153rd Open Championship next July, following a successful hosting of the 148th Championship in 2019.
At November’s Leisure and Development Committee meeting, members approved that Council provide a £365,000 contribution for a number of anticipated work streams, including local communities and business engagement, tourism and promotion, and traffic and transport.
An officers’ report noted that 238,000 tickets were issued in 2019, and the Open was considered to be “exceptionally successful, providing direct and indirect benefits for the council area and beyond”.
The report added: “Tourism Northern Ireland stated that the advertising equivalent value equated to £23.7 million for Northern Ireland golf tourism, monitored in media coverage across the island of Ireland and internationally.
“Northern Ireland also gained £37.3 million in destination marketing benefit from over 5,400 hours of global television coverage.
“Key economic metrics include £45 million worth of economic activity, of which £26 million directly benefited the Causeway Coast and Glens Council area.
“Tickets for the Open have been in high demand and it is likely that the numbers will exceed the 238,000 tickets for 2019, providing an excellent opportunity for both The Open Championship and council to benefit from the number of visitors to the area and the high media profile globally.
“Key benefits include an increased number of day and overnight visitors along with increased visitor spend, global media coverage of the area, employment and procurement from local suppliers and services, and profiling of an elite sport within the local community.”