(Image: RUFF Golf)
Welcome to The Herald's weekly snapshot of golf business news in Scotland.
Scotland may be the home of golf, but a Swedish company believes there is plenty of room to change where, and how, Scots play the game.
RUFF Golf is planning to open 10 indoor venues across Scotland over the next decade after signing a master franchise agreement with Targe Environmental Consulting, owned by Liam Manderson. The company's UK website already lists Stonehaven as “opening soon”, suggesting the first Scottish venue may be taking shape around 15 miles south of Aberdeen.
(Image: Damian Shields)
The deal represents another step in the expansion of RUFF Golf, which says it operates 28 venues across Europe. Its model combines golf simulators with a social clubhouse environment aimed at established golfers and newcomers alike.
But Scotland is hardly starting from scratch. The Herald has identified at least 30 fixed indoor golf venues around the country, excluding driving ranges, coaching facilities and mobile or private simulators. They range from dedicated businesses to universities, leisure centres, bars and resorts.
The shift in Scotland is part of a wider trend. A new Simulator Golf Market Insights Report from Golf Genius, produced with ION 54 and played.co, mapped 2,683 venues containing 9,580 simulator bays across 12 countries, including the UK and Ireland. Some 43% of the venues studied have opened since 2020.
The research also suggests indoor golf is evolving beyond one-off bookings. Among the venues covered by the Golf Genius study, 58% offer memberships and 32% run leagues, while demand is concentrated in evenings and weekends.
RUFF Golf is therefore entering a Scottish indoor golf market that is already taking shape, and betting there is room for considerably more.
Coul Links golf course rejection hits investment hopes
Ministers have refused permission for the proposed 18-hole course near Embo (Image: Ramblers Scotland)
Plans to use a new championship golf course to generate jobs and investment in East Sutherland have been dealt a seemingly decisive blow after Scottish ministers rejected the controversial Coul Links development for a second time.
Ministers have refused permission for the proposed 18-hole course at Embo, near Dornoch, after accepting the findings of planning reporters who concluded that the development would cause significant harm to nationally and internationally important natural assets.
The decision is a blow to Communities for Coul, which had argued that the development could generate between 270 and 400 full-time jobs and contribute between £8 million and £12m a year to the economy.
Female golfers flex their spending power
Golfers at Royal Dornoch, one of three Highland courses that will host the new Women’s Pro-Am in 2027 (Image: Kyle Roig/luxegolfconcierge)
Another new Scottish golf venture is putting the growing women’s market firmly in its sights.
Highland Golf Links is launching a three-day Women’s Pro-Am across Royal Dornoch, Nairn and Castle Stuart at Cabot Highlands in May 2027. The event will be open to 36 teams of four, with organisers targeting a professional prize fund of around £12,000 if the field is full. Team entry is £3,180 including VAT.
The proposition goes beyond three rounds of golf. Highland Golf Links is packaging the tournament as a wider tourism experience, with hotels including Links House, Kingsmills and Culloden House and optional activities ranging from whisky tasting and Highland food and drink to cycling and a Loch Ness cruise. Organisers are explicitly encouraging players to extend their stays.
Its arrival comes as new research suggests golf businesses may still be underestimating the spending power of women.
Sporting Insights says women golfers in the UK spend an average £72 more per year on golf clothing than men, despite reporting smaller ranges, fewer sizes and poorer availability in golf shops. Its 2026 apparel research is based on a sample of more than 1,000 core UK golfers.
The research firm's Sarah Goward argues that this points to untapped commercial potential, particularly if retailers improve the choice and availability of women's clothing.
Pro-Am competitions and apparel are different parts of the industry, but both raise the same business question: is golf doing enough to recognise women not simply as a participation-growth opportunity, but as customers?
Scotscraig captain backs TALGC deal after Glen golf vote
George Heron, outgoing captain at Scotscraig Golf Club, says members' fears over the club's partnership with TALGC have not materialised (Image: Supplied)
Members at The Glen voted at the end of last month against taking forward discussions with The Ancient Links Golf Company (TALGC), bringing an end to months of debate over the prospect of outside investment and a new operating model at the East Lothian club.
In Fife, meanwhile, Scotscraig Golf Club has just completed its first year under a management contract with TALGC. Members still own the course and the clubhouse, there's been substantial investment in the facilities, and outgoing captain George Heron believes any fears over the arrangements have failed to materialise.
In fact Mr Heron, a member of the club for almost 25 years, says he would vote for the arrangement again "100%".