East Lothian Benefits from Golf with Scottish PR Agency

THE BIGGEST golf tournament in Europe is set to once more bring a million pound boost to the East Lothian economy as a record field of 660 competitors make their way to the East Coast.

The golfing stars of the future will challenge for the 2017 U.S. Kids Golf European Championship this month on six of East Lothian’s world-renowned courses.

The weeklong event encourages junior golfers and their families to make the trip a family holiday and explore the area – which has resulted in more than £10million being brought to the area in ten years of competition.

Councillor John McMillan, East Lothian Council Provost and Spokesperson for Economic Development and Tourism, said: “This is a fantastic event which has become a fixture on the East Lothian calendar. In the decade since the championship was first held in the county, it is thought to have resulted in a multi-million pound boost for the local economy.

“The fact that we continue to draw events of this stature to East Lothian underlines that Scotland’s Golf Coast is blessed with fantastic assets. We have the highest concentration of golf courses in the world and I’m very proud of the many people who work hard to maintain our reputation as a superb golfing destination.

“The young people attending and their families will receive a very warm East Lothian welcome, and I’m sure will greatly enjoy experiencing some of our historic and world-famous golf courses.”

Showcasing the area’s best courses, this year’s tenth annual tournament will feature Royal Musselburgh – one of the world’s oldest clubs – for the first time.

The competition will also see a return to Gullane, Craigielaw, Longniddry, Luffness New and The Glen for the nine boys age groups and seven girls age groups.

Players will make the trip from over 50 nations across the globe including Vietnam, Malaysia, China and Chile with competitors as young as just five years old.

Dan Van Horn, President and Founder of U.S. Kids Golf, said: “Of course, we are proud of the growing popularity of this championship. This will be another record year in terms of size and impact that these families bring to East Lothian as part of the tournament.

But we never lose sight that each player brings his or her own story to the European Championship. Their hours of hard work, practice and determination result in world-class competition, new friendships and lifelong memories. East Lothian will be a cherished experience for hundreds of families long after the final putt drops.”

The tournament takes place over May 30^th-June 1^st and culminates with the European Van Horn Cup on June 2^rd– a showpiece event, modelled on the Ryder Cup, where the top finishers from Europe match up against the best from the rest of the world.

As part of its growing list of European events, U.S. Kids Golf Foundation now run the British Kids Championship at Celtic Manor, Venice Open and European Local Tours in Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Valencia, Venice, Rome, Milan and Lisbon.

The European Championship – like all U.S. Kids Golf Foundation tournaments – puts emphasis on high quality competition and the use of scaled yardages to foster enjoyment of the game.

Holding its first tournament in 2000, U.S. Kids Golf Foundation now runs more than 1,200 events each year including the prestigious World Championship at Pinehurst.

The Foundation is the charitable branch of U.S. Kids Golf – the world’s largest producer of junior golf equipment. The firm has pioneered the development of golf clubs for young people, eliminating the problem of kids using heavier, cut-down adult clubs which often hurts developing swings and discourages budding players.