Scotland’s Golf Coast, East Lothian welcomes world’s top golfers

East Lothian’s stunning coastline is being beamed to golf fans around the globe this week (Aug 13–16, 2020) as one of the key dates in The Ladies European Tour and LPGA Tour goes ahead.

As the world of sport gradually resumes behind closed doors, a huge amount of effort and work behind the scenes has gone on to make sure the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open can go ahead.

While spectators are not permitted to access The Renaissance Club, the broadcast coverage will ensure Scotland’s Golf Coast East Lothian’s place as part of Scotland The Home of Golf is highlighted to audiences in the UK and further afield as a world-class destination, to ‘dream now, travel later’.

The return of championship golf at professional level will hopefully inspire the TV audience watching here in Scotland.

VisitScotland recently launched a golf marketing campaign to encourage all levels of players here to get out and support the fantastic variety of courses and golf regions, which included a film voiced by leading commentator Andrew Cotter.

Every effort has been made to keep people and local communities safe with players, caddies, officials, organisers and broadcast personnel making up the few hundred people permitted within the ‘bubble’, restricted to access the course, practice facilities and hotels. Daily testing and additional hygiene measures are in place. 

It is the first high-profile women’s golf event in Scotland since Europe’s historic Solheim Cup victory at Gleneagles last year.

A host of players from both Europe and USA teams from that dramatic encounter in Perthshire are back on course at The Renaissance Club.

This is the second year in a row the Tom Doak-designed course will host the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, the third time in succession it has been played in East Lothian and 6 times overall, cementing the region’s reputation as one of the country’s best for staging elite level golf. Gullane and Archerfield Links have been the other host venues.

Hopefully an omen for our home players, three occasions a Scot has topped the leaderboard by the end of the week have been in East Lothian, with twice winner Catriona Matthew and Carly Booth taking the honours.

This month Scotland will also play host to the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon, the first Major Championship in the women’s game this year.

Not including the staging of events, the economic value of golf tourism to East Lothian is £21.5 million supporting 635 jobs.

For further information of VisitScotland’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, go to https://www.visitscotland.org/supporting-your-business/advice/coronavirus