Golf becomes big business in Switzerland

Half a billion francs a year: golf in Switzerland is no longer just a sport, but a booming economic ecosystem. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Driving this is an increasingly sophisticated business model that ranges from membership fees to the sale of shares, as well as involving companies through sponsorships. "Golf is a much less privileged sport than it was 40 years ago," Lukas Eisner, president of the Swiss Golf Federation, founded in 1902 and based in Lausanne, tells AWP news agency. At that time there were 68 golf courses in Switzerland: after the wave of construction in the 1980s, there are now 98. "Since the outbreak of the pandemic, demand has been growing," he points out, estimating the number of members at over 105,000, 30% of whom are women. The Lake Geneva area reflects the growing trend. Among the most prestigious addresses are the Golf Club in Geneva and the Domaine Impérial in Gland, in canton Vaud. Just over the border to France, the ...