Mathematics is intimately tied to golf, and if we include Bryson DeChambeau, so is physics.
In golf, in addition to the shots on our scorecard, everything adds up and, without a doubt, the new experience of the Open de España will add greater value to a sport that, according to the “Economic Impact Report on Golf in the Community of Madrid”, drawn up at the start of the year by CEPREDE, it is an economic catalyst of special importance.
To highlight some of the most relevant figures from that independent study; golf in our community supports more than 1,800 families and more than 300 outside the limits of the Community of Madrid; it adds 235 million euros to the GDP, on top of 36 million euros in goods and services, and more than 10 million euros in investments that were made last season, all before the Open de España entering into the calculation of assets.
In addition, of the one million rounds that were played on Madrid courses last year, ten percent of them corresponded to players from overseas and the rest from national communities, meaning that the potential to increase the tourist value of the golf facilities and other services offered by Madrid is huge –to which, without a doubt, a tournament of this type, with some of the best players in the world and the global showcase that it is, will help significantly to boost these figures-.
Further information: The golf courses in the Community of Madrid consume 1.4 percent of the total water resources, using non-potable water for irrigation, it is the biggest client of Canal’s reclaimed water, as well as, compared to the agriculture sector, occupying just 0.007 percent of the agricultural land while generating 3.4 times the income and 53 times more employment.
They are also lungs capable of absorbing the same amount of CO2 as Madrid’s El Retiro Park 15 times over, a refuge for flora and fauna and, whenever necessary, their lakes and ponds are a significant help in putting out fires.
But I cannot stop quite yet; in a couple of weeks, the Centro Nacional will host the Madrid Open for Adaptive Golf, with more than one hundred entrants, the biggest tournament in Europe. It is a model of integration and achievement that is a great source of pride for Madrid golf.
As a sport, golf does a huge amount for charity. So far this year, more than 150 events have been held on the courses in our community whose proceeds went towards social causes, resources for research against diseases and integration and support for people with special needs. It does for charity what few other sports do.
But it is also a family and social sport and those who play it are its best influencers and benefactors. If you are a golfer, congratulations, you can say loud and proud: “I am a golfer!”.
And if you know someone who doesn’t play, show them the ropes, they’ll soon thank you.
By Óscar Maqueda
