From Ambassador

  
Photo courtesy: golficeland.org, golf1.is, arcticopen.is

Just like the people of Japan, the people of Iceland are highly health-conscious and enjoy various sports including mountain climbing and hiking. The most popular sport in Iceland, in terms of number of players, is football but do you know what comes next after football?
 
The answer is golf. Since the country is located at high latitude, playable season is limited to the summer months, from May to September. Nevertheless, golf, including off-season training, is a hugely popular sport here.
 
Latest statistics show that there are 61 golf courses (clubs) in Iceland, with 5% of the population – approximately 17,000 people – belonging to those clubs. On top of that, according to a recent Gallup Poll, 16% of the population – roughly 55,000 people – plays golf more than once a year. Apparently, there are far more people who play golf in Iceland than are actual golf club members.
 
I myself often go to a driving range next to a golf course on weekends and meet numerous men and women of all ages who are passionately practicing or making a round, especially during the summer season.
 
What I admire the most about the golf scene in Iceland is that family members, such as father and son, grandparent and granddaughter enjoy practicing and playing a round together, which is not very common in Japan.
 
Recalling my own experience, when I did a round with a group of people, a 75 year-old lady told me that she often plays golf alone on weekdays. But on weekends her son along with his wife and grandchildren join her sometimes on the course.
 
In fact, golf is commonly seen as a family sport in Iceland. According to statistics, 68% of all golfers are male with an average age of 48 years old. Women make up the remaining 32% with an average age of 52. In addition, 13% of golfers are children under 18 years old, regardless of gender.
 
I believe that factors such as high health consciousness, strong family ties and a privileged environment where people´s daily living spaces are located near to golf courses contribute to these phenomena.
 
Finally, I would like to mention two special golf tournaments that fit perfectly with “the Land of Fire and Ice”, Iceland. One is The Arctic Open, an international tournament held in the northern town of Akureyri every June for 2 days under the midnight sun. The other is The Volcano Open which is held at Heimaey on the Westman islands, a famous island for the volcanic eruption in 1973.
 
I would say that playing golf under the magical midnight sun, or overlooking a lava field, can be quite a unique experience that only Iceland can offer.