R&A Investment in Golf Nears $250M, Short of $260M Goal

The R&A has moved close to a long-standing pledge to invest $260 million in golf over a decade, according to newly filed accounts that show $31 million spent on the program in 2025 alone.

How much has the R&A invested so far?

The 10-year initiative, launched in 2017, has now put nearly $250 million into golf development, governance and amateur championships. With one year left on the program, the organization is $18 million short of its $260 million goal. Turnover reached $208.6 million in 2025, and profit after tax rose to $10.3 million from $7 million, driven largely by the commercial operations of the Open and the AIG Women's Open. The R&A called the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, where Scottie Scheffler won by four shots, the highlight of its year.

What is Golf It, and how is it performing?

Golf It, the R&A's community golf and entertainment venue at Lethamhill in Glasgow, attracted more than 143,000 visitors in 2025, up from about 135,000 the year before. The site includes a nine-hole course, adventure golf, padel courts and a driving range where more than 14 million balls have been hit since it opened in 2023.

Golf It's visitor growth is arriving just as the R&A hands day-to-day control of the venue to an outside operator.

In August, the R&A appointed Northwind Leisure Golf as Golf It's operating partner, with existing venue leader Alyson McKechin remaining in post while the R&A retains ownership.

The organization is also funding construction of a new global headquarters in St. Andrews from its investment portfolio, with completion expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. It has since launched a new five-year strategy, branded "Opening Golf to the World," as the current 10-year investment program enters its final year.