Golf represents the largest sports-related travel market. It has been valued at US$20 billion with over 50 million golf tourists travelling the world to play on some of the estimated 32, 000 courses. Golf Tourism is the first text for both students and practitioners of this vast and growing worldwide industry. Comprising ten chapters it discusses issues such as: The golf tourist: golfing for leisure and business, demographics, psychographics. Planning for golf tourism: the development of golf resort communities, golf destinations, the link between golf and real estate -second home ownership and lifestyle. The management and marketing of golf tourism: including operations, finances, HR issues, and the role of the Internet, advertising, PR and promotions. The impact of golf tourism: Environmental, social and economic impacts. Each chapter begins with a Golf Tourism Spotlight section which focuses on the achievements of successful individuals or organizations in the golf tourism industry. Also in each chapter there are two Golf Tourism Snapshots consisting of short, real-life cases which illustrate a particular concept or theoretical principle. At the end of every chapter there will be an up-to-date, relevant and detailed Case Study designed to foster critical thinking, which illustrate actual business scenarios that stress several concepts found in the chapter.