Golf tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments of the tourism industry and is generally classified as a branch of sports tourism within the broader category of alternative tourism. Understanding golf tourism first requires an understanding of golf itself. Golf is an outdoor sport played on a grass-covered course containing natural and artificial obstacles, such as water hazards and sand bunkers, in which players use various clubs to strike a small ball from the teeing area into a series of holes using the fewest possible strokes. Although definitions vary, golf tourism generally refers to travel outside one's usual place of residence for the purpose of playing golf, watching golf competitions, or visiting attractions associated with the sport.

The number of golf participants continues to increase worldwide, and golfers frequently travel to destinations offering favorable climatic conditions that differ from those of their home regions. In general, golf tourists may be classified into three principal groups: those whose primary travel motivation is playing golf; those who participate in golf as a secondary activity during a leisure or business trip; and those who travel to attend golf tournaments as spectators or to visit golf-related attractions.

Although the exact origins of golf remain uncertain, the prevailing view is that the modern game originated in Scotland during the fifteenth century. Alternative theories suggest that it evolved from the fourteenth-century Dutch game kolf (or kolven), while others trace its origins to the Roman game paganica. Golf gained widespread popularity in Scotland and England during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries before spreading throughout the world. In Türkiye, the sport was introduced in 1895 with the establishment of the Constantinople Golf Club, founded with the authorization of Sultan Abdülhamid II. Today, the club continues its activities as the Istanbul Golf Club, making it one of the oldest continuously operating golf clubs in the region.

According to recent global golf reports, golf is currently played in 206 countries, with more than 38,000 golf facilities worldwide. Approximately 78 per cent of these facilities are concentrated in the ten leading golfing nations: the United States, Japan, Canada, England, Australia, Germany, France, South Korea, Sweden, and Scotland. The Americas account for approximately 53 per cent of the global golf supply, with the United States alone representing nearly 43 per cent of all golf facilities worldwide. Europe contains approximately 23 per cent of global golf courses, followed by Asia (16 per cent) and Oceania (5 per cent).

Recent participation statistics also indicate substantial growth in golf following the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 112 million golfers are currently recorded within regions governed by The R&A, while the United States alone has an additional 41 million participants. In Türkiye, there are more than 30 active golf courses, representing less than one per cent of global golf infrastructure. Belek, located in Antalya Province, has developed into the country's principal golf destination and an internationally recognized golf tourism center.

Golf tourists generally possess relatively high levels of education and income, reflecting the comparatively high costs associated with the sport. Nevertheless, golf is widely regarded as an inclusive activity that can be played by individuals of different ages and genders regardless of physical strength or speed. In terms of international demand, the largest numbers of golf tourists originate from the United States and Japan, two of the world's largest golf markets.