He was born in Marbella although, at six years of age, he returned to Sweden, where he remained until he was 10. After his return, and a few years on, he moved to the United States with a tennis scholarship, but this sport didn’t completely fulfil his aspirations and he decided to leave it behind for golf. On his definitive return to Spain he did just about everything: worked at Las Brisas, in interior decoration, started up a maintenance company… until, in 1998, he decided to set up Golf Service with his brother Patric. “At the start,” he says, “we sold golf and hotel packages, but we realised that it was better to sell separate packages made-to-measure for clients.” Peter believes the Costa del Sol is a premier destination, and should not be worried or daunted by others such as Turkey or Portugal. “We offer a lot of attractions that others don’t have,” he stresses.
How well does a Swede like you live on the Costa del Sol?
Very well, although I should say that I am just as Spanish as Swedish. I like the climate here, the people… I love being two hours away from the ski slopes; I also like the sea a lot, being able to play golf when you want to, and loads of other things. What more can you ask for? I wouldn’t change this for anything.
Do you sell more green fees on the Coast than anyone else?
That’s what they say… Other companies are very strong but we lead the way, at least in this area.
How many green fees do you sell a year?
Between 40,000 and 50,000.
Where do your clients come from?
They come from many areas, the Nordic countries, the U.K., Germany, France...
Do you notice any differences between people depending on where they come from?
Yes, yes. There are those who pay a lot of attention to the relationship between price and quality; some only look at the price, mostly the Swedes; and others mainly want top-quality courses, including the majority of Germans.
Do you believe there are any problems in mixing nationalities? That is to say, for example, where the Britons dominate, the Germans are a little reticent…
No, no. I’ve never seen any exclusive ghettos being formed, that someone says, “I won’t go there because there are a lot of Swedes, as with Los Naranjos, for example, or because the Britons predominate in one place or another. That doesn’t happen.
What is your opinion about the standard of courses on the Costa del Sol?
It’s very high. Higher than in other areas. You go to Sweden to play any course and, apart from the very good ones, you don’t find the same average quality as here.
What should the courses be doing to improve the relationship between quality and price?
Service. Client service needs to be improved, and in that we can learn a lot from the United States. In many places, it’s the client who has to say “Hi” when arriving; if not, they won’t even acknowledge you.
Would you be willing to tell us what are your favourite courses?
No. I have a lot of favourites but I’m not going to tell you which ones. I don’t want the managers of the others calling me the day after they read this.
