Landmark Media General News

International Golf Travel Market set to be most important yet

12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), the premier global event for golf tourism suppliers, buyers and media, will be staged in Valencia, Spain, November 15-18, 2010. The annual four-day event, which has become the established meeting place for golf tourism professionals from more than 65 countries across the world, is set to be the most important yet, as the industry meets to network and do business. More than 600 suppliers, including national and regional golf tourism organisations, leading resorts and golf courses will attend and exhibit, meeting approximately 350 pre-qualified buyers and golf tour operators via IGTM?s professional pre-scheduled appointment system. ?IGTM is a must-attend event for everyone in the global golf tourism industry and those who visited last year, the biggest and most successful IGTM to date, will appreciate why it is so important,? said event director Mark Walsh of Reed Exhibitions. ?Clearly, the wider travel market continues to face challenging conditions, but for proactive suppliers and buyers in the golf travel market where there is a more positive outlook, there is a great opportunity to stay ahead of the curve. IGTM is where it all happens for the global golf travel industry and we look forward to welcoming everyone to Valenciana, the outstanding golfing region in November.? This year?s IGTM will be staged at the Feria Valencia Convention and Exhibition Centre in Valencia, on Spain?s east coast. The region, whose most famous golfing son is European Tour and Ryder Cup star Sergio Garcia, is one of the finest golf destinations in Europe. Among the special events during IGTM will be the Valencia Region Gala Dinner and the IAGTO Virgin Atlantic Awards, recognising excellence in the global golf tourism industry. There will also be an IGTM golf tournament plus a variety of networking and social events. However, the focus for IGTM, which was shortlisted for Best Exhibition Under 2000m2 at the AEO Excellence Awards, the leading Association Awards in the events industry, will remain strictly professional. ?We are seeing new, innovative ways of doing business, sophisticated use of technology and a new breed of younger buyers in the golf travel market,? continued Mark Walsh. ?Combined with significant emerging markets, including Asia, these are both challenging and exciting times for the industry, and IGTM is the hub at which it all happens.? For more information about IGTM, to exhibit, register as a buyer, attend as a media delegate, or join IGTM?s LinkedIn network, visit: www.igtm.co.uk

The Open Championship returns to Kent and Royal St George's Golf Club in 2011

07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Open will return to Kent and Royal St George's Golf Club in July 2011, the only venue in southern England for golf?s most prestigious major championship. It will be the 14th occasion the historic links at Sandwich has welcomed the Open ? it was the first venue outside of Scotland to host an Open, in 1894 ? placing Kent, known as ?The Garden of England?, in the world golfing spotlight. Royal St George?s Golf Club tops the list of more than 100 golf courses in the county, which also features modern classics such as Jack Nicklaus? London Golf Club and Sir Nick Faldo?s Chart Hills, plus landmark castle courses, including Leeds Castle. In an article in the newly published Kent Golf magazine, Royal St George?s Golf Club Secretary Christopher Gabbey says: ?In many ways, there is an argument to say the Open should come down this way slightly more often than elsewhere because we are the only one in the south. ?It means a lot to the county. When the Open is in your neck of the woods, it?s terrific.? Previous winners of the Open Championship at Royal St George?s include Greg Norman (1993), Sandy Lyle (1985) and golfing legend Walter Hagen (1922 and 1928). American Ben Curtis was the winner of the most recent Open Championship at Sandwich, in 2003. The club, which has made changes to the bunkering on its 18th hole to make it more demanding for the Open Championship, as well as adding five new tees and 100 yards additional length to the course, is part of Kent?s ?Regal Golf Coast,? which includes Royal Cinque Ports (venue of The Open Championship in 1909 and 1920), Prince?s (the Open venue in 1932), Littlestone (a Final Qualifying course for the 2011 Open) and North Foreland. Kent also boasts a European Tour Destination and home of the 2009 European Open, the London Golf Club, plus Chart Hills, ranked 82nd in Golf World magazine?s Top 100 Courses in the UK and Ireland. With new fast train services to London, the Channel Tunnel rail link to Continental Europe, plus improvements to roads, more than 200,000 spectators are expected to descend on the Kent coast during Open week, with tens of thousands more from the UK and nearby European countries anticipated to take golf breaks in the county in the months before and after the event. Sandra Matthews-Marsh, Chief Executive of Visit Kent, said: ?Kent is an outstanding golf destination with so much variety and value. ?With a deserved reputation as the Garden of England, our pubs, restaurants, guest houses and hotels are renowned for their hospitality, offering quality Kentish produce. ?As well as visitors from America, the UK and South East England, we are seeing more and more visitors from Continental Europe. Indeed, we have a special cooperation with the golf courses of the Cote d?Opale and are seeing golfers from both sides of the Channel enjoying the courses in Kent and northern France.? Sandra Matthews-Marsh added: ?We look forward to welcoming back the Open Championship and everyone who comes to stay and play in the Garden of England.? For more information about golf in Kent and for a chance to win a two-night golf break, visit www.visitkentgolf.co.uk

Belek Golf Club, Turkey, to become a European Tour Destination

09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Belek Golf Club, the first integrated golf and residential community on Turkey?s Mediterranean coast, is to become a European Tour Destination. The partnership with The European Tour will result in top-flight professional golf being staged in Turkey on a new Jos? Maria Olaz?bal designed golf course, construction of which starts this autumn. Belek, 25 kilometres east of Antalya International Airport, is already a golf tourism hotspot (KPMG Golf Travel Insight report 2008) and was voted European Golf Destination of the Year by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators in 2008. Now, joining London Golf Club as a European Tour Destination, Belek Golf Club will be the first world-class venue in the region offering golfers and non-golfers alike the opportunity to own a home within an exquisite residential and resort community benefiting from year round warmth and sunshine. England football stars Michael Owen and David Platt, as well as Austrian Alpine ski racing legend Marc Girardelli, are among those who will own homes at Belek Golf Club. Hasan Besneli, Chairman of the Board, Belek Golf Club, said: ?Our partnership with The European Tour is significant as it guarantees our residents, hotel guests and golfing visitors outstanding facilities and levels of service, positioning Belek Golf Club among the world?s finest golf clubs. ?Jos? Maria Olaz?bal, who has taken a close personal interest in this project, has designed a remarkable golf course that will be a fitting venue for a European Tour event, and a compelling, enjoyable course that all golfers will want to play time and again.? The Belek Golf Club residential development, which is fed by an abundance of water flowing from the Taurus Mountains, will feature a fully navigable 7-kilometre long canal system, also connecting lakes and streams on the golf course. Other amenities include a town centre with shops, a rich variety of dining opportunities and nightly live entertainment. A wellness clinic offering spa and fitness programs will be complemented by state-of-the-art preventative and anti-ageing medicine under the guidance of medical doctors. There will also be a Small Luxury Hotel of the World. Norgra Hotel Management will oversee the highest levels of service across the resort, while Troon Golf, the world?s leading golf management company whose portfolio of properties include Turnberry, Scotland, and The Grove, London, will manage operations and service at the golf club. David MacLaren, Director of Property and Venue Development for The European Tour, said: ?Belek Golf Club is one of the best new golf and residential developments anywhere in the world and a fitting addition to the London Golf Club as a European Tour Destination, part of The European Tour Properties network of world-class golf venues. ?Belek, with its variety of high quality golf courses, excellent hotels and appealing climate, has already established itself on the world golfing map. Now, with a European Tour Destination and the promise of a full European Tour event within the next seven years, we believe this first integrated golf and residential community will become an icon for golf in Turkey.? Jonathan Orr, Finance Director for The European Tour, added: ?The development of our Property network is a major strategic objective for the European Tour and we are delighted to secure a partnership with Belek Golf Club, as we believe that it has all the ingredients to become an important strategic partner in a region of exciting potential.? There are 17 golf courses in Belek, many designed by leading international golf course architects, and all within a 15-minute drive time. With year round sunshine and warmth (monthly average temperatures range from 15?C in January to 34?C in August) and an abundance of water, Belek is already a major golfing centre. Two-time Masters Champion and winner of 23 European Tour titles, Olaz?bal, who coined the phrase ?the magic of Belek Golf Club?, said: ?The Castle Course at Belek Golf Club is my first design work in Turkey and I am honoured to be part of a development of such high international standard. I look forward to the challenge of creating a course that shall not only become a spectacular venue for The European Tour but, as importantly, an enjoyable and memorable experience for future residents and guests.? Construction of Belek Golf Club begins in autumn 2010 with a planned opening date of 2012. For more information, visit: www.belekgolfclub.com or e-mail info@belekgolfclub.com ENDS Press release issued on behalf of Belek Golf Club by Landmark Media International Ltd, www.landmark-media.com

KPMG Golf Business Forum honours Greg Norman and Annika Sorenstam

19 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

KPMG’s seventh annual Golf Business Forum, at the Gloria Hotels and Resorts, Belek, Turkey, May 12-14, welcomed two of golf’s greatest stars, Greg Norman and Annika Sorenstam, to present them with special awards for services to the sport. More than 250 industry professionals from around the world attended the three-day conference, established as the leading international event for the golf resort and community industry, this year focusing on the theme of ‘Developing Networks, Knowledge and New Business.’

Stars on the GBF podium
Former World Number One golfer, entrepreneur and course designer Greg Norman, received KPMG’s Lifetime Achievement Award 2010 in recognition of his contribution to the global game of golf, while Sorenstam, who has developed a portfolio of successful businesses under the ANNIKA brand, received the Forum’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

In a career that has spanned more than 30 years, Greg Norman has won more than 90 tournaments worldwide and has become an influential business leader, building his hugely successful Great White Shark Enterprises, as chairman and CEO. Addressing the audience of more than 250 golf business leaders, investors and developers, Norman said: “It’s been a tough time for the golf business, but things are picking up and credit is being freed up, although it’s not like flicking a light switch on.

“Will we ever get back to the halcyon days? It’s difficult to say. But the era of unlimited budgets for golf developments, as we experienced in the 1980s and 1990s, are gone. I’ve told people in countries such as China that we don’t want to repeat the mistakes of the past, because that has a lot to do with the situation we are in now.”

Norman added: “In the bad times you forge the best relationships and this is why this event is so important.
To be given this award is humbling. The golf business is something I’m truly passionate about and to be recognised by a business brand like KPMG is a genuine honour.”

Annika Sorenstam, one of the greatest professional golfers of all time and herself an emerging businessperson, was honoured with KPMG’s Golf Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2010, in recognition of the way she has built her significant ANNIKA golf and lifestyle brand since withdrawing from professional play in 2008.

Her businesses now include ANNIKA Academy, ANNIKA Course Design, ANNIKA Financial Group, an online retail shop, a high-end wine business, a clothing collection and a perfume range.

During a fascinating live, on-stage interview with CNN Living Golf’s Don Riddell, Annika said: “My life has moved on since my playing days, both from a business and personal perspective and I now enjoy golf in a different way, which is equally rewarding and still allows me to give something positive back to the game.”

Recovery yet to come for the golf industry
During a captivating opening session discussing the ‘new golf business landscape’, an electronic poll of delegates was undertaken on when they expected to see an end to the economic downturn – 44% believed it would be during 2012 or later, 40% said 2011, 11% thought the latter part of this year, and 5% were already seeing signs it was over.

Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG’s Golf Advisory Practice in EMA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) added: “It is our opinion that it will take some time for the golf industry to recover. Many developments have stopped, been delayed or even cancelled due to the global economic crisis and this is being driven by a lack of confidence, liquidity in the market and a change in consumer demand.”

This view was reinforced by Giovanni Gregoratti, director of European real estate investment banking at Citigroup. He said: “It has been a tough couple of years for real estate finance, in particular. There has been a massive shockwave where lenders were unable to fund new projects and the equity markets have collapsed. Golf, in particular, has been hit badly and it may take longer than most industries to return to where it was.”

Turkey in the spotlight
It was Greg Normans’s and Annika Sorenstam’s first visit to Turkey, and both highlighted the huge potential the region has as an emerging golf destination. Annika also revealed her golf course design business is currently working with developers of the Olivion resort in Belek on an 18-hole ‘family-friendly’ layout.

Greg Norman summarised: “To Turkey I say, good luck. It has made an incredible start as an emerging golf destination.”

Andrea Sartori said: “It was exciting to have Greg and Annika in Turkey to witness for themselves the huge strides this country is making as an up-and-coming golf destination. Our recently published Golf Benchmark Survey spotlights Turkey as a significant emerging destination and shows how this region is currently bucking the downward trend seen in more traditional golf markets. KPMG’s study showed that 85% of golf course owners and operators in Turkey indicated they had not been affected by the global economic situation and 90% have positive expectations for this year.”

The success of the Belek golf cluster in southern Turkey also shows how much a central government can foster progress. Recently, golf was chosen as a key element in Turkey’s long term tourism strategy, aiming to flatten seasonality and to attract an affluent segment of tourists, the international golfing community. The Belek region has already 11 spectacular golf resorts and was voted Golf Destination of the Year by IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) in 2008. As stated by Ahmet A?ao?lu, President of the Turkish Golf Federation, the ambitious plan is to build altogether 100 courses throughout Turkey by 2014, growing both domestic and international tourism demand.

Slow progress in Central and Eastern Europe
Although the CEE region is still considered an emerging region with huge development potential for golf projects, the development of the sector proved to be significantly slower than expected.

“Far too often we see a lack of knowledge on the complexity of golf development projects from planning through construction to operation, and a lack of understanding that having solid financial background in all those phases is a must. In addition, in some countries property taxation, in others the red tape of bureaucracy or overly strict environmental requirements hinders progress,” Sartori said.

In addition, golf is still regarded as the sport of the elite in most of the CEE region – a fundamental obstacle, which makes local people reluctant to join in the game and governments to support golf developments.

“Five years ago, Hungary was predicted to have approximately 25 operating golf courses and 12,000 registered golfers by 2013. The country is far from that – there are eight courses and some 2,000 registered players today, displaying very little progress in the past five years. All that is mainly due to the lack of strategy to include golf in national tourism development plans or to help local demand grow by building affordable courses,” Sartori added.

Nevertheless, there are promising signs, too: new courses around Lake Balaton can prove that a well-designed combination of golf, ‘sun and water’ and gastronomy can be a winning set of attractions. Also, Hungary has a huge potential to include the spa, health, wellness and wine elements in that combination.

“Knowing who you are targeting is key: focusing on golf tourism is sensible and feasible around Lake Balaton and Budapest, where both air accessibility and supplementing attractions are available, while in other parts of the country, developers should target mainly local residents with a different product, affordable and playable courses, thus helping local demand grow. Involving the whole family in the game can also raise its popularity significantly – this latter being a topical universal challenge for the game today,” Sartori explained.

Some countries in the CEE region provide source for optimism too: in sunny Bulgaria, golf was made part of the country’s tourism strategy, with the government providing preferential regulations to acquire land and easing on the administrative burden, mainly hoping that developments will offer more jobs and polish worsening unemployment statistics.

“As a result, there are eight golf courses in operation today, including signature courses designed by Nicklaus, Player, Harradine, McGinley and Woosnam. The facilities are around the capital Sofia and on the Black sea coast and provide second homes mainly for foreigners,” explained Kiril Nedev, founder and owner of Golf Club Ibar near Sofia, the first Nicklaus design golf course in South-Eastern Europe.

Estonia provides an alternative example of success: with a climate unlikely to attract golf tourists, developments target local communities. Seven affordable courses have been built in the past years, resulting in a boost in demand and penetration – the number of registered players has grown to about 1,500, almost as many registered golfers as in Hungary, which has a population of nearly seven times higher.

Poland is also in the forefront of progress in the region, with its 34 clubs, including thirteen 18-hole courses, several 9-hole ones, and also some stand alone driving ranges. The latter ones are key in helping penetration grow – according to the Polish Golf Union the number of golfers has risen to 9,000 in the past years.

“All these elements create very attractive market prospects for the future of golf in Poland. Right now there are three ongoing projects, and we see many investors considering new developments, therefore some further projects are expected to be completed within the coming years,” Maciej Kawecki, president of Warsaw-based GolfProperties.pl commented.

The Czech Republic, where golf was not banned in the communist era, displays a unique success story in the region – both demand and supply are far above the regional average with approximately 80 courses attracting some 35,000 local players.

Summing up the 2010 Golf Business Forum, Andrea Sartori said: “The global golf industry clearly has many challenges and this year’s Golf Business Forum has been an incredible opportunity for over 250 industry professionals to network and share business opportunities and best practice.”

Burhill Golf and Leisure ranked among Britain's top 100 companies with fastest growing profits

19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Burhill Golf and Leisure, the golf and property management company has stormed into The Sunday Times PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100, which ranks Britain?s 100 private companies with the fastest-growing profits. The group, which operates 10 UK golf courses and is privately owned by the Guinness family, has seen profits rise 47% a year from ?1.8m in 2005 to ?5.8m in 2008. Combined with property and marine interests, the business has invested significantly in its three successful members? clubs and seven pay-and-play golf centres, upgrading courses, clubhouses and introducing a loyalty card scheme held by 40,000 golfers. The group is now taking its successful formula into the wider industry and is launching consultancy services for golf courses aiming to increase profits, as well as taking over existing businesses and managing them on behalf of owners. ?This is a company that is making golf work,? said Burhill Golf and Leisure CEO, Colin Mayes. ?The Burhill formula is focused on high quality golf courses, operational efficiency, outstanding customer service and close working relationships with our trading partners to deliver quality standards to all our members and customers. ?This is a professionally run, profitable golf business ? and we are now looking to expand our operations to deliver consultancy and management services to golf clubs and courses.? Burhill Golf and Leisure owns and operates some of the most successful golf courses in the UK, including the prestigious Burhill Golf Club in Surrey, Aldwickbury Park Golf Club in Hertfordshire, plus two of the South East?s busiest pay-and-play centres, Hoebride Golf Centre in Woking, Surrey and Birchwood Park Golf Centre, near Dartford in Kent. As well as golf, Burhill Golf and Leisure, which was established in 1926 to manage the estates of the then Lord Iveagh, owns a diverse property portfolio. The company remains busy in property development and is currently looking at opportunities within this sector as well as hotels. Acquiring additional golf course businesses is also a stated aim for the business. ?Much of my professional life has been spent in the hotels and hospitality industry, so when I moved into golf I was amazed at the lack of consistency and quality I saw in many golf course businesses,? continued Colin Mayes. ?The UK golf industry is littered with poorly managed, unprofitable courses, which are on their knees.? Colin Mayes added: ?While I am happy with the results and progress Burhill Golf and Leisure is making, recognised in The Sunday Times PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100, I feel we could be of significant help to many struggling golf courses and their owners, putting them back on the track to increasing customer numbers and profitability.?

Costa Brava to become Landmark golf destination

12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Costa Brava-Girona Tourism – which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary as one of Europe’s finest tourist destinations – has appointment specialist golf marketing and PR firm Landmark Media to manage its international media relations.

The agency will now promote the region, a former IAGTO Emerging Golf Destination of the Year, and its 10 outstanding golf courses as a high quality destination for golf breaks.

“PGA Catalunya, which is ranked the number three golf course in Continental Europe (Golf Monthly magazine), is world renowned and the jewel in our golfing crown,” said Jaume Marin, Director of Marketing at Costa Brava Pirineu de Girona. “What is less well known is that we have a host of superb golf courses within a concentrated area, including the 36-hole Emporda resort, also in the European Top 100 Courses, and Platja de Pals, a confirmed favourite among the Continent’s elite courses.”

Jaume Marin added: “The city of Girona, the beautiful Costa Brava and the wider Catalan region have retained their distinctive cultural charm and offer golfers one of the finest destinations in Europe for a golf break all year round.”

Just an hour north of Barcelona and close to the border with France, the Costa Brava – meaning rugged coast, and characterised by picturesque rocky coves, sandy beaches and fishing villages that became the home and inspiration of genius Salvador Dali – remains one of the most naturally beautiful regions of Spain.

At its heart is the Roman city of Girona, its ancient cathedral rising high above cobbled streets crammed with restaurants and boutiques, and a lively central quarter dissected by four rivers fed by snow melt from the Pyrenees. The region is also famed for its gastronomy and no less than 14 restaurants in Girona have been awarded at least one Michelin Star. The most famous restaurant in the world, El Bulli – its chef Ferran Adrià renowned for his culinary experiments – is close by. El Bulli receives more than three million reservation requests a year, but only 8,000 lucky diners are invited to dine there.

Just a short drive from Girona’s city centre is Girona Costa Brava Airport, now a major European hub for Ryanair and other airlines, servicing seven million passengers a year and bringing most European capitals within a two-hour flight range. Barcelona International Airport is an hour’s drive away.

All 10 courses on the Costa Brava are conveniently located less than 45 minutes’ drive from the airport and include: Club de Golf Costa Brava, Club de Golf Peralada, Golf d’Aro, Emporda Golf, Golf Girona, Golf Plaja de Pals, Golf Serres de Pals, PGA Catalunya Resort, Torremirona Golf Club, Club de Golf Camprodon, plus the delightful par-3 Pitch & Putt Gualta.

“In every way, the Costa Brava is an outstanding destination and one that offers golfers excellent courses from European Tour venues to enjoyable resort courses, plus wonderful hotels, food, wine and culture,” said Gary Firkins, Director of Landmark Media. “Combined with the delights of Girona and the natural beauty of the Costa Brava, plus seasonal skiing in the Pyrenees, this is one of the finest destinations for golfers in Europe.

“We look forward to welcoming international media and golfers to the Costa Brava region.”

A schedule of press trips has been announced for 2010 and journalists interested in visiting the region should contact Gary Firkins: gary@landmark-media.com <mailto:gary@landmark-media.com> , tel +44 1780 752790.

www.landmark-media.com

Picture: Golf d’Aro by Aidan Bradley (please credit photographer when using picture)

Press trips 2010

April 22-23 (1 night)
Including: PGA Golf Catalunya, dinner in Girona, Torremirona Golf Club, Golf Girona

May 12-14 (2 nights)
Including: Club de Golf Costa Brava, Club Golf d’Aro, PGA Golf Catalunya, Golf Girona, Girona Flower Festival

May 26-28 (2 nights)
Including: Empordà Golf, Golf Serres de Pals, Golf Platja de Pals, Par 3 Pitch & Putt Gualta, Segway off-road tour, boat trip

June 9-11 (2 nights)
Including: Golf Peralada, Golf Platja de Pals, Golf Serres de Pals, Par 3 Pitch & Putt Gualta, wine tasting

September 16-17 (1 night)
Including: Club de Golf Costa Brava, Club Golf d’Aro, Empordà Golf

September 22-24 (2 nights)
Including: Golf Girona, Golf Peralada, Torremirona Golf Club, tour of Dali Museum.

For more information about the Costa Brava, visit: www.costabrava.org <http://www.costabrava.org>

KPMG: Golf and the Economic Downturn

05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

KPMG?s Golf Advisory Practice today publishes an important new report analyzing the effects of the economic downturn on the golf business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMA). The report, freely available for download from the new www.golfbusinesscommunity.com website, measures the impact of the economic downturn on golf through the business performance of golf courses in 2009 and reveals that two-thirds of the golf courses surveyed in the EMA region said the financial crisis had impacted negatively on their operations, with nearly half of all courses reporting reduced revenues and profitability. Golf courses forming part of a mixed-use residential community or a tourist resort were worst hit with 78% saying they had experienced a negative impact on operations. More worryingly, 35% of golf courses said they were experiencing lower or stagnant revenues without being able to reduce costs, raising the prospect of unsustainable business operations based on current trends. Half of the golf businesses surveyed ? totaling more than 300 courses in 32 countries ? said they had made redundancies or cut staff jobs. The regions worst affected by the crisis, measured by revenue, were golf courses in Western Europe (-8%), Great Britain and Ireland (-6%) and South Africa (-5%), the average for the EMA region being -4%. However, there were rays of hope with golf courses in some regions actually increasing their revenues, namely Eastern Europe (6%), the Middle East and North Africa (4%) and Central Europe (3%), although this growth may well have been even higher had it not been for the downturn. Golf course managers are also relatively optimistic for 2010 with 55% predicting excellent or good performance in the coming year, although managers in Great Britain and Ireland are the most pessimistic with 49% expecting ?medium performance? and 11% foreseeing poor or very poor performance. Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG?s Golf Advisory Practice in EMA, said: ?While golf course operators, on average, are feeling more positive about their future prospects, two fundamental business factors suggest the way back to the fairway will not be straightforward. ?Firstly, 35% of the golf courses surveyed are facing the worrying combination of decreasing revenues and increasing costs. For some golf courses, the narrowing of profitability might come sooner than expected and it would not be a surprise if we saw some golf courses going out of business in 2010. The depressed transaction prices of golf courses are evidence to the fact that the industry is really struggling.? ?Secondly, nearly half of all the courses surveyed reported a drop in revenues, fuelled in part by one or more of the following: a fall in memberships, green fee revenue, as well as food and beverage spending. While this decline in revenue may not be significant when averaged out (-3% to -5% across the EMA region), it is still worrying that 13% of courses have reported a reduction of more than 20% in the number of rounds played.? Andrea Sartori added: ?Golf courses ? particularly those linked to tourist resorts and the ones operating in mature markets like Great Britain and Ireland ? will have to work very hard on their relationship marketing, pricing strategies and service levels to attract new customers or lure back the old ones.? KPMG?s report, Golf and the Economic Downturn, is available to download, free of charge, from the new website: www.golfbusinesscommunity.com For more information about the annual KPMG Golf Business Forum, which takes place this year at The Gloria Hotels & Resorts, Belek, Turkey, May 12-14, 2010, visit: www.golfbusinessforum.com ENDS

ProQuip launches water repellent knitwear with total easy care

02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

ProQuip, the world’s leading innovator of lightweight golf weatherwear and Preferred Supplier to the European Ryder Cup Team 2010, has produced a new high quality water repellent lambswool garment that is as easy to wash and dry as it is to swing in.

The new knitwear range, which utilises a special water repellent finish that results in light rain beading off the surface, is believed to be the first to be manufactured using 100% premium quality British lambswool that is also total easy care.

The 2/17Nm lambswool (New metric – two pieces of fine quality yarn twisted together) produces a premium handle garment that is highly durable with minimal piling. Its total easy care performance means it is machine washable and tumble dryer friendly. In fact, tumble drying and a warm press after washing positively enhances the garment’s water repellency.

“While water repellent lambswool garments have previously been available for a variety of outdoor sports and pursuits, this is the first time such a high quality yarn and knit has been produced with total easy care,” said Richard Head, ProQuip Managing Director.

“You can conveniently machine wash and tumble dry this garment safe in the knowledge that it will come out looking and feeling as good as new – it will also continue to perform and resist rain showers, keeping you dry and comfortable.”

The new knitwear range is available in crew-neck, vee-neck and slipover styles in nine colours: Black, Bordeaux, Tartan Green, Mushroom, Navy, Sky Blue, Grey Mix, Lilac and Raspberry.

Size are S-XXL, with a suggested retail price of: £49 (crew-neck); £49 (vee-neck); £46 (slipover).

ProQuip’s unrivalled service to golf retailers includes a full club cresting facility.

Customer information: tel 01620 892219; www.proquipgolf.com

TPL appointed to modernise Emirates Golf Club?s flagship Majlis Course

10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Thomson Perrett & Lobb, the golf course architecture practice founded by five-times Open champion Peter Thomson, has been appointed by Emirates Golf Club to modernise its flagship Majlis Course, home of the Dubai Desert Classic.

TPL will carry out an audit of the course’s bunkering as part of a wider modernisation programme, overseeing the repositioning and reconstruction of bunkers to upgrade the course for professional events, including the Dubai Desert Classic and Dubai Ladies Masters, and day-to-day club and visitor play.

The 7,301-yard, par-72 layout, which opened in 1988 and was the first grass golf course in the Middle East, was ranked among the Top 100 golf course outside America by Golf Digest magazine in May 2009.

Rod Bogg, Special Advisor to Dubai Golf, and who oversaw construction of Emirates Golf Club 22 years ago, said: “We selected TPL to oversee the modernisation of the Majlis Course because of its experience in designing prestige golf courses in the Middle East and its expertise in bunkering.

“Our bunkers are out of date and, due to modern equipment, out of play. Some of the players are hitting the ball 60 or 70 yards past the fairway bunkers during the Dubai Desert Classic. While that is only one week of the year, we need to ensure that the course remains the enjoyable challenge that it is for professionals and amateurs all year round.”

Mr Bogg added: “We are not redesigning the course and not adding additional bunkers to the course, but we are looking at relocating, reshaping and reconstructing the bunkers we do have to bring the course up to the highest modern standards, as well as making some improvements to the aesthetics of the course.”

The new look course will be in play for the Dubai Desert Classic in 2011.

TPL is already busy in the region, with its multi-course design for Dubai Golf City under construction, as well as a golf course for the landmark New Giza development in Egypt.

Tim Lobb, TPL Principal, said: “As with all of the bunker work we do at important, established courses, we are taking a subtle approach to Emirates Golf Club, treading softly and respecting the much loved design that is already in play.

“What we are doing is reviewing the bunker positioning to ensure that professionals and amateurs alike will require a clear golfing strategy to plot their way around the course. The course needs to stand up to the challenge of the world’s best players, while also remaining an enjoyable challenge for the club’s members and visitors. This is an exciting project and we are delighted to be working with the team at Emirates Golf Club.”

TGI Golf and The PGA join forces to create Europe?s largest golf trade show

05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

TGI Golf, one of Europe’s leading buying groups for golf professionals, has joined forces with The Professional Golfers’ Association to create what is set to become Europe’s largest golf trade show and education event.

The event, which will build on the success of TGI Golf’s own trade show, now in its sixth year, will be open to the PGA’s 6,000-plus members in Europe, bringing the golf industry together at England’s Harrogate International Centre, from October 26-28, 2010.

The combined trade exhibition and educational event will move to larger exhibition halls at the HIC.

PGA professionals will be able to accumulate everything they need for the Association’s Lifelong Learning Programme through an extensive range of conferences and educational seminars, which will be delivered by experts and high-profile guest speakers.

For suppliers, there will be the opportunity to display and sell new products to thousands of retailers face-to-face.

Eddie Reid, TGI Golf managing director, said: “We see this show as a huge opportunity for both suppliers and PGA members. The PGA has recognised the success of the TGI Golf Show and the potential to develop this event as a platform for a larger, pan-industry trade exhibition and education event over the long term.”

Reid continued: “We wanted to evolve the TGI Golf Show and move it forward to reflect the complex market in which we work. We have been listening to our members, who have said they want and need more educational opportunities. So, The PGA has become involved to provide all the pro’s educational needs, while TGI Golf will continue to provide an exhibition that fulfils the needs of the members and partner suppliers.”

Commenting on the partnership, PGA chief executive, Sandy Jones, said: “The PGA is always looking for new initiatives to bring benefits to its membership.

“There is no doubt the partnership with TGI Golf will bring new and exciting opportunities to all PGA members everywhere.

“Having their business and buying environments plus the PGA education programmes under one roof in Harrogate means the partnership will be able to deliver many of the requirements PGA members need in their everyday business lives. As a result, I believe the new show will be a huge attraction for PGA members.

“We are excited to be working with TGI Golf, a group which has always been at the forefront of the members’ retailing programmes. I am constantly impressed by TGI’s dynamic and visionary approach in this sector of the golf business.

“The PGA looks forward to being in partnership with TGI Golf for the foreseeable future. We believe that, by working together, we will be able to evolve and develop what is already a first class show to an even higher level of excellence.”

ENDS

Press release issued on behalf of TGI Golf and The PGA by Landmark Media International Ltd

KPMG announces The Gloria Resort, Belek, Turkey, as venue for the seventh annual Golf Business Forum

28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

KPMG today announced that its seventh annual Golf Business Forum will take place at The Gloria Resort, Turkey, May 12-14, 2010.

Leading figures from the golf business world, including former World Number One golfer, entrepreneur and golf course designer Greg Norman, will attend the conference in Belek, on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, voted Golf Destination of the Year by IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) in 2008.

The two-day event, which will include a special focus on Turkey and the ‘BRIC economies’ of Brazil, Russia, India and China, will be moderated by CNN International’s Justin Armsden, sports anchor and presenter of the weekly Living Golf show.

Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG’s specialist Golf Advisory Practice in EMA, said: “The Golf Business Forum brings together leading players from the golf, real estate, finance and tourism sectors in the EMA region and has become the most important event to meet and do business. We are very excited that the Golf Business Forum is being hosted in Turkey in 2010 as this is a fast emerging golf destination that has everything going for it – high quality golf courses, a desirable climate, natural beauty and outstanding value. The Turkish Golf Federation also has ambitious plans to add more than 100 golf courses in the next 10-15 years and with recent changes to property laws regarding overseas ownership and potential future entry into the European Union, the development prospects for Turkey are extremely good. I believe this is set to be the best Golf Business Forum yet.”

Greg Norman, widely recognised as the most successful golf professional-turned-businessman, whose golf course design practice has completed more than 70 projects on six continents in the past 20 years and whose apparel brand, Greg Norman Collection, is one of the best known in golf, will attend in person to accept the Golf Business Forum Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Greg Norman is an iconic golfer and hugely successful businessman in his own right, and I have no doubt he will be an inspirational presence at the Golf Business Forum,” added Andrea Sartori.

For more information about the Golf Business Forum and to register, visit: www.golfbusinessforum.com

TourFlex by ProQuip ? a new movement in professional weatherwear

14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

ProQuip, the world’s leading innovator of lightweight golf weatherwear and Preferred Supplier to the European Ryder Cup Team 2010, has unveiled TourFlex, the first all-over stretchable rain suit in its 28 year history.

The breakthrough TourFlex fabric, developed exclusively by ProQuip over the past three years, features complete super-stretch performance enabling all golfers – from club players to tournament professionals – to swing freely and athletically, as if they were wearing a lightweight second skin. It also features striking modern styling with a slimmer, sports cut.

What makes TourFlex special is its two-way stretch fabric, made with a fine plain weave rather than a knit, as with most stretchable fabrics. This enables the whole garment to be made with super-stretchable fabric, not just stretch panels, making it the lightest, quietest and easy-to-swing-in rain suit with a waterproof outer that ProQuip has ever produced.

The technology has already been made available to Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie, who is working closely with ProQuip on a number of fabrics and designs for the European Team suit for next year’s matches at The Celtic Manor Resort.

ProQuip Chief Designer Richard Head said: “ProQuip has been the leading developer of ultra-lightweight weatherwear fabrics for nearly 30 years, but I can I honestly say TourFlex is the best rain suit we have ever produced.

“My vision was to create a lightweight, stretchable fabric that performed like a second skin – and that is precisely what we have achieved. You can swing in a TourFlex jacket and hardly know it is on, it is so easy to play in. In my opinion, TourFlex represents a whole new level of performance in athletic golf weatherwear.”

TourFlex, with its ultra-lightweight waterproof stretch outer fabric, has enabled ProQuip to create a slimmer fitting, athletic cut with Tour inspired styling and three-way colours. The high-performance fabric, with integrated weatherwear features including waterproof zips, is available in an array of sizes (S-XXXL) and colours with matching trousers and, like all ProQuip rain suits, is guaranteed for three years. The suggested retail price is £250.

For more information, call ProQuip on tel 01620 892219 or visit www.proquipgolf.com

PGA Golf Catalunya Resort celebrates 10 years in Europe?s Top 10

05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

PGA Golf Catalunya Resort has confirmed its position as one of the finest golf estates on the Continent after being ranked in the Top 10 of Golf World magazine’s Top 100 European Courses, published this month.

The acclaimed 36-hole resort close to Girona, Barcelona and the beautiful Costa Brava, which hosted the 2009 Spanish Open won by Thomas Levet, has consistently ranked in the magazine’s Top 10 since its opening a decade ago.

Now, with a new modernist clubhouse and the release of its first phase of exclusive residences, with 21 golf line plots available from €350,000, PGA Golf Catalunya Resort is recognised as a world class golf estate in one of the most naturally beautiful and culturally distinctive regions of Spain.

Golf World ranked the Stadium Course, which along with the Tour Course will once again host the European Tour’s Qualifying School Final Stage, November 28-December 3, 2009, in seventh position. The accolade follows a similar ranking by the UK’s Golf Monthly magazine in March this year, which voted the course, designed by Neil Coles and Angel Gallardo, in association with David Williams and European Golf Design, number three in Europe. Both magazines ranked PGA Golf Catalunya second only to Valderrama in Spain.

Billy O’Sullivan, CEO of PGA Golf Catalunya Resort, said: “To have maintained our position within the top 10 in Europe since opening is testament to the quality not only of the golf courses at PGA Golf Catalunya Resort, but the experience and service that visitors receive when they come to the resort.

“We have invested heavily in the courses and the new clubhouse, and have the benefit of a hotel on site. To complement our new residences, which are available as plots, finished turn key villas and self-build, we also have plans to add a sports and tennis club, plus more spa facilities. PGA Golf de Catalunya is not just one of the finest golf resorts in Europe, it is a world class resort.”

The Financial Times newspaper (September 11, 2009) highlighted Girona and the Costa Brava as one of the most desirable areas to live in the Mediterranean and, despite the economic downturn, a property “hot spot”, citing “Barcelona, Girona, beautiful countryside, the nearby Pyrenees and the world’s top-ranked restaurant, El Bulli, near Girona,” as big regional attractions.

The convenient proximity of the resort and its hotel to Girona-Costa Brava Airport, a major hub for Ryanair and other European airlines, means that golfers from across the UK, Ireland and the Continent are less than a two-hour flight away.

Tee times, including special offers, are available to book via the resort’s website www.pgacatalunya.com with stay-and-play breaks available either direct from the resort or leading tour operators including www.golfbreaks.com

Early birdie promotion extended

01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Golfbreaks.com, Europe’s largest golf travel company, has extended its amazing ‘Early Birdie’ promotion until October 31st, allowing more groups to book a 2010 golf break at 2009 prices, and take advantage of receiving cash discounts up to £300 or claim a free TaylorMade R9 Driver.

As well as the benefit of reserving the very best tee-times and hotel reservations, groups who book next year’s golf break before October 31st 2009 will also continue to receive existing Golfbreaks.com discounts, which include free stay-and-play places on certain bookings.

Golfbreaks.com are also offering customers who sign up to, or who are already members of its loyalty scheme, Break Points, the option of transferring their cash saving into Break Points, potentially saving up to £450 off future bookings.

Michael Birch, Marketing Manager for Golfbreaks.com, said: “The Early Birdie promotion has been a resounding success since we launched it at the beginning of September. So much so, we’ve decided to extend the campaign for another month to give as many golfers as possible the chance to take advantage.

“Many of our customers who travel as a group will be thinking and planning next year’s golf break right now. This promotion rewards group bookings of eight or more by allowing them to secure the best 2010 slots before they get snapped up. We’re also giving golfers a choice of reward, whether they want a straight cash discount, earn Golfbreaks.com Break Points to redeem against future bookings or, for bookings of a certain level, take part cash and a free TaylorMade R9 Driver.”

Golfbreaks.com offers over 900 venues to play golf in the UK, Europe and further afield and is one of the golf travel industry’s most innovative companies, offering a Price Promise guarantee on all bookings. It is also ABTA-bonded to protect its customers, is the official supplier to the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) and a member of IAGTO, the International Association of Golf Tour Operators.

Groups or individuals booking through Golfbreaks.com are allocated their own dedicated sales consultant, who will offer the highest levels of customer care throughout the booking process from the original enquiry through to the first drive.

Golfbreaks.com had a record year in 2008 sending 120,000 golfers on golf breaks, continuing on from this strong performance, 2009 looks set to show an even greater success with over 175,000 golfers booked through Golfbreaks.com and Teeofftimes.co.uk, the company’s online tee time booking service.

To take advantage of the Early Birdie offer, call the Golfbreaks.com team on 0800 279 7988 or to view other great offers visit: www.golfbreaks.com

Golfbreaks.com makes Landmark appointment

26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Golfbreaks.com, Europe’s largest golf travel company, has appointed Landmark Media International Ltd to manage its public relations across all sectors of the golf and travel media.

Golfbreaks.com had a record year in 2008 sending 120,000 golfers on golf breaks, continuing on from this strong performance, 2009 looks set to show even greater success with an additional 30,000 golfers booked through the company’s www.teeofftimes.co.uk pay-and-play service.

UK bookings have increased 15% year-on-year with European destinations including Spain, remaining popular choices for travelling golfers.

Keith Mitchell, Director of Product and Marketing for Golfbreaks.com, said: “Our business is very successful and prides itself on personal service and expert knowledge. Landmark Media also works to this same ethos and I believe this partnership will help to develop some exceptional media opportunities.”

Landmark Media’s objectives will be to enhance the Golfbreaks.com key messages, increasing brand awareness and communicating Golfbreaks.com’s pedigree for quality service and customer loyalty.

The business was formed in 1998 and was the brainchild of Chief Executive, Andrew Stanley, whose vision was to make booking a golf break as simple as possible. The company has experienced rapid growth to offer over 900 venues to play golf in the UK, Europe and further afield and currently employs over 70 staff.

Golfbreaks.com is one of the golf travel industry’s most innovative companies, offering customers a Price Promise guarantee on all bookings and also running a loyalty scheme, Break Points, which rewards bookings with a points system, which can then be redeemed against future holidays.

Golfbreaks.com, ABTA-bonded to protect its customers, is also the official travel supplier to the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) and a member of IAGTO, the International Association of Golf Tour Operators.

Gary Firkins, Director of Landmark Media, said: “Golfbreaks.com is one of the golf and travel industry’s success stories and Landmark Media is proud to be associated with such a great business which is enjoying significant growth. Golfbreaks.com has so many positive messages to give to golfers which can only be good news for customers looking for the best value, best quality golf breaks on the market.”

For more information on Golfbreaks.com, and to view current offers visit: www.golfbreaks.com

Arnold Palmer issues rallying call at KPMG Golf Business Forum

08 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

KPMG’s sixth annual Golf Business Forum, May 4-6, received an inspirational rallying call from sporting icon and golf business legend Arnold Palmer.

The seven-time Major Champion, who received KPMG’s Lifetime Achievement Award at The Celtic Manor Resort, Wales, venue of the 2010 Ryder Cup, addressed the audience of international golf business leaders, investors and developers on the economic situation.

“I was born during the Great Depression and I’ve lived through economic recessions,” said Mr Palmer. “We will come out of this one having learned from the experience – and we’ll be stronger.”

More than 275 industry professionals from around the world attended the three-day conference, established as the leading international event for the golf resort and community industry, this year focusing on the theme of ‘Navigating the Choppy Waters of the Economic Downturn.’

During an enlightening opening session, an electronic poll of delegates on the impact of the economic downturn was undertaken – 34.3% of businesses said the effects were severe, 46.5% moderate, 9.1% said there was no impact at all, with 10.1% saying they were benefiting from the situation.

Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG’s Golf Advisory Practice in EMA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), said: “Our poll on the impact of the economic conditions on golf businesses, albeit unscientific, echoes what is happening in other sectors of the economy. Clearly, there are challenges, but it is encouraging that more than half of golf businesses are experiencing only moderate or no impact, while more than 10% are actually benefiting, including the domestic golf tourism sector in the UK. The reason for this is the weak currency combined with a cut in discretionary spending, making it more expensive to travel abroad compared to a golf break in the UK.

“From a golf resort and community development perspective, one of the biggest challenges remains the difficulty of raising finance. When financial institutions start to inject liquidity into the markets again, we will see the industry pick up – but the lack of liquidity and confidence are the two key factors in current conditions.

“Saying that, I have also spoken to investors this week who do have access to cash, enabling them to acquire developments at significantly reduced prices compared to 12 months ago. And for consumers, now could be a very good time to invest in property in places such as Spain and Portugal.”

Andrea Sartori added: “We remain optimistic about the prospects for the golf business in the medium term and we believe that there are enormous opportunities for development in emerging markets such as China, India, Eastern Europe and South America, once we see a clear upswing in the economic cycle.”

Arnold Palmer, whose golf course design company was a pioneer in China, creating the first mainland golf course in the country (Chung Shan Hot Springs, opened in 1984), also offered encouragement for the emerging markets – and voiced his opinions on why golf becoming an Olympic sport would benefit the industry worldwide.

“I am very much in favour of golf becoming an Olympic sport,” said Mr Palmer. “I don’t think we can comprehend what it would mean to the game. From any angle, what it will bring to business, and the wider public interest it will create, it is almost mind-boggling what the impact would be.”

As a seven-time Ryder Cup veteran and former captain, Mr Palmer also commented on the Ryder Cup coming to Wales in 2010. He said: “The Celtic Manor Resort will be a wonderful venue for the Ryder Cup. Conditions will make it very interesting for the players and the spectators. The American team better start thinking about the conditions they are likely to face in Wales as they will have to work very hard to win.”

Summing up the 2009 Golf Business Forum, Andrea Sartori said: “Arnold Palmer is a legend in golf and the golf business and we were thrilled to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to him.

“Given the tough economic conditions, the attendance for this year’s Golf Business Forum has been outstanding. To have 275 industry professionals attend underlines the quality of this event and the networking and business opportunities.”

Other comments from speakers in the headline session, Riding out the Storm, included:

Joe Beditz, President and Chief Executive Officer of The National Golf Foundation:
“The current economic climate represents a phenomenal buying opportunity for investors. Negative cash flows are causing some developers to reconsider their positions within projects and therefore investment opportunities are available for up to 25% less than the original developer investment.”

Commenting on the economic downturn…“In the United States we’ve undertaken a major study of private golf courses and we found that over 400 had changed status to become public courses to drive revenues from golfers. It makes sense when you consider that this is a more attractive option than having to close down the whole operation due to a reduction in private members.”

Ray Wilson, Managing Director of Southern Golf:
“The current climate represents the best opportunity for developers who are willing to be strong and take a chance. The challenging global economy has driven construction prices as low as they have ever been, so build costs are that much lower. It will take a brave company to commit to a building project now, but financially it does make sense from a cost perspective.”

Jonathan Orr, Financial Director of The European Tour:
“We’re in a stable position with regards to sponsorship revenues and, in fact, golf has held up in the current economic difficulties. If you take The Ryder Cup as an example, we have already sold four of the six partner sponsorship packages, which is on a par with previous Ryder Cups at this stage. The supply of sub-sponsors is more challenging and hospitality packages will undoubtedly be the toughest of all.”

Gregg Breningmeyer, Group Director, Sales and Marketing, for John Deere Worldwide:
“Certainly, from an overall investment perspective, course renovations, machinery purchases and new course developments are being put on hold, but there are areas of the world that are weathering the storm better than others. If you look at Mexico, other areas of South America, China and Asia as a whole, things seem to be far more robust. The US is one of the worst hit regions of the world but I would personally say China has some huge opportunities for growth going forwards.”

For more information, visit: www.golfbusinessforum.com

ENDS

PGA Golf Catalunya is ideal Ryder Cup venue - Thomas Levet

06 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Spanish Open winner hails his favourite Spanish course Frenchman Thomas Levet, who claimed his fifth European Tour victory in the Spanish Open at PGA Golf Catalunya on May 3, has hailed the venue as his ?favourite course in Spain.? The 40-year-old former Ryder Cup player, who shot 18-under-par to win the Spanish Open, also claimed PGA Golf Catalunya would be ?ideal? for its original use ? to host the Ryder Cup. The venue was originally purpose built by the European Tour to host the 1997 Ryder Cup, but its delayed construction resulted in the matches being relocated. Levet said: ?I love PGA Golf de Catalunya, it is my favourite course in Spain. It would be an ideal Ryder Cup venue.? PGA Golf Catalunya was recently named the no.3 course in Europe by Golf Monthly, and the Stadium Course impressed a second Ryder Cup star, Soren Hansen, who broke the course record with a first round of 63, which incredibly included a double bogey. But nine birdies and an eagle saw him etch his name into the record books. Hansen said: ?It was a great honour to beat the record at a place like PGA Golf Catalunya. I was really impressed with the course, it is a great test of golf, a course where if you don?t get it right you can do badly. ?All credit to the Spanish Open and to PGA Golf Catalunya for a great course. We always talk about the wonderful conditions of golf courses in America, but now we play in the same great conditions in Europe and PGA Golf Catalunya is a great example.? Agustin Garcia, Director of Golf at PGA Golf Catalunya, said: ?The course was in outstanding condition, and this was reflected in the comments made by a number of players taking part in the Spanish Open. The hard work and investment made by the proprietors has paid off and we have a golf course we can be extremely proud of.? The 36-hole resort, which also boasts a luxury hotel, has undergone significant investment over the past two years, making it one of the finest golf venues in Europe and host to the 2008 and 2009 European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage. Barcelona Girona Airport, serviced by Ryanair, is just 10 minutes from the resort, with Barcelona International Airport (55 minutes) also providing easy access from across Europe. Sound bites from the Spanish Open ?This is a lovely course, it really suits my game.? Peter Lawrie, 2008 Spanish Open winner ?I know the course quite well because I played the Tour School here, and I like it a lot.? Chris Wood, Open Championship Silver Medal winner 2008 ?I like the course. I was here when the Spanish Open was played in 2000, and the course conditions are always perfect.? Jarno Sandelin, Ryder Cup player 1999 ?There are some beautiful sights around the golf course. It looks as if it?s been here for 50-60 years, but it only opened 10 years ago.? Ewen Murray, Sky Sports commentator ?The course is as good as it gets. I?m such a big fan it?s just a wonderful wonderful golf course. If you get the opportunity to come here and play do it, it?s an amazing place.? Wayne Riley, Sky Sports on-course commentator

Important New golf recruitment web portal goes live

24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Colt Mackenzie McNair, the specialist executive search firm which offers recruitment solutions to the global golf industry, has launched a new web based service enabling golf businesses to fill lower to middle management vacancies, while helping industry professionals looking to develop their careers.

The portal, called CMM Select (www.coltmm.com), allows golf businesses to advertise vacancies free of charge, with a placement fee applied only if an appointment is made via the service.

CMM Select has won the backing of the Club Managers Association of Europe, European Golf Course Owners Association, IAGTO, The PGA’s of Europe and the British Golf Industry Association.

“This is an important, new, cost effective service that will help golf businesses to publicise vacancies not only to the whole of the international golf business, but to other sectors and industries where candidates with transferable skills can be attracted into golf,” said Richard Wood, co-founder of Colt Mackenzie McNair.

“We have launched a global marketing campaign to raise awareness of CMM Select, targeting best-of-breed professionals operating in the retail, sales and marketing, catering and hospitality industries.”

The CMM Select portal, which is part of Colt Mackenzie McNair’s new website, will also benefit individuals already working in golf looking to develop their careers. Visitors to the site will be able to view vacancies in real time, searching by job title, job type, region and salary band. Candidates wishing to apply for a job will be able to do so online, as well as uploading their CVs to be considered for future positions.

More than 50 vacancies are already available to view on the site – including club managers, directors of golf, sales executives, marketers, food and beverage managers, retail managers, greenkeepers and estate managers.

“This is an important innovation for the golf industry which, traditionally, has not taken a professional approach to recruitment,” continued Richard Wood. “There has been far too much reliance on personal networking and word of mouth. For certain positions, including sales and marketing, I think golf businesses should look to recruit from outside the industry, bringing in professional experience and fresh ideas from sectors such as leisure, retail and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG).”

Colt Mackenzie McNair, which specialises in executive search for golf businesses in the UK, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific, is also offering a new, managed service to support CMM Select. The service will enable golf clubs and golf businesses without their own internal HR departments to benefit from advice including benchmarking, collating CVs, candidate profiling and applicant shortlisting, all for a set fee.

Richard Wood added: “It’s ironic that we should be talking about recruitment when many golf businesses are considering redundancies in 2009. However, it underlines the point that if you want your business to succeed, you have to have the best people – and CMM Select is the ideal solution to finding outstanding talent.”

For more information, visit www.coltmm.com

PGA Golf Catalunya voted No.3 in Top 20 European Courses

03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Europe?s ?most photogenic golf course? celebrates 10th anniversary with another top 10 ranking. PGA Golf Catalunya, the acclaimed 36-hole golf resort near Barcelona and host to the 2009 Spanish Open, April 30-May 3, has been confirmed as one of Europe?s top golfing venues in a new course rankings survey. The UK?s Golf Monthly announced this week that PGA Golf Catalunya ranked 3rd in its inaugural Top 20 European Courses, voted for by the magazine?s senior staff, contributors and a panel of readers. The accolade was awarded to the resort?s Stadium Course (formerly known as The Green Course), originally developed by the European Tour to host the 1997 Ryder Cup, but whose construction was delayed, eventually opening in 1999 in time to host the Sarazen World Open won by Thomas Bjorn. The estate, which is under the same ownership as Portugal?s Quinta do Lago, and which will soon privately release its first phase of exclusive residences, has caught the eye of the golfing world in recent months. In November 2008, following filming of the European Tour?s Qualifying School Final Stage, European Tour Productions Senior Producer Tim Lacy said in an e-mail to European Ryder Cup Director Richard Hills that PGA Golf Catalunya was ?the most photogenic golf course? he and his team of experienced cameramen had ever filmed. Those comments followed the publication earlier last year of the influential Peugeot Golf Guide in which PGA Golf Catalunya was awarded a rating of 18 out of 20 for the Stadium Course, equal second highest ranking among all Spanish golf courses, with the Tour Course, which co-hosted Q School Final Stage, securing a place among the Top 1,000 Courses in Europe. Juan del R?o, CEO of PGA Golf de Catalunya, said: ?Since it opened 10 years ago, the Stadium Course has consistently ranked among the top 10 courses in Europe. Along with the Tour Course, we are very proud of our golf courses and the first class experience we deliver for every visitor. ?We are making some significant enhancements to PGA Golf Catalunya in 2009, including the construction of a limited number of luxury dwellings. Combined with our new clubhouse, which has just opened, we feel we are well on the way to achieving our goal of making this the finest golfing estate in Europe.? PGA Golf Catalunya, with its outstanding, stylish hotel, also commands a fantastic location. The resort is just an hour north of Barcelona, 20 minutes? drive from the glorious sandy beaches and rocky coves of the Costa Brava, and 90 minutes? drive from the nearest Pyrenees ski resort. What?s more, Barcelona Girona Airport is just 10 minutes from the resort, with Barcelona International Airport (55 minutes) also providing easy access from across Europe, ensuring golfers from the UK and Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia, The Netherlands, France and Italy can enjoy one of Europe?s finest golf venues. (See details below for golf packages.) ? For information, offers and tee time bookings, visit: www.pgacatalunya.com

More than 160 million rounds of golf played in Europe, the Middle East and Africa* - KPMG's third an

18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

KPMG?s Golf Advisory Practice today publishes its Golf Benchmark Survey 2008 for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The report, now in its third year and widely regarded as one of the most important sources of industry knowledge, analyzes the business performance of golf courses across the EMA region, based on golf courses? performance in the 2007 operating year. This year?s report specifically focuses on the number of rounds played and total revenues generated. More than 1,500 courses in 35 countries participated in the comparative survey which, for the first time, includes figures for the growing North Africa region. Pioneering regional reports for China and South America are also being published as part of the 2008 survey (all reports are available to download free of charge at www.golfbenchmark.com). The development of the golf market in the EMA region has been remarkable. In the past 20-25 years, the number of courses has been growing by approximately 3% annually, while the number of golfers has increased by 5% annually. Today there are close to 7,100 regular golf courses across the EMA region and approximately 4.5 million affiliated golfers. Highlight findings of the Golf Benchmark Survey 2008, include: * Golf courses in Dubai remain the highest earners in the EMA region, with an average annual turnover exceeding EUR 7 million, a slight increase on last year and four times more than courses in Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands * The top five performing regions are the Middle East (EUR 5.8 million), Western Europe (EUR 1.4 million), Benelux (EUR 1.4 million), Central Europe, comprising Germany, Austria and Switzerland (EUR 1.1 million) and Great Britain & Ireland (EUR 933,000), the largest golf market in EMA by share of courses (42%) and golfers (33%) * Golf Courses in Eastern Europe recorded the lowest average revenues, EUR 559,000 * Although growing, the golf market in the Middle East is comparatively small with 26 courses (0.4% of the total number of courses in EMA) and 17,900 affiliated players (0.4%) * The estimated total number of rounds of golf played across EMA was 162.5 million * The region with the most rounds played was Great Britain & Ireland 75.3 million (46.3%), followed by Western Europe 28.5 million (17.5%), Central Europe 18.8 million (11.6%), Northern Europe 18.2 million (11.2%) and South Africa 11.7 million (7.2%) * Golf courses in the Middle East recorded the highest number of rounds played per 18-hole course, averaging 40,237 rounds per year, followed by South Africa 33,575, Benelux 28,092, Great Britain & Ireland 26,853 and Western Europe 25,870 * However, the number of rounds at top performing 18-hole golf courses is even higher with 49,200 rounds at courses in Western Europe, South Africa 48,743 and Middle East 47,150. Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG?s Golf Advisory Practice in EMA, said: ?When comparing revenues and profitability with development costs by region, golf facilities in the Middle East generate the highest average revenues/profit per hole, while this is the region where it costs the most to develop a golf hole, according to our research: EUR 528,000 against the average of EUR 217,000 in the EMA Region?. Other regional highlights include: * Northern Europe (Scandinavia) ? the larger the course, the higher the proportion of member rounds. On 18-hole courses, the number of member rounds is 67%, 27-holes 68% and 36-holes 73% * Spanish golf courses are among the best performers in the EMA region in terms of the number of rounds played. The top 20% of performers in Spain achieved more than 54,000 rounds on average * Swiss golf courses achieved the highest average revenues in Central Europe with EUR 1.4 million, followed by Germany EUR 1.1 million and Austria EUR 1.0 million * Great Britain & Ireland ? approximately 50% of revenues of 18-hole golf courses come from membership and 20% from green fees. Andrea Sartori added: ?The comparative Golf Benchmark Survey report for EMA and the three new regional reports for China, North Africa and South America, are the culmination of a number of important research projects published this year as part of the Golf Benchmark initiative, including the ?Golf Travel Insight? report and ?The Golf Course Development Cost Survey?. In addition, KPMG published ?The Value of Golf to Europe, the Middle East and Africa?, in co-operation with Oxford Economics. These reports provide unique market intelligence and, as such, can strongly support the industry shareholders? business decisions. ?I would like to thank golf course owners and operators for their invaluable help in compiling the Golf Benchmark Survey 2008 and hope that industry stakeholders will find the information in this report, and our other reports, useful in their business operations. Furthermore, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the sponsors and supporters of the Golf Benchmark initiatives for their continuous support.? The Golf Benchmark Survey 2008 is available to download from: www.golfbenchmark.com * Based on golf courses? performance in the 2007 operating year.

China is one of the most expensive places in the world to play golf, KPMG report reveals

01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

China is one of the most expensive places in the world to play golf, surpassing even the Middle East, according to a pioneering report by KPMG Golf Advisory Practice. The study, published today, following the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China, is part of KPMG?s third annual Golf Benchmark Survey, which analyses the state of the golf business across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and beyond. This is the first time China has been included and the findings reveal a unique and rapidly developing golf market that is also one of the most expensive and elitist in the world. According to the report, there are now some 300 courses, more than half of which have opened since the year 2000. While reliable statistics on the number of golfers are not available, KPMG estimates there are approximately 300,000 people who are either members of clubs or who play golf regularly. However, club memberships and green fees are among the most expensive in the world. The average initiation fee of a golf club is a staggering US$53,000 ? more than four times the cost of a club membership in Spain and Switzerland, the countries with Europe?s most expensive joining fees. One-in-ten Chinese clubs charges initiation fees exceeding US$100,000, with annual subscriptions varying between US$1,500 and US$4,000. What?s more, green fees are the highest of any country studied by the Golf Benchmark Survey. Chinese golfers pay on average US$161 to play an 18-hole weekend round, outstripping the average green fee in Dubai (US$152). The report, which surveyed 70 clubs across China, cites three main factors behind the growth in golf: the rapidly expanding economy, which has generated corporate demand for the game; the burgeoning leisure and tourism industry; and media exposure driven by professional tournaments like the World Cup of Golf, which will be staged in China every year until 2018. ?There?s no doubt that golf in China is catching on fast, but it is an elitist sport,? said Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG?s specialist Golf Advisory Services Practice in the EMA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). ?Asked about their future expectations, 98% of the golf course operators we surveyed said prospects were either ?excellent? or ?good?. Our analysis was conducted prior to this autumn?s global financial crisis, but we still expect the medium to long-term prospects for Chinese golf to be strong. ?If even one in every thousand Chinese played golf by 2030, that would add up to 1.3 million golfers, requiring perhaps 1,700 new courses over the next two decades. But the extremely high pricing policy and the government?s continuing ban on the development of golf courses on agricultural land could be barriers to that kind of growth.? Other key findings in KPMG?s study reveal that: * Golf is male-dominated in China: 87% of club members are men * Annual club subscriptions vary greatly in China, and are often negotiated privately with individual members, according to the member?s ?business value to the club?

Portugal, Spain, Turkey and Dubai are golf tourism's future hot spots, KPMG report reveals

18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

KPMG Golf Advisory Practice today publishes its Golf Travel Insight report for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, revealing Portugal, Spain, Turkey and Dubai are seen as golf tourism’s future hot spots.

The study, which surveyed more than 80 specialist golf tour operators in 21 countries and was conducted in spring 2008, prior to this autumn’s financial and economic downturn, reveals that Portugal and Spain are predicted to be the most popular destinations in the coming years. However, some surprising destinations are catching up fast. Turkey ranks third on the list of future golf hot spots, closely followed by Dubai – despite figures that reveal the UAE has the most expensive green fees in the entire EMA region. A weekend round on a UAE course now costs on average €121, compared with €78 in Portugal (the second most expensive) and just €30 in the cheapest destination, South Africa.

It’s not good news for established golf destinations such as Scotland and Ireland, however, where operators expect stagnation in inbound golf tourism.

Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG’s specialist Golf Advisory Practice for the EMA region, said: “From our research it seems well established destinations are not losing market share thanks to their deep golfing traditions and the quality of their golf, but the growing competition doesn’t leave much room for further growth. Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia were widely tipped as emerging destinations, and the quality of service in the US, combined with a favourable exchange rate at the time of the survey, makes America very attractive to European holiday golfers.”

The Golf Travel Insight study also paints a fascinating picture of the typical holiday golfer. They play four to six rounds of golf on their typical week-long break, sampling between three and five different courses, and spend an average of €250 per day on the trip – but only a quarter of which is spent on golf itself.

When choosing a destination, they care most about the climate and quality of golf courses – and don’t value sightseeing significantly during their golf trip (sightseeing opportunities ranked bottom when tour operators were asked which factors were most important to their clients).

At the time of the survey in spring 2008, tour operators reported a confident outlook with 90% expecting the sector to keep on growing, 9% predicting stagnation and only 1% forecasting a decrease. Almost half of the surveyed tour operators indicated that high-end golf holidays are becoming more popular and that allocated budgets for golf packages are also increasing.

The report draws on findings from KPMG’s recent study on the overall value of golf to the EMA economy, which revealed that golf tourism generates more than €6.5 billion in total revenue, contributes almost €2 billion to GDP, and supports 60,000 jobs. Between 1 and 1.5% of all leisure trips in the EMA region are now taken by golfers.

Andrea Sartori added: “Our report reflects how important tourism now is to the golf business – it accounts for more than 13% of the entire golf economy in the EMA region. It’s encouraging to see that 90% of tour operators anticipate either steady or spectacular growth in the future. However, this research was conducted prior to the financial and economic downturn and had the survey been undertaken today, the results may well have been different.”

Open de Espana to return to PGA Golf de Catalunya in 2009

17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

PGA Golf de Catalunya has been selected to host the European Tour’s Reale Open de España 2009, it has been confirmed.

The resort, which previously hosted the event in 2000, will welcome Europe’s best golfers, from April 30 to May 3, as part of the Race to Dubai.

“PGA Golf de Catalunya’s Stadium Course is widely regarded as one of the best golf courses in Europe and we are very excited to have been selected to host the Reale Open de España,” said Juan del Rio, CEO of PGA Golf de Catalunya.

“There has been significant investment in the resort over the past year, including the opening of a new clubhouse and upgrades to our two courses, plus new roads to the hotel, making access to Barcelona and Girona Airport, which is now just five minutes’ drive away, even easier.”

PGA Golf de Catalunya also announced that it is renaming both of its courses. The acclaimed Green Course, designed by European Tour legend Neil Coles and leading Spanish tour professional Angel Gallardo, in association with David Williams and European Golf Design, will now be known as the Stadium Course.

When the course opened in 1999 it was ranked in Continental Europe’s Top 10 Courses by Golf World magazine and was this year awarded 18 out of 20 by the influential Peugeot Golf Guide, making it the joint second highest-ranking course in Spain.

The Red Course, which opened in 2005 and is also being used this week during the European Tour’s Qualifying School Final Stage, and is a popular tourist course, will be renamed the Tour Course.

An official announcement regarding sponsors will be made soon. Reale, Turespaña, Turisme de Catalunya, Patronat Turisme Costa Brava Girona, Melia, PGA Golf Catalunya, Real Federación Española de Golf, and the Federació Catalana de Golf are all backing the event.

“The return of the Reale Open de España is important news for PGA Golf de Catalunya, the city of Girona, the Costa Brava and the wider Catalunya region,” added Juan del Rio. “We look forward to welcoming Europe’s best golfers next spring.”

Keith Waters, Director of International Policy for The European Tour, said: “The European Tour is delighted to be returning to the outstanding PGA Golf de Catalunya for the 2009 Spanish Open. We had a hugely successful tournament there in 2000 and will return to a venue with outstanding facilities that will provide a true test of golf for our Members.”

Exclusive online video interviews with five times Open Champion on new-look TPL website

17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Thomson Perrett & Lobb, the international golf course architecture practice founded by five times Open Champion Peter Thomson with partners Ross Perrett and Tim Lobb, has launched a new website featuring exclusive video interviews and project insights.

The new site at www.tpl.eu.com includes a Library section showing videos and interviews with the partners, plus articles and downloadable documents on a variety of golf course design related topics.

The content will benefit golf industry professionals, investors and developers, delivering high-level insight into golf course design and essential issues such as irrigation and sustainability.

Five-times Open champion Peter Thomson gives exclusive video interviews alongside partners Tim Lobb and Ross Perrett and talks about the history and origins of TPL, which dates to 1964, the year prior to his final Open Championship victory.

Tim and Ross also talk in-depth about TPL’s major project at New Giza, Egypt, where the course descends spectacularly into the bowels of a former quarry within view of the ancient Pyramids.

There are also important discussions on how TPL tackles water consumption and the techniques used to restrict water wastage during the development of courses and their maintenance once completed.

Ross Perrett said: “The new website is an important vehicle for us, keeping the industry and potential clients informed of what is going on at TPL and, beneficially, giving them insight into the way we work and think as golf course architects.”

Watch the videos for yourself at www.tpl.eu.com

ENDS

Golf course in view of the Pyramids is the most dramatic landscape setting yet for a TPL design

03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Thomson Perrett & Lobb, the international golf course architecture practice founded by five times Open Champion Peter Thomson with partners Ross Perrett and Tim Lobb, has unveiled its design for a golf course in the most dramatic landscape the company has worked with yet, on hills overlooking the ancient Pyramids.

New Giza, Egypt, is to be built on desert hills with spectacular views to the ancient monuments and includes at least one tee shot where golfers will be required to line up with the Pyramids.

The masterplan for the project, which will be a landmark development for Egypt including residential areas, a resort, university, school, hospital plus a dedicated public transport system, has now been fine-tuned and it is hoped construction on the course, which will descend into the bowels of an old quarry, will start early in the new year.

The new route has allowed TPL to create a beautiful course with dramatic golf holes incorporating 50-metre high quarry cliffs.

Tim Lobb said: “There are some breathtaking holes with the par-3 4th and 13th standing out. It will be one of the most spectacular landscapes we’ve worked on, and we are using the natural features to add drama to the journey around the course. We will add bold landscape features with strong bunkering and large greens.”

One of the most memorable holes will be the par-3 4th. Standing on the tee of the 185-yard hole, looking across at the Pyramids, the golfer will face a shot over a ravine and onto a green 25-30 metres below the tee, in the depths of the quarry.

Other standout holes include the par-5 12th, which plays down into the quarry bed with the high cliffs running all the way down the left side of the hole, creating a vertical presence and a visually striking hazard. The hole has a double dog-leg with a water hazard in one of the quarry’s many natural lows adding further food for thought for the golfer.

The following hole, another par-3, continues the route down into the quarry with a tee shot to a green 10 metres below and surrounded by the quarry wall, giving the hole the feel of an amphitheatre.

“As a design firm there are few opportunities to create golf holes where the line of play is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but that is precisely what the golfer will experience at New Giza,” added Tim Lobb.

ENDS

Major players in European and American club management gather in London

28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Leading club managers from America and Europe gathered in London for the sixth annual Business Management Institute (BMI) International Conference in London, October 16-21, 2008.

Senior figures from major golf, country, city and dining clubs on both sides of the Atlantic attended the five-day conference, benefitting from topical debates, educational seminars and a dazzling social calendar amid the splendour of London’s historic city clubs.

Keynote speaker Tony Jacklin, Europe’s most successful Ryder Cup Captain, teed off proceedings with an inspiring presentation on leadership in sports at The Royal Automobile Club on Pall Mall.

The conference agenda, themed ‘Tradition, Innovation and Future Global Trends’ also covered Leadership in Business, Psychology and Dynamics of Teams, Trends in Technology for Clubs, Business Continuity, Marketing and Media Relations at a variety of venues across London including The Landsdowne Club, Royal Air Force Club and Caledonian Club.

Ken Schofield, former Executive Director of the PGA European Tour, Mathieu Hoeberigs from the European Commission and Jim Singerling, CEO of the Club Managers Association of America, were among the contributors.

“This was a high-quality event in every sense,” said Jerry Kilby Chief Executive of the Club Managers Association of Europe. “Delegates not only benefited from the outstanding educational sessions and sharing best practice with the best club managers in the world, we were able to do this amid the most inspiring surroundings, creating a special and memorable atmosphere for the conference.”

Social events during the five-day event included a visit to the Houses of Parliament, gala dinner at the RAC, golf day at The Berkshire Golf Club, plus tours and visits to numerous London clubs including the Hurlingham Club and All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon.

The conference was also the backdrop for the publication of the CMAE’s new Club Manager Job Survey 2008 and the award of the first European Certified Club Manager qualification to eight leading club managers.

BMI international 2009 will take place in Stockholm, Sweden, October 15-20, 2009.

For more information about the CMAE, visit: http://www.cmaeurope.org

ProQuip's stretchable suit a perfect fit for Faldo in Valhalla

15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

ProQuip, official weatherwear supplier to the European Ryder Cup Team, has spent the past 15 months developing an exclusive lightweight, stretchable fabric for Nick Faldo’s men.

The North Berwick-based company has worked closely with Faldo to create a special suit to give the European team a competitive edge should Kentucky produce the heavy, thundery showers it is prone to.

Although the actual European Team rain suit will remain top secret until the match begins on September 19, ProQuip has confirmed that the exclusively designed fabric is ultra-lightweight and is stretchable throughout.

Richard Head, ProQuip’s managing director and chief designer, said: “Nick Faldo knew exactly what he wanted, and that was the ultimate lightweight, quiet, stretchable weatherwear. While there are rain suits available with stretch panels built into the jackets, this is the first time, as far as I am aware, an ultra-lightweight, plain weave fabric has been created with two-way stretch throughout. That makes it supremely lightweight and easy to swing in.

“Nick and the players think it is a fantastic fabric, and should the weather become an issue in Valhalla, the European Team will be prepared.”

Head and Faldo first met up some 15 months ago to discuss ideas for the Europeans’ weatherwear for Kentucky, and the captain has been involved in the design process from start to finish.

Head explains: “Nick wanted a waterproof outer, as opposed to a waterproof drop-liner, because he wanted the suit to be lightweight and fend off Kentucky’s rain which, when it does fall, falls by the bucket load.”

At the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May, a number of potential Ryder
Cup players were scheduled to be measured up by the ProQuip team in
preparation for the event. But, for some players, it just couldn’t be done.

Head explained: “We had a lot of players who didn’t want to be fitted because they were superstitious. They simply did not want to be measured up because they were so nervous they were pre-empting something and didn’t want to jinx their chances.”

While secrecy surrounds the suit the European Ryder Cup Team will wear this week, ProQuip is set to launch a high-performance suit using the same specially developed, stretchable fabric, probably in early in 2009.

“Two years ago we developed Silk Touch for the European Ryder Cup Team, which was an iconic rain suit at The K Club and highly acclaimed by the players. It was a suit and fabric that went on to win a number of awards and product tests. I am confident that our new stretch fabric, will take the golf weatherwear market by storm – and possibly the Ryder Cup, too.”

ENDS

Is this Europe's most beautiful golf hole?

07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Golfers can discover for themselves when they take the Qualifying School Challenge at PGA Golf de Catalunya, one of Europe’s top rated golf resorts and venue of the 2008 European Tour Q School...

Here’s an opportunity for golfers to test themselves on two of Europe’s top rated golf courses and venue of the 2008 European Tour Qualifying School.

The PGA Golf de Catalunya resort, just an hour’s drive north of Barcelona and within 10 minutes of Barcelona Girona Airport (serviced by Ryanair, BMI and Spanair among other airlines), and 20 minutes from the glorious sandy beaches of the Costa Brava, has launched two play-and-stay packages enabling international golfers to take on the courses that will test Europe’s best up-and-coming golfers at Q School in November 2008.

The Green Course, which previously hosted the Sarazen World Open won by Thomas Bjorn, is Spain’s second highest-ranking course, according to the influential Peugeot Golf Guide, and is one of the most naturally beautiful and enjoyable golfing experiences anywhere in Europe.

Combined with a modern, stylish, luxury hotel, first class facilities and a second, resort-style golf course – The Red Course – which will also be used for Q School, PGA Golf de Catalunya is the one of Europe’s premiere golf resorts and a superb destination for midweek and weekend golf breaks.

Now, with continued expansion at Barcelona Girona Airport, 10 minutes from the resort, and a wide-ranging offering of scheduled flights to and from Barcelona International Airport, 55 minutes’ drive from the resort, golfers from across the UK and Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia, France and Italy, can enjoy one of Europe’s finest golf resorts.

Tee Package:
* 3 nights’ accommodation in a Classic double room with buffet breakfast
* 2 green fees at PGA Golf de Catalunya (Green and Red Course)
* Free use of the sauna and Turkish bath, hydromassage and fitness room
* Welcome cocktail
Price: EUR €280.55 per person (based on two people sharing a double room)
Half board: €29.96 per person per day
Supplement for individual room: €128.40
(Weekend green fees cost a supplementary €15 per round)

PGA Package:
* 5 nights’ accommodation in a Deluxe double room with buffet breakfast
* 2 green fees at PGA Golf de Catalunya (Green and Red Course)
* 1 green fee at Golf d’Aro
* 1 green fee at Golf Costa Brava
* Free use of the sauna and Turkish bath, hydromassage and fitness room
* Welcome cocktail
Price: EUR 586.50 per person (based on two people sharing a double room)
Half board: €29.96 per person per day
Supplement for individual room: €294.25
(Weekend green fees cost a supplementary €15 per round)

* NB The Green Course is closed August 7-17, 2008, for maintenance – the Red Course is closed August 17-30, 2008.

For more information on PGA Golf de Catalunya, visit: www.pgacatalunya.com <http://www.pgacatalunya.com>

Flights to and from Barcelona Girona (Costa Brava) Airport, include scheduled services by Ryanair, BMI, Spanair, Central Wings, Flyglobespan, Jetairfly, My Travel, Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomson Fly, Transavia and Wizzair. For information visit: www.barcelona-girona-airport.com <http://www.barcelona-girona-airport.com>

For services to and from Barcelona Airport, visit: http://www.barcelona-airport.com/

FREE EDITORIAL FEATURE
For a free editorial feature on golf at PGA Golf de Catalunya, plus visiting Girona and Barcelona, including high-resolution photography, please contact: gary@landmark-media.com <mailto:gary@landmark-media.com>

Media Enquiries
For any media enquiries regarding PGA Golf de Catalunya, including image requests or press releases, please contact Gary Firkins on: tel +44 (0) 1780 752 790, or email: gary@landmark-media.com <mailto:gary@landmark-media.com>

Notes for Editors
PGA Golf de Catalunya opened in 1999 and quickly established an international reputation for outstanding quality. The Green Course was designed by European Tour legend Neil Coles and leading Spanish tour professional Angel Gallardo, in association with David Williams and European Golf Design, combining years of experience to create an architectural masterpiece.

The 6,560-metre, par-72 Green Course was considered so good that it was ranked in the Top 10 courses in Europe by Golf World magazine within a year of opening. In the same year, it hosted the Gene Sarazen World Open, won by Thomas Bjorn and, in 2000, the European Tour’s Peugeot Open De Espana.

In 2008, the Green Course received a rating of 18/20 from the influential Peugeot Golf Guide, bettered only in Spain by Valderrama, which consistently ranks as Continental Europe’s best course. Coles and Gallardo also designed the shorter Red Course at PGA Golf de Catalunya, which opened in 2005.

PGA Golf de Catalunya is the venue for the PGA European Tour’s Qualifying School final stage, which takes place from November 13-18, 2008, over both the Green and Red courses.

KPMG Golf Benchmark Survey 2008 open for business

01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

KPMG Golf Advisory today announced that there are just a few weeks left for golf courses to submit information for the Golf Benchmark Survey 2008.

The acclaimed report, which has been credited with ‘taking the guesswork out of the golf business’, is set to be published later this year, with participating courses receiving a complimentary printed copy of the final Summary Report.

This year’s Golf Benchmark Survey will focus simply on round and revenue figures and, for the first time, will include performance data of new markets including China.

“We are encouraging as many golf courses as possible to participate in this essential source of golf market intelligence,” said Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG’s specialist Golf Advisory Practice in EMA. “This year’s questionnaire is shorter and easier to complete and, as always, strictly confidential with no references to individual courses.”

The Golf Benchmark Survey (GBS) enables individual courses to compare their own performance to the industry high, average and low benchmarks. Since its launch in 2006, it has become a valuable source of information to golf industry stakeholders, including golf course owners, operators, golf course and real estate developers, as well as suppliers to the golf industry (designers, equipment manufactures, consultants, financial institutions, and professional media representatives).

KPMG targets almost every golf course operator at more than 6,000 courses in the EMA region in order to receive their input for the survey. In 2007, nearly 1,500 golf courses across 48 countries participated in the Golf Benchmark Survey.

To participate in the 2008 Golf Benchmark Survey and receive a complimentary copy of the Summary Report, please visit: www.golfbenchmark.com

For more details about the Golf Benchmark Survey please contact Zita Valint at KPMG tel +36 1 887 7264 or via email: zita.valint@kpmg.hu

ENDS

Financial Times Business of Golf supplement features Landmark Media clients

18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Landmark Media clients benefited from coverage in the Financial Times' special Business of Golf supplement, published during Open Championship week.

The Financial Times contacted Landmark Media direct to discuss a number of articles, paving the way for KPMG Golf Advisory, Burhill Golf & Leisure and Thomson Perrett & Lobb to be featured.

"The Financial Times has a worldwide readership comprising CEOs and high net worth individuals," said Gary Firkins. "Generating stories about our clients in the FT and this supplement is of significant value."

PGA Golf de Catalunya is ranked among Europe's best courses

19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

PGA Golf de Catalunya, venue for the 2008 PGA European Tour Qualifying School finals, has been ranked among Europe’s top courses by the influential Peugeot Golf Guide.

The luxury 36-hole resort, an hour north of Barcelona and just 20 minutes’ drive from the glorious sandy beaches of the Costa Brava, was awarded a rating of 18 out of 20 for its Green Course, the second highest ranking among all Spanish golf courses.

The Red Course, which will co-host final Qualifying School in November, was also ranked among Europe’s Top 1,000 Courses by the newly published Peugeot Golf Guide.

Juan del Río, CEO of PGA Golf de Catalunya, part of the PGA European Tour Courses group, said: “The Green Course was voted one of Europe’s Top 10 Courses when it opened in 1999, so we have always known that we have a very special golf course. What’s especially pleasing, though, is that the quality of the Red Course has also now been recognised by the European Tour, which is a fantastic reward for all the investment and hard work that has gone into achieving our target of making PGA Golf de Catalunya a world-class resort.”

The Peugeot Golf Guide team of inspectors, made up of golf professionals, golf course architects, journalists and highly skilled amateurs, visit and review every golf course in Europe in order to update the guide every two years. Inspectors use a proven formula and questionnaire to evaluate three criteria – the golf course, clubhouse and hotel.

PGA Golf de Catalunya’s 6,560-metre, par 72 Green Course, designed by European Tour legend Neil Coles and former Spanish tour professional Angel Gallardo, and which hosted the 1999 Sarazen World Open won by Thomas Bjorn, was awarded 18 out of 20 by the guide’s editorial team, making it the second highest ranked course in Spain.

“It is terrific for PGA Golf de Catalunya to have both courses recognised by the Peugeot Golf Guide. We feel the courses complement each other perfectly and, combined with our outstanding hotel and new clubhouse, which will open later this year, there is an outstanding golfing experience on offer for discerning international golf travellers,” added Del Río.

ENDS

For more information on PGA Golf de Catalunya, visit: www.pgacatalunya.com

Media Enquiries
For any media enquiries regarding PGA Golf de Catalunya, including image requests or press releases, please contact Gary Firkins on: tel +44 (0) 1780 752 790, or email: gary@landmark-media.com

PR seminar for PGA European Tour Courses

29 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Landmark Media's Gary Firkins delivered a seminar about the power of PR at the PGA European Tour Courses conference in Spain this week.

Managers from some of Europe's best known golf courses, including Quinta do Lago, Kungsangen and host venue PGA Golf de Catalunya, participated in an interactive session focusing on using the media to raise awareness and positively influence consumer perception.