Kingsbarns Golf Links makes final preparations for the 11th Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Kingsbarns Golf Links is set to welcome some of the world’s leading golfers when it stages the prestigious Alfred Dunhill Links Championship for the 11th consecutive time from September 29 until October 2, 2011.
The European Tour event boasts a £3.1 million prize fund and the likes of US Open champion Rory McIlroy, Open champion Darren Clarke, world number two Lee Westwood and defending champion Martin Kaymer are expected to line up on the magnificent links in the East Neuk of Fife.
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is the highlight of Kingsbarns´ golfing season with a glittering array of celebrities from the worlds of movies, music and sport joining the professionals in the pro-am team event. The likes of movie star Samuel L Jackson, former Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres and football legend Johan Cruyff are among the regular stellar celebrity contingent.
Since Kingsbarns began staging the championship after it opened in 2000 it has consistently received praise from the professionals and the amateurs alike for its excellent conditioning and the wonderful test of golf it provides as a modern links course.
British actor Hugh Grant said when interviewed at Kingsbarns: “For the middle-aged golf addict like myself, this is like dying and going to golfing heaven.”
The Hollywood film star Andy Garcia said: “The Kingsbarns Course reminds me a lot of some of the golf courses on the California coastline. There’s one on the Monterrey Peninsula, and Pebble Beach too. I love playing links courses and Kingsbarns is a beautiful design. It looks much more than just 10 years old.”
The course is in immaculate condition after a busy season and Course Manager Innes Knight and his team will be doing final course conditioning work in the run-up to the event.
Kingsbarns new Chief Executive Alan Hogg said, “I am very much looking forward to my first Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Kingsbarns. Hosting a prestigious European Tour event of this calibre is a real feather in Kingsbarns’ cap and we will be working hard to ensure it is every bit as memorable as the previous events here. I hope many people take the opportunity to come along on the championship days to see the stars in action and enjoy the wonderful setting of the links.”
The Kingsbarns Clubhouse has been extended for the championship with a temporary marquee which will be available throughout September for large corporate events. With seating for up to 100 guests the marquee offers a stunning 180 degree view of the Fife coastline.
The Kingsbarns ‘Experience’ offers 5* service from arrival until departure including: personal meet and greet on arrival, the full range of golf services and facilities, bespoke catering, private whisky tastings and much more.
Please note the course will be closed to public from September 24 until October 2, 2011.
For more information please go to www.kingsbarns.com and www.alfreddunhilllinks.com.
Golf Club Grado introduces new range of stunning images
Grado Golf Club, one of north-east Italy’s most picturesque and popular golf resorts, has teamed up with the leading Czech photographer Lukas Pelech to deliver a range of new top class photography of the resort.
The photoshoot took place at the beginning of August and covered the wide range of products Tenuta Primero and Golf Club Grado offer to their customers from accommodation in the Marina Suites and family bungalows over to the range of restaurants and bars at the resort, private beach and swimming pool and, above all, the championship golf course and its facilities.
The golf course photography includes images taken from ground level as well as a series of breathtaking aerial shots which capture the unique location of Grado Golf Club between the Adriatic Sea and Laguna di Grado. The aerial images also showcase countless water hazards which make the layout particularly challenging with special focus on the signature par 3 first hole which is reminiscent of the famous 17th island green at TPC Sawgrass in Florida.
Lukas Pelech specializes in hotel, architecture and golf photography and working on a project with so many varied elements to it suited perfectly his expertise. Lukas currently works with several leading hotel chains and premium product brands in the Czech Republic and is looking to expand further to Europe with special focus on hotel and golf course photography.
Lukas Pelech said: “Top quality photography is a must for any resort these days because there is so much focus on the visual side of any presentation whether it is in print or through digital media and the internet. You can have the most beautiful hotel or golf course in the world but if your photographs don´t deliver the same message, you are losing time and money.”
“I was really excited about working on the Tenuta Primero and Grado Golf Club project because the location is unique, the facilities are of a high standard and the golf course combines a scenic location with some dramatic water hazards. I am pleased that the new photography does real credit to the resort.”
Ivan Marzola, the owner of Grado Golf Club and the Tenuta Primero Resort said, “We are delighted with the portfolio of images Lukas Pelech has delivered for Tenuta Primero and Grado Golf Club. He made the most of the location, its landmarks and the characteristic features of the resort and captured the warm and friendly atmosphere nicely. His photography will be a fantastic promotional tool which will help us greatly in our PR and marketing efforts.”
The new photography can be viewed on the Tenuta Primero and Golf Club Grado website www.tenuta-primero.com. Please go to Golf Club drop down menu and click on Gallery to view the selection of images.
Kingsbarns Golf Links´ star rises in the international course rankings
Kingsbarns Golf Links has cemented its place among the top links courses around the world after being ranked highly in two of the most authoritative golf rankings.
The stunning modern links course near St Andrews in Scotland has been ranked No. 54 in the latest biennial rankings published by Golf Magazine in America. This is a rise of seven places on the 2009 rankings.
The rankings are compiled by a board of 100 raters from 17 countries which include LPGA Hall of Famers, financial managers, tour operators, photographers, golf course architects, British and U.S. Amateur winners and many others. Even though the raters have no specific criteria to follow, they focus on design rhythm, variety of terrain and holes, setting and conditioning, and how well the course tests players’ full arsenal of skills.
Golf Digest Magazine USA has also ranked Kingsbarns as No. 12 in their prestigious Top 50 Links in Great Britain & Ireland, a remarkable accolade for a course which celebrated only its tenth anniversary last year.
The impressive results are fitting recognition of the hard work the Kingsbarns´ team puts in to maximising the quality of the course conditioning, facilities, service and the overall customer experience. As part of this effort Kingsbarns recently implemented a new website with a last minute online booking facility.
Kingsbarns Chairman Art Dunkley said: “We are delighted by the recognition Kingsbarns is achieving worldwide. None of it would be possible without our dedicated team of staff who are committed to delivering excellence for our golfing customers and to continuing to develop Kingsbarns’ status as one of the leading links courses in the world.
“Our new General Manager Alan Hogg will shortly be taking up his post and I know he will be working hard to build on these achievements and to develop Kingsbarns even further.
Kingsbarns has consistently performed well in international rankings including:
Golfweek, USA – No. 1 modern course (built after 1960) in Great Britain and Ireland
GOLF Magazine, USA – The 50 Greatest Courses of the last 50 Years – Ranked no.11, Ranked no.1 in Europe
Golf Digest, USA – Top 100 Best Courses outside the United States – Ranked no.18
Golf Monthly, UK – UK and Ireland Top 100 Courses – Ranked no.11
Golf World, UK – Top 100 Courses You Must Play – Ranked no.5
Golf World, UK – Top 100 Courses in the World – Ranked no. 34, ranked no. 15 in Europe
For more information please go to www.kingsbarns.com.
Trick shot Maestro David Edwards books his place at the Dubai World Championship
Trick shot maestro David Edwards secures his place at the Dubai World Championship in December for second consecutive year. One of the most successful trick shot artists in the world will again deliver top class entertainment to both the audience and the players.
David made an impact on the event with his amazing show last year especially when the young Irish star Rory McIlroy was happy to lie on the ground with a teed up ball in his mouth held by Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen for David to strike.
Renowned around the world for his stunning array of trick shots, David has racked up 20 different countries over the last 12 months and appeared at major events such as the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and the Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie.
David’s globetrotting build up to the grand finale of the European Tour season in December continues next month when he heads north to Denmark and Norway bringing the wow factor to corporate days staged by two of the world´s leading blue-chip companies.
At the end of September David will be performing for the galleries at the Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Ireland when Europe takes on the USA.
“I am very excited about performing at major events on the golfing calendar such as the Dubai World Championship and the Solheim Cup this year,” said David. “When I performed at the Ryder Cup there was an electric atmosphere and I think the crowd fed off that so it made it a great experience for me. I relish being able to demonstrate different trick shot techniques and to make use of some unusual golf clubs to provide slightly more relaxed entertainment for golf fans.”
Trick shots are just one part of David’s armoury and he regularly tours golf clubs around the UK and beyond delivering video commentary on golf days. His tongue-in-cheek observations and wry humour are proving extremely popular at golf events as the ideal way to round off the day in the clubhouse.
For more information visit: www.david-edwards.co.uk
