The future of one of the most popular and well-respected golf holiday companies is in good hands after PGA Professional Craig Trower officially took over the reins of The American Golf Holiday & Pro-Am Tour.
Formed by John and Alison Hooper, the Southampton-based company have been offering tournament golf holidays and tailor-made packages to some of the finest courses in America for 25 years. Each year the Hoopers organise between five and seven trips to the states, with hundreds of PGA Professionals enjoying the ride.
One of those is Trower, who after taking teams to a number of the company’s overseas pro-ams, approached the Hoopers about taking over the business. With the support of some enthusiastic golfers from The Wisley Golf Club in Surrey, where Craig worked for nine years, the acquisition was completed.
“I’m excited about the opportunity and I can’t wait to get going,” said Craig, who has been a qualified PGA Professional for 13 years. “My inspiration for my first trip was selfish in the sense I put it together as I was desperate to play TPC Sawgrass but then other events snowballed from then. During the events I was able to see the level of detail John and Alison put in; it’s just the most perfect golf holiday.”
The American Golf Holiday has arranged hundreds of Pro-Am Tour events in the USA, including TPC Sawgrass, the home of The Players Championship, and Pebble Beach, which will host the 2019 US Open. The company also offers tailor-made holidays, tuition breaks, as well as spectator packages to The Masters at Augusta.
Tower continued: “The big sell to PGA members is that we give pros an opportunity to play at some of the best courses around the world in the same conditions as some of the PGA Tours stars, that’s the big sell. I want to galvanise more pros to get involved and looking ahead I want to expand out to other grand venues. I want it to be the tour you choose to play one of these venues. To have the PGA name adds to it for me. I want to build on the events we already have, and add more in the future, but to begin with my initial goal is to maintain the standard we already have.”
The Hoopers will continue to assist Trower over the coming months during the transitional period before taking a back seat and enjoying their retirement.
John Hooper added: “Craig has been a customer of the Pro-Am Tour for a number of years and it’s quite an easy decision for Alison and I to pass it on to someone who cares about the company and can take it forward.”
For further information on The American Golf Holiday and The Pro-Am Tour, email craig@pro-amtour.com or call 023 8046 5885.