In 2008 seven courses designed by European Golf Design, the joint venture company of The European Tour and IMG, will host tournaments on the European Tour and Ladies European Tour.
At the end of May The Twenty Ten course at Celtic Manor plays host to the Celtic Manor Wales Open. Built to stage the 2010 Ryder Cup, the course opened in late 2007. Nine new holes have been designed and nine renovated from the original Wentwood Hills course to produce the first ever purpose built Ryder Cup venue.
The same week the Challenge Tour visit Marriott Worsley Park Hotel & Country Club, England for the Oceanico Developments Pro-Am Challenge. Worsley Park, seven miles from central Manchester, opened for play in 1999.
From 11th – 13th July Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links will play host to the AIB Ladies Irish Open. Designed in association with Bernhard Langer, the EGD course opened for play in 1995.
In September the Seniors Tour visit the newly built Casa Serena for the Foxconn CZ Open. Casa Serena opens for play this year. Located an hour to the east of Prague, Foxconn built the course for the exclusive use of their clients and executives.
The fifth course to host the European Tour is Fleesensee in Germany. Part 1 of The European Tour Qualifying School takes place in September. Three courses were designed by EGD and the project was completed in 2002.
The Challenge Tour return to San Domenico in October for their Challenge Tour Finale, the third year San Domenico has hosted this event.
Finally in November PGA Golf De Catalunya, situated in Gerona, just outside Barcelona, opened in 1998, hosts the European Tour Final Qualifying School.
“European Golf Design are very proud of the fact that three of our courses have received the honour of being named ‘Best New Course in Europe’ by Golf World magazine,” said Jeremy Slessor, EGD’s managing director. “The Faldo Course at Sporting Club Berlin, in association with Nick Faldo, was named as Best New Course in 1997 and PGA Golf de Catalunya near Barcelona received the same distinction for 1999.
“The Marquess Course at Woburn Golf & Country Club was named ‘Best New Inland Course in UK’ and The Montgomerie Course at Carton House, in association with Colin Montgomerie, near Dublin, was named ‘Best New Course for 2004’,” he continued. “In addition, The Marquess Course and our course at Dubai Creek Golf & Country Club have been named by Golf World in their list of the Top 100 Courses in The World.”
European Golf Design has projects under design including courses in Bulgaria, Barbados, Czech Republic, Greece, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Bahrain, Russia, South Africa, Spain, and Turkey.
European Golf Design www.egd.com