On the eve of the Dutch National Open, it was announced that Monte Rei Golf & Country Club and the Royal Dutch Golf Federation (NGF) will be forming a partnership. The No 1 Golf and Country club in Portugal will be one of the NGF’s partners and will serve as a home base during the Dutch national team’s winter training period.
Monte Rei will be joining Stern, the Dutch National Lottery, Deloitte, Ricoh, and Footjoy as a sponsor of the NGF. ING Private Banking remains the main sponsor of Dutch golfing. The Dutch National Open is an NGF tournament for both professionals and amateurs, and is being held at the Hilversumsche Golf Club this week.
The partnership with Monte Rei is a good addition to the NGF’s new top-level sport strategy. National coach Maarten Lafeber wants to train intensively with the Dutch national team and the NGF coaches.
A large number of training sessions take place in the Netherlands; but in winter there are a number of training sessions in southern Europe, including at the Monte Rei Golf & Country Club in Portugal. In part thanks to this partnership, the Dutch national golf team will be able to train in better weather conditions. While this is a new concept in the Netherlands, in neighbouring countries it has been common practice for years. All these training sessions are scheduled independently of the planned tournaments.
David Shepherd, Director of Golf at Monte Rei commented: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with the Dutch Golf Federation (NGF). We are very proud of our practice facilities at Monte Rei and we feel that it will be very beneficial for the best Dutch professionals and amateur players who visit us through the winter months. At this level of golf, players are looking for every opportunity to gain an advantage and with great practice facilities, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design golf course and the perfect all year round Portuguese climate, it will really help their players gain that edge.”
Monte Rei has gained recognition around the world as a premier golf and family destination and, since its opening seven years ago, it has been ranked several years in a row as the number one golf course in Portugal. Monte Rei continues to grow and the past few years have seen a number of developments throughout the resort, with the introduction of fully serviced rental villas, along with the opening of Veranda, which includes a restaurant and bar, tennis courts, pools, gymnasium and spa.
Monte Rei www.monte-rei.com
Royal Dutch Golf Federation http://www.golf.nl/ngf