Verdura Resort PGA Professional Giacomo Dovetta has earned leading international acclaim after being named as one of the world’s top 50 junior coaches by US Kids Golf.
Dovetta was the only golf instructor in Italy – and one of just two coaches in Continental Europe – to be included in the annual list presented by Coaches Institute, a division of the US Kids Golf Foundation, an organisation designed to promote junior golf around the world.
US Kids Golf conceived the top 50 awards in 2004, “to help parents find kid-friendly coaches … recognised for their outstanding ability to teach the game to kids”.
The Top 50 Kids Teachers of 2017 featured golf professionals from 26 American states and five international countries – Austrian, England, Honduras, Italy and Northern Ireland, with award recipients including coaches who work at public, private, resort and municipal courses.
Dovetta, who received a personalised plaque for his achievement, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have been included in this prestigious list, and to be the only Italian-based coach makes it an even bigger honour.
“With fantastic golf facilities and an amazing location, Verdura Resort is one of the best places in the world to play golf and is the ideal place for youngsters to learn and improve in an outstanding and safe environment.”
Dan Van Horn, the president and founder of US Kids Golf, said: “These coaches are honoured as more than instructors. They create outstanding opportunities for young golfers to learn in a fun and rewarding environment that instils a love for the game and engages the entire family. Their ability to connect with students and fully engage them in the learning process sets them apart.”
Nestling on the coast in 230 hectares of stunning landscape, warmed by the Mediterranean sun and refreshed by the sea breeze, Sicily’s Verdura Resort features two 18-hole links golf courses – the East and the West – and will host European Tour action for the second year running this spring when the Rocco Forte Open – Verdura takes place from May 10-13.
Designed by Kyle Phillips, the resort’s golf courses offer uninterrupted views of the azure waters from the undulating greens. The venue includes two 18-hole championship courses, a nine-hole, par-three layout and extensive practice facilities including a double-ended driving range and outstanding academy.
A Rocco Forte hotel and member of the European Tour Properties network, Verdura Resort has won a number of top recent global accolades, including being named by Golf Digest as a recipient of an ‘Editors’ Choice Award for Best International Resorts’ in 2016 and 2017, and provides golf on a grand scale.
Designed by Kyle Phillips, the resort’s golf courses offer uninterrupted views of the azure waters from the undulating greens. The venue includes two 18-hole championship courses, a nine-hole, par-three layout and extensive practice facilities including a double-ended driving range and outstanding academy.
In addition to unlimited use of golf facilities, guests can enjoy numerous other sports and leisure amenities including six tennis courts, an array of different watersports, a 170sqm fully-equipped gym and an award-winning 4,000sqm spa complex with thalassotherapy pools. Verdura Resort’s knowledgeable concierge is also able to offer a range of excursions outside of the hotel, from vineyards to ancient temples.
Situated on Sicily’s southern coast between Agrigento and the fishing city of Sciacca, an 80-minute drive from Trapani and Palermo airports, Verdura Resort – a Rocco Forte hotel – features 203 rooms and suites, all with a sea view, as well as three new villas which offer a perfect solution for family holidays, each with its own private swimming pool.
Serving up a mixture of sunny skies, a temperate climate and breathtaking scenery, combined with a plethora of historical, cultural and gastronomic delights, Sicily has all the ingredients for a relaxing break, and Verdura Resort is the ideal base to discover this authentic part of the Mediterranean’s largest island.
Verdura Resort www.roccofortehotels.com