An agreement has been reached with the Associação Turismo do Algarve (Algarve Promotion Bureau) for the Annual Congress and International Team Championship (ITC) 2010 to take place on the Algarve on November 28-December 1, as the annual week of PGAs of Europe highlights is staged at Portugal’s famous stretch of golfing coastline for the first time.
The luxurious, 5-star Tivoli Victoria, in Vilamoura will be the Host Venue for the Annual Congress with delegates and guest staying in the hotel and the luxury apartments providing team accommodation for the competitors in the ITC.
The ITC will be played nearby at Vale de Lobo, one of Europe’s best-established and most well-loved golfing destinations.
The events will take place between 26th November and 1st December with the Annual Congress bringing together top executives from the 37 member PGAs of the PGAs of Europe to discuss topics relating to the business and advancement of their Associations and the ITC featuring teams of the 3 leading Professionals from within those PGAs.
With a choice of over 34 golf courses, the Algarve is the perfect place for players to practice their swing. Golf plays a major part in the Algarve sporting calendar as many professional tournaments are held in the region each year. With an average of over 300 days of sunshine a year, it is considered one of the top golfing destinations in Europe.
Tivoli Victoria has been created to the highest possible specifications with spacious conference facilities including the most modern audio-visual equipment alongside its range of leisure opportunities and a growing reputation for its cordon bleu cuisine.
This will be the location of the Annual Congress and of the Awards Dinner, featuring the ITC presentations along with the winners of the Lindberg Bowl and of the 5-Star Professionals honours.
Vale de Lobo features two outstanding golf courses, The Royal, and The Ocean, and this year, a few weeks after the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor, Wales will be defending their proud ITC title as the opposition becomes tougher by the year and countries in mainland Europe growing ever stronger. The courses offer a combination of links and parkland-style golfing territory with the Royal ‘playing dramatically along the cliff edge’ and the Ocean ‘sweeping down to the beach edge’.
The move to the Algarve, Portugal’s golfing Mecca, comes after the Congress and ITC have been staged in Spain for almost two decades, beginning in Murcia, at La Manga before moving to the Costa Del Sol for many years and more recently returning to Murcia at Roda Golf and Beach Club.
“We are thrilled to be bringing our Annual Congress and International Team Championship to the Algarve which has over the years developed itself into a world-class destination for golf tourism with great variety and quality in its offering to golfers” commented Ian Randell, PGAs of Europe chief executive.
“This commitment from the Algarve is testament to the important role that PGAs and PGA Professionals can play in the promotion of a region and our delegates and competitors can look forward to wonderful facilities and a warm welcome at the end of November.”
“We are delighted to welcome for the first time the PGAsE Annual Congress and the ITC.” said Nuno Aires, President of Associação Turismo do Algarve.
“Golf is part of Algarve’s history as a tourist destination. It is not the knowledge of the general public but the first golf club in the Algarve dates from 1937, a 9 hole links near Portimão, although golf really started in the 60’s, with Sir Henry Cotton.
“Nowadays, golf tourism is of the most importance to our destination, with nearly 1 million rounds played per year. Such demand requires a wide variety of both golf courses and facilities which the Algarve is proud to offer: golf courses designed by some of the world renowned architects, lay-outs creating a more, or less, challenging course, practice facilities that attract golf professionals either to bring their clients for golf clinics or to practise themselves.”
“This partnership with the PGAsE will certainly encourage us, more than ever, to keep up the standards to your expectations!”
The PGAs of Europe www.pgae.com
Algarve Promotion Bureau www.algarvepromotion.pt