With a month to go before Scotland’s most influential golf industry gala night, speculation is growing surrounding the likely nominees for this year’s Golf Tourism Scotland Gold Standard Awards. With 11 categories up for grabs each recognizing the best Scotland has to offer, the GTS awards dinner has become Scotland’s red-carpet showpiece for golf tourism.
To be held on Thursday 5th November at the new-look Turnberry Resort, the GTS Awards Dinner brings together industry representatives from travel, hospitality, golf courses and the golf service sector. For this reason alone it has become a must-attend event since its inception four years ago.
“Uniquely, the awards bring together many strands of golf tourism in Scotland to recognize and celebrate the best our country has to offer,” commented Nick Hunter, chairman of GTS. “In a year acknowledged by many as being challenging, it’s arguably more important than ever to celebrate exponents of best practice. The opportunity to relax, exchange views and chat with contemporaries will be a welcome respite for many.”
The format for this year’s event follows last year’s ground-breaking showpiece which saw GTS members not only nominate online for the first time, but also vote for their favourites in an online poll. This means the GTS Gold Standard Awards are the only Scottish golf industry honours to be nominated and voted for by the industry itself. “This is the only opportunity Scotland’s golf tourism sector has to recognize its peers,” said Hunter. “This adds even greater significance to the awards because the votes and nominations come from the industry itself.”
Although nominations are only accepted from GTS members, non-members can also be recommended thereby ensuring the Gold Standard Awards truly represent Scotland’s best. A shortlist of nominees will be produced and voting will be conducted online with the exception of the Young Industry Person Award and a new Special Achievement Award.
In keeping with true award ceremony protocol, the 11 winners will only be revealed on the night meaning a nervous wait for all nominees. The GTS Gold Standard Awards are: Golf Course of the Year; Hotel of the Year (Small Hotel/Guest House, Country House, Large Hotel and Resort Hotel); Secretariat of the Year; Caddie Master of the Year; Transport Operator of the Year; Golf Tour Operator of the Year; Young Industry Person Award and the inaugural Special Achievement Award.
For more information visit www.golftourismscotland.com and to join GTS, visit www.golftourismscotland.com/join