European Tour Properties’ exclusive network of world class golf Destinations has once again dominated Golf World magazine’s latest listing of continental Europe’s best courses, with nine venues placed in its new Top 100.
Regarded as the authority on European golf courses and resorts, Golf World compiled a team of international experts to update its biennial ranking of continental Europe’s best layouts.
The highest-placed European Tour Properties course is the stunning Stadium layout at PGA Catalunya Resort, Girona, in north-eastern Spain, with a final positioning of 7th. Also making the top 20 are Dave Thomas’ beautiful Chateau design at Terre Blanche Hotel Spa & Golf Resort***** in the Provençal hills, near the French Riviera (15th) and Robert Trent Jones’ spectacular links-style layout at TROIA Resort, Lisbon, Portugal (17th).
David MacLaren, Head of European Tour Properties, commented: “The quality of European golf courses is rising all the time, so for European Tour Properties to maintain such a strong presence in an increasingly competitive listing is a true endorsement of the quality of golf our network can offer.
“The European Tour is committed to the very highest levels of course challenge, presentation and conditioning, and only courses that consistently match those standards become part of our portfolio. To play a European Tour Properties course is to experience the same challenge faced by Tour professionals every week – and for this guarantee of quality to be recognised in Golf World’s latest ranking of Europe’s finest courses is fantastic.”
2017 HNA Open de France host and 2018 Ryder Cup venue, L’Albatros course at Le Golf National, Paris – described by Golf World as “a thrill-a-minute modern course that guarantees a memorable experience” – is ranked 32nd. European Tour Properties’ latest addition, Spain’s Finca Cortesin, places at 42nd. The ever-popular and recently renovated Algarve duo of Quinta do Lago South and North are ranked 56th and 93rd respectively.
Kyle Phillips’ Sicilian masterpiece Verdura East, which successfully hosted May’s Rocco Forte Open, is 61st, with its sister West course, which donated nine holes to the tournament layout, highlighted as a Key Contender just missing the list. Tree-lined Linna Golf, Finland, is 96th, with Colin Montgomerie’s Maxx Royal, Belek, Turkey, praised as the second key contender.
European Tour Properties is a global collection of 25 elite golfing venues, each one chosen for its ability to deliver a tour-level experience to the visitor both on and off the course. “Whenever a panellist visits one of these venues they know they will be assessing a course and club of a certain calibre,” said Chris Bertram, editor of Golf World’s Continental European Top 100.
“The fact European Tour Properties members form almost a tenth of the entire Top 100 is testament to the quality of the venues. In what was a searingly competitive ranking this time, the fact there were two further courses that could easily have made the main list illustrates the strength in depth of the collection.”
European Tour Properties www.europeantourproperties.com
European Tour Travel Club http://www.golfbreaks.com/european-tour-properties/