Visit Kent is offering tour operators and IGTM buyers an exclusive invitation to view its new range of golf break deals, which combine playing World and UK Top 100 golf courses with visits to the region’s top 10 city, coast and countryside highlights, as well as the opportunity to sample Kentish produce and culinary delights.
Just 45 minutes from London and a short crossing from the Continent, patrons of the award-winning golf destination are spoiled for choice with world-class golf courses and landmarks increasingly combining to provide new golfing experiences for visitors worldwide.
Among the acclaimed courses continually attracting golfers to the ‘Garden of England’ are the ‘Regal Five’, comprising North Foreland, Littlestone Golf Club, Prince’s, Royal Cinque Ports and last year’s Open Championship venue, Royal St Georges, as well as Chart Hills, one of the best new courses of the country opened in 1993, and the London Golf Club situated on the North Downs rolling countryside close to Ash Green and the historic Brands Hatch motor racing circuit.
In expanding its golf break offerings, Visit Kent is spotlighting some of England’s oldest and most iconic landmarks. These include:
- Rich history and heritage – Only a short drive from many of the county’s leading golf courses, is the city of Canterbury, among the oldest cities in England, and the town of Sandwich, which comprises the highest density of listed buildings of any town in England, and claims to be the birthplace of the famous snack of the same name.
- Famous cathedrals and castles – Kent has more castles and historic houses than any other county in England, including: Dover Castle, dubbed the ‘Key to England’, which has safeguarded Kent’s shores for centuries, Hever Castle that dates back to 1270 and Walmer and Deal Castles, both 16th century coastal artillery forts with Walmer now the elegant residence of the Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports. Canterbury Cathedral, which dates back to AD 597, and Rochester Cathedral founded in AD 604 are England’s oldest cathedrals.
- The ‘Garden of England’ and its countryside –Kent boasts over 180 breathtaking gardens that depict the changing styles over the different centuries. From the deep rooted tradition of Penshurst Place with its formal walled garden dating back to 1346, to the meandering streams of Leeds Castle’s natural woodland garden, visitors to the county can explore some of the world’s most beautiful gardens or explore the 6,876 km of footpaths that criss-cross the Kent countryside.
- Kent’s coast and maritime heritage trail – from traditional family entertainment to adrenaline watersports, the county’s varied coastline has a beach or resort for everyone. The captivating sandy bays of Broadstairs, Charles Dickens’s favourite holiday resort, are the ideal spot for bucket-and-spade fun, while Joss Bay is popular with the surfing fraternity. The White Cliffs of Dover offer a breathtaking vantage point, from which the French coast can be seen on a good day. Kent also offers the most complete dockyard of the Age of Sail, The Historic Dockyard Chatham, which spans over 400 years of maritime history and was the place where the ships that defeated the Spanish Armada and Napoleon’s forces were built.
With the rise in popularity of specialist golf packages, Visit Kent has added culinary trips to its golf break portfolio, enabling visitors to sample Kent’s award-winning Chapel Down wine at Tenterden Vineyard, the largest producer of English wines, or indulge in genuine handcrafted ales, full of spicy Kentish hops, courtesy of Britain’s oldest brewer, Shepherd Neame.
Commenting on the new golf break offerings, Sandra Matthews-Marsh, Chief Executive at Visit Kent, said: “Kent has something for everyone. On the golf-side, visitors have a choice of 97 golfing venues, from challenging links courses and magnificent parkland courses to the county’s iconic ‘Regal Five’, while away from the fairways, many historic, cultural and maritime attractions await the discerning traveller.
“Kent provides quality visitor experiences to enthral golfers of all ages, making it a very attractive and distinct destination for a golf break.”
There are a choice of three, four or five-night itineraries that combine some of Kent’s best courses, including the ‘Regal Golf Coast’, which features three of the 14 courses that have hosted the Open Championship, and the region’s top 10 city, coast and countryside highlights.
To book an appointment at IGTM, please contact Cheryl Parker, Tourism Development Manager at Visit Kent on cheryl.parker@visitkent.co.uk.
Golf in Kent www.visitkentgolf.co.uk
2011 Open Championship venue, Royal St Georges Golf Club
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