TERRE BLANCHE: A PROVENCAL HAVEN FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS TRAVELLERS IN THE KNOW Nestled among nature in the hills of Provence’s Cote d’Azur, five-star resort Terre Blanche is establishing itself as a world leading destination for conscious travel. Taking a holistic approach to nurturing both the environment and its local community, it is leading the way in sustainable practices using a combination of state of the art technology and more traditional methods. Originally a haven for golfers, Terre Blanche is home to two 18-hole championship golf courses and is one of only 7 courses in France to have been awarded GEO certification, an exceptional distinction that recognises the resort’s eco-friendly approach. Recently ranked Number One Golf Resort in Continental Europe by Golf World Magazine UK, the resort has recently invested in renewing its fleet of 170 electric golf carts that do not pollute or disturb the surrounding wildlife. At 750 acres, Terre Blanche is an area of land bigger than Monaco and favours biostimulant products to protect the biodiversity. By using non-polluting materials, the team keep toxic waste waters from being absorbed by the soil and surrounding flora. From May 2019, the grass on both courses, Le Chateau and Le Riou, will be replaced with Dwarf Bermuda Riviera grass that will reduce the consumption of water and phytosanitary products, an important and contentious issue for golf courses around the world. Designed to emulate a Provencal ‘perched’ village, Terre Blanche hotel consists of 115 luxury suites and villas tumbling down the wooded hillside. In 2018, to reduce long term damage to the environment, generic mattresses in all suites and villas have been replaced with COCOMAT© mattresses; produced by a Greek company virtually neutral carbon footprint and recycling reach of 96%. These mattresses are 100% organic made of natural latex, rubberized coconut fiber, horsehair, cactus fibers and seaweed. Without compromising on quality, these mattresses are expertly designed to ensure maximum comfort and to allow guests to sleep peacefully with a clear conscience. Terre Blanche resides within luxuriant woods, in close proximity to wildlife reserve St Cassien Lake, a naturally rich and biodiverse, but fragile landscape. The management has made every effort to conserve the natural habitat of the various native birds, mammals and inspects, of which there are hundreds of species; from buzzards, nightingales and tawny owls to pond turtles, red squirrels, pine martins, bats and honey bees. Rather than using expensive and indiscriminate mechanical clearing of the undergrowth, Terre Blanche set up a clearing team made up of five donkeys that are selective and leave the existing biotope and fauna untouched and undisturbed. With worldwide bee populations under threat, especially in Europe, Terre Blanche has beehives and produces its own honey. Thousands of bees live on site, gathering nectar from wild flowers without the risk of being poisoned by insecticides. With our future in mind, the hotel offers educational workshops on essential role of bees in the ecosystem for the Kids’ Club and guests who want to learn more.       

Unlimited golf in an idyllic setting is the mouth-watering prospect that awaits golfers taking up Verdura Resort’s invitation to book a stay-and-play break at the exclusive Sicilian venue this spring. Described by previous visitors including European Tour star Álvaro Quirós as “paradise”and set next to the sparkling azure waters of the Mediterranean, the resort boasts one of the world’s most beautiful golfing locations and is offering players outstanding value over the coming months – with three-night unlimited golf packages bookable from €407 per person. Available until May 24 2019, the breaks include unlimited rounds on Verdura’s world-class 18-hole championship course – home of the European Tour’s Rocco Forte Sicilian Open – as well as complimentary use of the resort’s double-ended driving range. Daily use of a golf buggy over 18 holes, a yardage book of the Kyle Phillips-designed course and a Verdura Resort polo shirt, are also included together with a welcome fruit basket and sparkling wine on arrival, plus a complimentary bottle of Verdura Società Agricola olive oil. All packages, which are bookable for a minimum three nights, are on a bed-and-breakfast basis, with prices starting from €271 per room per night staying in a Deluxe Room. Set in 230 hectares of stunning Mediterranean landscape on Sicily’s southern coast, Verdura Resort’s golf facilities include an outstanding 18-hole championship course as well as a par-three nine-hole course, double-ended driving range and first-class academy and Performance Institute. Located between Agrigento and the fishing city of Sciacca, an 80-minute drive from Trapani and Palermo airports, Verdura Resort – a member of the exclusive European Tour Properties network – features 203 rooms and suites, all with a sea view, including six villas which offer a perfect solution for family holidays, each with its own private swimming pool. Away from the fairways, the resort offers an extensive array of other luxury sports and lifestyle facilities, while guests also have the opportunity to sample, on and off-site, a taste of the gastronomy, wine, history and culture that has made Sicily famous across the world. For more information, T&Cs and to book, phone + 39 06 0328 88630 or email [email protected]  

The Genzon Golf Club, a European Tour Destination, will be the venue for the 25th staging of the Volvo China Open when the event returns to the city in the Longgang district of China, near Hong Kong, on May 2-5, 2019. Although the tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Chengdu, the Volvo China Open committee has decided to change the venue in order to avoid any possible inconvenience to the event. The move follows much communication and consideration as well as discussions with the relevant authorities. The 2019 edition will now be the first event to be staged at the Genzon Golf Club since it joined the European Tour Properties’ world class network of Destinations earlier this year – the first Chinese venue to do so. The club’s track record of staging world class tournaments – it also hosted the Shenzhen International on the European Tour from 2015-17 – has paved the way for its second staging of the Volvo China Open. Organised by the China Golf Association and sanctioned by the European Tour, the RMB20 million tournament – the flagship professional golf event of the world’s most populous nation – makes a welcome return to the Neil Haworth-designed course for the first time since Frenchman Alex Levy won the 20th staging of the Volvo China Open in 2014. Sven De Smet, Chairman of the Volvo China Open Board, said: “After celebrating the 20th anniversary at the Genzon Golf Club in 2014, it feels particularly poignant to be returning to the venue once again for the 25th anniversary of the Volvo China Open. “It seems like only yesterday when Alex Levy won his first European Tour title at the 2014 Volvo China Open and since then he has gone on to become the only player to win twice in the history of the event. “Today the city of Shenzhen is one of vitality and innovation and I believe that with the full support of the Genzon Group the 25th anniversary of the Volvo China Open will be both successful and memorable at Genzon Golf Club.” Allen Fei, Vice President of the Genzon Group, said the countdown is well underway for the return of the Volvo China Open to Shenzhen. “Genzon Golf Club and the Genzon Group are committed to supporting the game of golf and the sports industry in China. It’s great to be able to bring the Volvo China Open back to the city of Shenzhen and to the Genzon Golf Club. “Our members and golf fans in Shenzhen are already looking forward to watching the best international and Chinese players competing here again. Over the next three months or so, we will work closely with the management team of the Volvo China Open to prepare for the 25th anniversary of the event and present the best-ever National Open Golf Championship of China.” The 25th anniversary will be a major milestone for the event which, with the support of the China Golf Association, has welcomed a host of players from around the world including two-time

Quinta do Lago is set to build on a record-breaking year after seeing a significant rise in golf green-fee bookings in 2018. The stunning Algarve sports and lifestyle venue reported an increase of nine per cent in rounds played at their three superb 18-hole championship courses – the North, South and Laranjal – an impressive growth of 8,500 in real terms. Aside from the continued popularity among UK guests, Quinta do Lago’s wealth of world-class facilities has seen the emergence of visitors from European neighbours Scandinavia and Italy, as well an influx of visitors from as far afield as USA, China and Argentina. After the impressive performance in 2018, the growth looks set to continue, especially with the availability of new flight routes into nearby Faro from five new destinations: Berlin, Cologne, Cork, Marseille and Milan. And with the boutique The Magnolia Hotel, the state-of-the-art sports performance centre The Campus and 10 high-class bars and restaurants to choose from, the appeal of Quinta do Lago continues to grow across the globe. Located just 15 minutes away from Faro airport, the resort’s world-class golf and lifestyle facilities make it the perfect choice for a sporting break, and Quinta do Lago has plenty for golfers to get excited about, with three-night, two-round breaks bookable from only €314 per person until the end of March 2019.