European Tour Properties is delighted to welcome Pirin Golf & Country Club to its network of world class Destinations. Situated near Bansko, Bulgaria, Pirin Golf is a five-star resort offering a top-class golf course and luxury accommodation, nestled within the picturesque mountain range from which it takes its name. Pirin Golf becomes the second Bulgarian venue in the European Tour Properties network, standing alongside Lighthouse Golf and Spa Resort, host of the 2018 European Tour Properties Senior Classic. Designed by Ian Woosnam in association with European Golf Design, the stunning course at Pirin Golf takes players on an adventure through rough and rugged terrain, offering an exciting challenge to golfers of all abilities. Off the course, Pirin Golf & Country Club offers exceptional accommodation through its hotel and exclusive apartments across the complex. With state-of-the-art spa facilities and numerous other sports on offer, Pirin Golf & Country Club delivers a huge range of activities for holiday-makers. In the winter months, visitors can swap the fairways for the slopes as nearby Bansko transforms into one of Europe’s hidden gems for skiing and snowboarding. Mr Yordan Kanazirev, owner of Pirin Golf & Country Club, said: “Pirin Golf & Country Club is very proud and delighted to join European Tour Properties. “We are looking forward to developing new initiatives with the European Tour Properties team to improve the quality and services throughout our resort to world-class standards, and to offer the mark of assurance guaranteeing customers and clients of Pirin Golf & Country Club a truly outstanding experience when they visit us.” David MacLaren, Head of European Tour Properties, said: “We are so pleased to be able to welcome Pirin Golf & Country Club to our network. “Our portfolio is packed with world class venues and Pirin Golf is no different. Golf is a growing market in Bulgaria and the success of the European Tour Properties Senior Classic at Lighthouse Golf and Spa Resort earlier this year showcased the country in a tremendous light. “We look forward to working with Mr Kanazirev and his team to bring the best out of Pirin Golf and help them develop on and off the course.”

Leading Spanish golf destination, PGA Catalunya Resort, is set to become the latest premiere golf venue to revolutionise its practice facilities with the introduction of Toptracer Range technology. The European Tour Destination, situated on the outskirts of Girona, is currently ranked second in the Golf World Top 100 Resorts in Continental Europe, with its Stadium Course topping top100golfcourses.com’s Spanish course rankings. It has also staged the European Tour’s Open de España on three occasions. The venue’s €53 million investment programme, which kicked off in 2016, has seen significant developments across the resort, both on and off of the fairway: the opening of Girona’s only 5* establishment, Hotel Camiral, the addition of a second, designed for active leisure enthusiasts, the seeding of a new vineyard, the implementation of ecological conservation programmes, numerous course improvements and residential developments. The renowned resort is now set to take its practice facilities to the next level with the introduction of Toptracer Range; becoming the first Spanish destination to do so. Transforming driving ranges into bona fide entertainment destinations, Toptracer Range combines technology and fun to create a superior golf experience for players of all skill levels. Toptracer tracks the shots of the best players in the world on the PGA Tour and European Tour, and golfers of all ages and abilities are now able to share that experience in bays at driving ranges the world over. Using cameras mounted around the facility and 21-inch monitors found at each hitting bay, Toptracer Range technology displays an array of details of each shot – including distance, speed, launch angle, shape and more. Data is instantly recorded and displayed on the screen through a player profile that can continuously be accessed through the Toptracer Range community application. Toptracer Range has been introduced at close to 40 venues across Europe to date, including the likes of Wentworth Club and Ryder Cup 2018 host Le Golf National, with PGA Catalunya Resort becoming the latest high-profile venue to adopt the technology as part of a major upgrade of the club’s facilities. Speaking about the decision to install Toptracer Range technology at PGA Catalunya Resort, David Plana, CEO, said: “PGA Catalunya Resort is renowned across Europe as a top-class golfing destination and we are always striving to ensure that we offer our members and guests the best possible experience when they visit us. “Introducing Toptracer Range technology brings a new level of enjoyment at our practice facilities for both golfers and non-golfers. We’re convinced this technology will revolutionise the way that golfers of all skill sets will practice and engage with us here and further afield.” Speaking about the company’s latest partnership, Toptracer President Ben Sharpe said: “We are honoured to be working with a European venue of the stature of PGA Catalunya Resort as we enter the Spanish market for the first time. “The estate is breath-taking and iconic in equal measure, so we are thrilled that we will be a part of its continued quest for perfection by helping to

Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort have been crowned winners of the 11th edition of European Tour Properties Invitational at Jumeirah Golf Estates. The Fire and Earth Courses at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, played host to 19 teams from 12 venues, who are all part of the European Tour Properties network, in addition to supplier and European Tour teams. The 2018 edition of the event was the first time the competition had been played outside of Europe, encapsulating the true worldwide nature of the portfolio, with Destinations on three continents. Teams from Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Portugal, Spain, UAE and the UK teed it up in Dubai but it was Team Two from Lighthouse, Bulgaria, who claimed the trophy. Made up of Nick Eftimie, Cornel Danila, Alin Stanciu and Adolf Baclea, the team of varying handicaps came out on top after two days of competition. In addition to the overall prize, four players earned nearest the pin prizes across the sun-blazoned competition in the Middle East. Miguel Girbes from Finca Cortesin and Nick Tarratt of European Tour Dubai won the competitions on the eighth and 14th holes, respectively, on Day One. On the second day, Moreno Trisorio from Diamond Country Club won the nearest the pin competition on the sixth hole while Alejandro Reyes from Le Golf National won on the 17th hole. After play had finished, competitors were treated to a BBQ on the Fire Terrace at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Day One while the prize presentation took place after Day Two at the stunning Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa.      

The transformation of the Marco Simone Golf Club in Guidonia Montecelio, Rome – host venue to The 2022 Ryder Cup – is underway with architects, engineers and agronomists starting work on the first phase of the project which will see the construction of a state of the art, purpose-built venue for Europe’s next home Ryder Cup match. Led by European Golf Design and co-design with Tom Fazio II (son of the original architect of the Marco Simone Golf Club, Jim Fazio), the Roman site, controlled by the Biagiotti family, will undergo a complete overhaul with an entirely new golf course being built to stage golf’s greatest team event in four years’ time. The vast infrastructural demands of the modern-day Ryder Cup will also see new roads, lakes, cart paths and irrigation systems incorporated into the redesign of the Marco Simone Golf Club to ensure the venue can accommodate the huge grandstands and hospitality structures required to accommodate the huge crowds in attendance at The 2022 Ryder Cup. Marco Simone is an ambitious project created in the late 1980s by the fashion designer/entrepreneur Laura Biagiotti with the aim to transform 150 hectars of the Roman country in 27 spectacular golf holes surrounding Marco Simone castle with its antique tower of the year 1000. The Golf Club is located at 10.5 miles from the heart of Rome and offers numerous views of St. Peter’s dome. Marco Simone hosted the Italian open in 1994. The entire project will be divided into four phases, with the golf course scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2020. The 2021 Italian Open will then be staged at Marco Simone before the Ryder Cup takes centre stage in September 2022.  The four phases of the project will allow the members and visitors to play on a course of 18 holes during all the works and enjoy the change of Marco Simone Golf into an iconic Ryder Cup course. Giovanni Malagò, President of CONI, stated: “The beginning of the works at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club is a confirmation of the strength and credibility of a project that is the pride of all the Italian sport movement. The Ryder Cup represents golf, i.e. history, tradition and charm and I am grateful to all those committed with their skills in this road to excellency. My special thanks goes to the Italian Golf Federation, headed by President Chimenti, Ryder Cup Managing Director Montali, the Biagiotti family and all those involved in this great adventure. I am sure it will be a great success for all the golf movement and for Italy, as well as a great reward for all stakeholders”. Franco Chimenti, President of the Italian Golf Federation, stated: “After signing the agreement with Terna for removing the pylons present on the course and the beginning of the works to restructure Marco Simone – as agreed with the Board of Ryder Cup Europe – I am happy to announce that the Ryder Cup 2022 Project is finally taking shape.