A MOYCULLEN-based golf alliance comprising the north west’s top golf clubs has been awarded a prestigious golf marketing award in which the region was named one of the best golf destinations in the continent.
The International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO ) awarded North & West Coast Links Golf the title of “European Golf Destination of the Year”, at the organisation’s annual Awards Ceremony in Valencia, Spain
. Over 1,200 industry professionals from 60 countries attended the gala dinner to recognise and reward the exceptional contributions to the world of golf travel, voted for by IAGTO operators and the IGTWA's golf travel writers. 350 international golf tour operators from 52 countries across the world voted and initially selected 20 European golfing regions before whittling down the competition to just 6 finalists including Fife in Scotland (which includes the world famous Old Course at St Andrews ), the Czech Republic, Tenerife, Murcia in Spain and Lisbon in Portugal before the North West Ireland was selected as the overall winner.
Over the past few years the world’s most high profile destinations have won the coveted title including Provence and Cote D’Azur, the Algarve, Andalucia, and Turkey.
John McLaughlin, general manager, North & West Coast Links Golf commented in the lead of to the awards ceremony “Needless to say we are thrilled to be nominated for such a prestigious award, as it gives the links the recognition they deserve amongst its global counterparts.
“The region has injected significant investment over the last 10 years to bring their golf product up to the standards expected from today’s golfer and despite stiff competition we now have our sights firmly set on the title of European Golf Destination of the Year 2011”
Established as a small marketing cooperative over 20 years ago, N&WCL has grown from just 4 clubs, to now being considered the premier golf marketing organisation in Ireland, through representation of 12 of the finest courses in Ireland, which include Ardglass Golf Club, Royal Portrush Golf Club, Portstewart Golf Club, Ballyliffin Golf Club, Portsalon Golf Club, Rosapenna Golf Links, Narin & Portnoo Golf Club, Donegal Golf Club, Co. Sligo Golf Club, Enniscrone Golf Club, Carne Golf Links, & Connemara Championship Links. With over one third of the world’s links courses in Ireland and with 12 in North and West Coast Links, golf holiday packages with IATGO are worth an estimated €1 billion annually and so far this year bookings at N&WCL have been up 40 per cent for 2010 compared to 2009, ensuring a major golf tourism spend in the region.
Boasting a world class links product, it iss no surprise a selection of the world’s top golfers have visited the area, such as Rory Mcllroy in his early years winning back to back West of Ireland Championships at Co Sligo Golf Club, Tom Watson dropping in for a leisurely game with friends at Connemara, or major champion Graeme McDowell coming home to Royal Portrush.
Visit www.northandwestcoastlinks.com or Call +353 (0 )91 868642 for further details on the North & West Coast Links. To view imagery of the courses log onto http://www.northandwestcoastlinks.com/image-gallery.
