Travel News
The Kinloch Club has come of age . The nineyear-old club is now firmly etched on the golfing map , benefiting from hefty investment over the past five years by New Zealand-based owner Southpark Corporation and the vision of its executive director , John Sax . New Zealand ’ s only Jack Nicklaus signature design , the par-72 championship course on the shores of Lake Taupo has always been regarded as one of Nicklaus ’ s best . A tough challenge , Nicklaus himself drove the first ball on opening day back in 2007 and returned a year later to play all 18 holes . He is quoted as remarking : “ You won ’ t find another golf course that looks much like this in the world ”.
One of the oldest and most prestigious events on the European Tour , the Italian Open has been won by some of the biggest names in golf , and this year ’ s tournament is set to crown a sparkling 2016 for Italian golf when it takes place in Milan next month . Golf Club Milano will have the honour of hosting the championship for the eighth time when the 73rd edition of the Italian Open is held in Lombardy , northern Italy , from September 15-18 . Recent winners of the title have included European Ryder Cup stars Ian Poulter ( twice ), Graeme McDowell and Francesco Molinari , and this year ’ s world-class line-up is set to feature US Masters champion Danny Willett , Martin Kaymer , Miguel Angel Jimenez , Lee Westwood and Rafael Cabrera Bello .
A team of 10 military personnel from the UK ’ s Battle Back golf team will take on their Australian counterparts from the Soldier On Foundation over three days of competition for the Clyde Pearce Cup from August 9-11 . The Ryder Cup-style match represents the pinnacle for players on the Battle Back golf programme which aims to assist the rehabilitation of injured servicemen through playing the game of golf . Battle Back Golf Chairman Major Andrew Barnett said : “ Golf is such an important part of the rehabilitation process for these injured soldiers .
Custom-fitted sets of Vokey wedges are among the many great prizes to be given away by golf ’ s big brands when the London Golf Show takes place at Glow , Bluewater , in Kent , from August 26- 28 . The industry ’ s major names have already signed up for the show , including Cobra Puma Golf , PING , TaylorMade , Mizuno , Callaway , Yonex and Acushnet – parent company to Titleist , FootJoy , Pinnacle , Scotty Cameron and Vokey Wedges – with more expected to follow . Each will have its own individual offering with driving bays to test out the latest equipment with many brands offering a custom-fitting option . PING is also offering fitting on its putter range using its innovative iPING app .
One of Scotland ’ s top luxury hotels has unveiled their latest £ 4.5million development with a new ballroom and 28 new bedrooms . Meldrum House Country Hotel and Golf Course , in Oldmeldrum has created a stunning new wing . It has seamlessly combined a period building with a glass addition , heralding the latest in contemporary design and luxury . Aberdeenshire ’ s newest Ballroom will hold up to 200 guests and boasts floor to ceiling windows with access straight out to the gardens . Many of the new bedrooms will have exceptional views to the hotel ’ s Parkland 18-hole golf course and miles of countryside beyond .
In addition to being a leader as a golf tourist destination in Europe and in the Mediterranean , the Costa del Sol is also at the helm in an important environmental aspect : the irrigation of golf courses with recycled water . The public company , Acosol , is the company that supplies the most recycled water in Europe for the irrigation of golf courses . It currently supplies 37 courses ( which adds up to over five hundred holes ) using around 7,000 million litres a year . It is also investing millions to extend the radius of action of its supply network . Although the new regulations in Spain state that new golf courses must be irrigated with recycled water and existing courses must do so as far as possible , in practice , this requirement is not always easy to fulfil , as it is subject to the existence of purification plants nearby and pipes that take the water to the golf course .
16 Destination Golf . TRAVEL