There should be more golf players like Sergio García

“He plays with pleasure and is the world star emerging from this sport” “With Severiano Ballesteros I had a very nice and inflamed rivalry.”

He is one of the great golf geniuses worldwide. Golf amateurs and professionals call him a legend. He has won everything you can imagine and his person could not be missed in a golf court like the one in Murcia, which has contributed to make this sport as THE status symbol.

In this region there have already been built - or are being designed – his golf colleges, like Sam Torrance, Jack Nicklaus or Clive Thomas supporting other companies. Now Greg Norman comes, nicknamed - by an American journalist – “the big white shark”, because of his Australian origin and his white long hair, his high height, his long hair, as white as snow and his hat when he takes it – typical Aussie. Yesterday he showed up in Gea and Truyols, where 3 Molinos Resort is going to construct a sports town complex.

How did you like the area?
I like it really much. I would say, it is … different. I think that there could be done great things.

It is the first time you have come in this area, isn’t it?
Yes, I have never been here before.

But in Spain you have already designed a golf course, true?
Yes, years ago I designed in Barcelona 45 holes for the golf course El Prat de Llobregat.

And now, what are you doing more, playing or designing?
A bit of both of them. I intend to dedicate myself to both.

So you haven’t retired so fare. Nobody else shows himself that little on the golf courts.
I play much less than before. My back doesn’t hold hard work anymore and furthermore I am really busy with negotiations. Let’s say that I continue playing just a little bit...

In how many tournaments do you actually participate a year?
About 10 …

And golf courses? How many do you design?
Less than I would like to - (he bursts out laughing openly) but it is enough for living.

What is the last thing you have planned and designed before the golf courses you are occupied with now?
Before this one I have designed one in Ireland.

And in total, how many golf courts worldwide carry your distinctive stamp and this type of design?
Come on, I haven’t count them … But when I’m thinking about it … about 58 ones in total all over the 5 continents, but most of them are in the United States and in my country, in Australia.

What is the proportion?
Let’s say about 44 courts in the United States and about 12 ones in Australia. About the rest I am not quite sure.

I have just visited the sites of 3 Molinos Resort. When would you say it will be finished and ready for playing?
Well, if all goes on as planned and if there are no delays, I think the courts will be ready within a year and one and a half years…

One question just for curiosity: With what do you currently earn more money, playing or designing?
I think currently I earn more money on designing. Before it was the opposite, but things change …

(‘I ask you to focus on more general questions about the world of golf’. He doesn’t actually say it but he gives a gesture to understand that he is there to answer the more important questions.)

In general, what do you think about the golf competition?
The American golf is prevailing over the European and Asian one. The tournaments of the PGA America attract European and Asian players and nowadays golf is played much more over there than here.

And what about the women? I heard that they now want to participate in the same tournaments as the masculine players, and they have already played some of them.
Well, it doesn’t seem to be a bad idea to me. But always the ones who win in the court are the good players. What I don’t like about it is that some use it just for marketing reasons.

Have you ever played with women?
In exhibition tournaments, yes, over there in the 80ies and 90ies. I didn’t have any problems with them. In a contest it will be another aspect, but as I repeat, I don’t see any inconvenience against women playing in men’s contests provided they have gained their right on the court.

(I ask him if he would like to talk about golf in Spain, which I assume he knows quite well, at least he knows the best players. I’m in the mood to ask.)

Ballesteros, one of your great rivals, already left the golf business. There is only Olazábal, at the point of retiring, and Sergio García left…
Oh, Sevvy! With Ballesteros I had a quite good competitor and together we fought great golf battles. It’s a shame that he already has retired, but, my friend, the age …

And what about Sergio García?
I like him very much. I think Sergio is a player who plays golf with passion and there should be more people like him. I don’t have any doubt that he is the emerging star of the Spanish golf.

Could he be like Tiger Woods one day?
Well, there are still differences. Woods is without a doubt the best golf player at the moment and it will be really difficult to knock him down from the pedestal on which he has installed himself.

Who is the best player in the history for you?
Without a doubt, Jack Nicklaus.

And you?
Well, let’s say I’ve positioned myself really good in the golf history.


Personal Dates
Date and place of birth: 10 February in Queensland (Australia)
Beginnings: As caddy for his mum Toini
Professional: Since 1978
Tournaments he has won: More than 86 professional tournaments
Main successes:
20 titles of US PGA Tour
29 times in the “Top 10” in the Majors category (Masters, US Open, British Open, PGA US)
Winner of the British Open in 1986 and 1993.
3 Arnold Palmer Awards (the player who has won the most tournaments) in 1986, 1989 and 1994.
Current profession: President of the Great White Shark Enterprises, designing of golf courts.
In Spain: Has designed the golf court El Prat (Barcelona).
Hobbies: hunting, fishing, diving
Nickname: The big white shark

Nadal becomes the Mallorca Golf Classic Ambassador.

“Baleares is a unique international referent” affirmed the tennis champion of Mallorca province. The tournament will distribute 1,7 million € in awards.
Yesterday, Rafael Nadal was appointed for the Ambassador of the Golf Classic of Mallorca in the presence of more than 500 people and 70 journalists. With his dark-coloured jacket, his classical shyness and his appearance of a youngster who is still living with his parents in times he is not travelling, Natal promoted all the attractive aspects of the islands.

Due acknowledgement of Golf

The most outstanding professional and amateur Canarian golf players have received their acknowledgment in Golf Federation of Canaria in a championship dinner. Under the assistants of the act there was María Luisa Forniés, President of the Federation Association of the region, with Agustín Manrique de Lara, and several members of the Manager Assembly.

The province of Cadiz will have three new golf courses.

The facilities to play golf in Cadiz will raise until 22 from the current 19 during this year. New facilities are distributed in an equitable way in the whole region: Villanueva Golf Resort property of the Vinci hotel group in Puerto Real, Arcos Gardens, the first building of this kind for the mountains in Arcos, Alcaidesa Links Golf Course which includes a club house to practice this sport in La Línea de la Concepcion. This 22 touristy facilities with the three golf courses have been promoted until next weekend in Germany. The County Council of Tourism advertises it in the CMT fair of Stuttgart, together with the rest of Cadiz global offer. This event is famous thanks to the buyers with a high social position, medium age, golf lovers interested in knowing new places to practice it.

The consistory of Torremolinos will create a municipal golf course of nine holes.

The government assembly of Torremolinos Town Council gives its approval to the preliminary plan and the economical-financial study to create and carry out a municipal golf school. This sport facility will have 68.000 m2 and will be situated in La Colina district, in a plot of land of the municipal property. The investment will be around 800.000€.
Municipal sources explained that the work and exploitation of golf school will carry out by public draw, with the temporal dealership of exploitation to the winner. he will build a facility composed by a practising course of about 9.000 m2, a house-club building, which will have a bar-restaurant, and a golf course of nine holes, par three, where pupils can train.

The town council of Torremolinos wants to reach two objectives with this decision: in one hand, the creation of new facilities to sum up to the sport villa, and in the other hand, it will power a sport discipline of growing interest. This new golf school will cover the demand in Torremolinos and it is not only for tourists, even the government wants to promote this sport between children of the municipality. That is the reason why there will be established affordable prices to neighbours so that they can practise this sport.

Castellon will multiply by five the number of golf courses thanks to the new Consell law.

The government of Valencia wants to energy and to preserve the facilities of Valencia.
The province of Castellon keeps their objective of becoming into a reference place of golf tourism. Furthermore all the projects of golf will be supported thanks to the new Law to Regulate Golf Courses. This law will allow building in urban floor and without the acceptation of the Water Confederation of Jucar. This permissive law of the Consell will allow the province to multiply the number of golf courses in next years.

Crosswise Golf Course in Baiona

Crosswise Golf course is a newness sport category which could be in fashion in the recreational area of Chan da Lagoa in Baiona. At least it is what Leisure and Adventure 93 Association with Ravia Sport Company wants to. They are organizing next month of June the first sport championship of this original speciality. Game rules are the same of the sport which made Seve Ballesteros famous, the unique difference is the game ground, which instead of being a recently-cut-grass undulating golf course it is the hillside of Sierra of the Groba Mountain. They have all the permissions yet.

Nike golf improves protection solutions against fakes.

Nike Golf has launched in a world scale the service of brand protection of TUV Rheinland Group for its range of golf clubs. Thanks to this solution, it is easy to verify the product’s authenticity, just as a tracking with the help of a system based on Internet. The TUV solution covers brand protection, risk management and product control.

Valencia promotes golf courses tourism and the sun and beach offer in Matka fair in Finland.

The county council of Tourism will be in the Matka fair of Helsinki (Finland) since now until next Sunday. The objective is increasing its appearance in the Finnish market and promotes the sun and beach offer and the golf tourism, because it is one of the main interesting touristy products for Finnish tourists, according to the Generalitat sources.

Businessmen from Marbella create a golf platform to defend it.

Businessmen, builders and promoters announced the creation of a golf defence platform. The objective of this platform is to support all the sectors related with sports.
The president of the Association of promoters or residential tourism (PROMOTUR), Ramón Dávila, was the spokesperson of the group and affirmed that citizen and even authorities usually works with a distorted vision of golf reality.
Davila emphasized that there is a stereotype and full of prejudiced image and remembered that the Andalusia Assembly has presented a rough copy about a decree of golf courses implant.

The province of Cadiz will have three new golf courses.

The facilities to play golf in Cadiz will raise until 22 from the current 19 during this year. New facilities are distributed in an equitable way in the whole region: Villanueva Golf Resort property of the Vinci hotel group in Puerto Real, Arcos Gardens, the first building of this kind for the mountains in Arcos, Alcaidesa Links Golf Course which includes a club house to practice this sport in La Línea de la Concepcion. This 22 touristy facilities with the three golf courses have been promoted until next weekend in Germany. The County Council of Tourism advertises it in the CMT fair of Stuttgart, together with the rest of Cadiz global offer. This event is famous thanks to the buyers with a high social position, medium age, golf lovers interested in knowing new places to practice it.

Promising blow

Joan Pujals from Reus has fought the oficial championship for young people in Miami (United Status). He is sponsored by CAR and heads towards professionalism

The golf amateurs, who start being a legion in our country, should already make a note of the name Joan Pujals, a 14 year old boy from Reus, because in future he could give them a pleasure. He has just come back from the United States, Miami, where he has fought one of the most prestigious golf championships for upcoming golf talents.

The Doral Public Junior is an official world championship for upcoming golf talents and there was Joan Pujals from 19 to 23 December, who became the winner of the past state sub championship. He played against youngsters from all over the world and made good experiences - that good that he will come back the following year to play in Miami. However, before going back to the United States he has to continue with a tough preparation and training, which will take place in Sant Cugat.

The young Joan Pujals started to play golf very soon. At the age of 12 he already did tests to be accepted in the Centre d’Alt Rendiment (CAR) of Sant Cugat and now he has already been there for two years, under the best upcoming golf talents of Catalonia. He lives in the sports residence of CAR and is also studying very hard because he is quite aware of the fact that he cannot rely only on his golf career. He gets excellent grades in his third year at the ESO, with an average grade of B (remarkable). If he fails in sports, he will be prepared for the future and will be able to manage his life without problems.

His short time goals are to reach the professional level of golf, but he takes it relaxed, without any pressure. “The time will tell us. If at the age of 18 everything is going on fine, I will devote myself professionally to the golf, but first of all I need a study degree. I’m in the third year of the ESO and my studies will always have priority.”

World Golf Tournament Awards 2006

The Mundo Golf (World Golf) Academy finished the Torneo Reyes 2006 (Kings Tournament 2006), which was played in stableford category and was carried out last weekend in the Las Pinaillas golf club in Albacete.

The winners were José Quereda Belmonte and José Vicente Hermosa Andúja in the first category. The winners of the second category were Jesús Ruiz and Manuel Portero. The first women were Carmen Esteban and Consuela López.

Furthermore José Luis Madrigal has been given the award for the best scratch and Lucia Morillo for the best lap time in the category women.

The opening of the golf course will be delayed at least one month more

Rain and cold temperatures are the reasons why the opening had to be delayed twice, as it prevents the grass to grow.

Puerto Real. The Galia Group, promoter of leisure and sport centres of Villanueva, said that the main goal is to open the golf court as soon as possible. It is planned that the golf course will be open by March. For sure is that we will have to wait at least one more month.

DRAMBUIE WORLD ICE OF GOLF

The Drambuie golf championship on ice is celebrated on March in Uummannaq, Greenland. The event takes places in one of the most spectacular landscape of the world, 600 km from the Artic Polar Circle. 36 players from the whole world come to compete for the prized title of Drambuie Golf World Ice.
The tournament takes place on an impressive environment. White glaciers and large icebergs are the framework in a golf course which slides on waters, moving slowly during the year.
It deals not only with playing golf on a iced sea, but also with facing up to extreme temperatures, which can go down under 50ºC. Cold and wind challenge insistent to physique and mind integrity of players. So it is very important to take a special equipment.
Other factors to considerate are that the green is white, balls are fluorescent orange and you always run the risk of losing a ball inside a polar bear.

Golfer Joser Manuel Lara

Jose Manuel Lara, European Golf Circuit professional
“People knows me more in England than in Valencia”

Manises golfer wishes he obtains his first victory in the Tour in 2006 and he is convinced that it is not going to be the only one.

Experts suggest golf and yachting to fight against cheap flights.

Exceltur thinks Costa Blanca urgently needs to promote their range of distinguished products which will give an added value, because of the incapacity to compete with prices.

The exhausted touristy model of Costa Blanca and the whole Mediterranean coast, caused of the competence of cheaper destinations has forced to a new approach of the management. The objective is to present a distinguished offer.
According to a report carried out by consulting Deloitte to Exceltur association, Costa Blanca can overcome their declining prices competitively just working in distinguished destinations and products to give an added value to consumers. This forces Costa Blanca to take a new position in motivations and requirements of the demand.

Pinaillas celebrate this week Torneo Mundo Golf

This week it celebrates in Club of Golf las Pinaillas the Torneo Reyes Mundo Golf 2006. This school is opened from less than a year and it has been becoming the cot of the new golf players who are making progress quickly becoming real players. The quality of teaching which are making experts and seniors see their handicap going down. Mundo Golf’s school administers the organization and the inscriptions of participants.
Another factor of success which is having this tournament is the team spirit of the players and the 90% of them are ready to the competition.
According to organizers, there is a great reception from other clubs’ players and a large number of companies have helped it, emphasizing Club de Golf Las Pinaillas because of their support to promote golf in the region and the quality of new talents, they will prove their power in golf out of Albacete.

The mayor announces that the actuations will take place simultaneously and invites all implicated organisms to gather in March.

The Golf PAL Works and the humedal improvement will start in July.

According to Llorca, Gecen and Sehumed will advise over the environment respect. Another agreement is to ask for help to the UE and Bancaixa for the natural spot.

The construction of the Benicasim golf course and the Cuadro de Santiago humedal restoration project will start as a simultaneous form during the second semester of this year, since July.

This is the main conclusion of the meeting that took place few days ago between entities and organizations involved in the compatibility of both projects.

The golf urbanization company indicated that during the next months, the plots process of the nearly 2.100.000 m of the Integrated Actuation Programme (PAI) will carry on.

The Benicasim mayor, Manuel Llorca, showed his satisfaction for the agreements obtained, which are going to be ratified in the next two months, in March, in another meeting. “There is no doubt that positions got nearer, and it remains clear that both projects have to be compatible in order to emphasize a quality environment development”, told Llorca.

As an example, the mayor underlined that either Sehumed or the ecologist group Gecen will be in charge of advising the promotion of the golf course in the vegetation or environment respect themes.

It increases 8, 4% the number of federated in Spain

In 2005, there were 279,660 golf members in Spain, 21.579 more than the previous year, which constitutes an increase of 8, 4% according to the Spanish Federation. Those figures emphasize the fact that golf is one of the most popular sport activities; the football, hunting and basketball licences numbers are the only ones to overcome it.
Nearly all Autonomous Regions registered significant increases, heading withLa Rioja (24, 2%), Castilla-La Mancha (23,5%), Murcia (20,1%), Melilla (14,7%), País Vasco (12,6%), Castilla y León (12,1%) and Extremadura (10,9%).
There was a 10% increase in Madrid, the Autonomous region which concentrates the highest number of members, that is to say 76.616 -27% of the total-. In the section of members per public courses, there were 28.951 people, which is considered as being already a 10, 4% of the total of Spanish licences.

Popular Golf courses in Spain

One of each 10 golf courses of Spain will be public from this year.
The popular facilities count on the 10% federated players of all Spain.
In Malaga it has opened three circuits in 2005.
Spain has 308 golf courses dated on 1st January 2006. The main news is the last census of facilities, carried out by Spanish Golf Federation, which revealed that 35 golf courses are public, the 11% of the total. This advance is so important because until 15 years ago, Spain only had three popular golf courses. This complex have registered the 10% of federated players.

La Envía Golf Country Club

La Envía Golf Country Club is a golf course of 18 holes in La Envia Golf urbanization.
The golf course was designed by Francisco Mendoza, its route is along a valley between mountains in the west and the east protected from the wind, so there are optimal conditions to practise this sport.
The route has more than 5.700 metres and the 18 holes pass along a changeable relief, with several bunkers and lakes, which demands someone to do the best to pass them.

Daniel Alonso appointed new Greenkeeper

Daniel Alonso, 27 years old, has been appointed the new Greenkeeper of the Golf National Center in Madrid, assuming, at the margin of this responsibility, the advice of all the public golf courses about all the questions related to the grass care, and in general, of the environment. Awarded by the Spanish Golf Real Federation in the State of Michigan University between August 2004 and December 2005- one of the most prestigious academic centre concerning environment in United States- Daniel Alonso was working in the Golf National Centre before, during its construction. Agronomist of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Daniel Alonso has completed its training in Desert Forest golf Club, a golf course of Arizona (United Estates) where it has been put a rigorous control of water consume into practise.

The golf tourist spends three times more money than the sun and beach one.

The golf tourist spends nearly three times per day more than a sun and beach tourist. It deals with 150 euros in average and only 48 euros for a sun tourist. If this player is Spanish, his money spent reaches an average of 340 Euros, 113 for an English, 65 a German, and 187 for an Irish golf player.

The Spanish golf tourist, to compare with his European colleagues, usually spends the most part of his money on activities which are not related on this sport, that is to say, the accommodation, the catering and the shopping. Then, to complete the profile, it is worth noticing that the Spanish golf tourist is about 40 years old and comes from upper social-class with a high purchasing power.

Those pieces of information are collected from the three-monthly publication Irea, which underlines that Murcia and Almería “are at the peak of new projects development- linked to the golf- but with a limited offer at the moment”. The region of Murcia counts at the present day on six golf courses and 4,312 members, the fifth in the queue, nearly at the same level of Aragón.

A golf ball which lights up

It has been created several inventions in order to improve golfer’s technique such as binoculars helping one to find the golf balls in the course and also remote-controlled ball so that one can keep the lid on it.

After those creations, a new one has been revealed. It deals with a golf ball which contains a red colour resistor lighting up after kicking the ball.

Thus, the ball stays illuminated for five minutes, just enough time in order to find it if you are not an expert in this task with the white traditional balls.

Cordoba Golf Course

The Córdoba Golf course is situated in the Serranía Mountains of Córdoba at 8 km in the north of the city. Its design constituted of 18 holes is the unique one of the province. The nature is the key word. It is located in a natural park area surrounded with wild life and a variety of birds.