One of Melbourne’s favourite regional courses is set to take centre stage this year, as the 2011 Phillip Island Linfox Pro-Am Extravaganza tees off from March 18.
The tournament will be a unique event the Australian golfing calendar, with three consecutive days of Pro-Am golf involving lady professionals, senior professionals (Legends) and the touring professionals.
The event kicks off on Friday 18th March 2011 with the Ladies Pro-Am. A field of 20 female professionals and celebrities will tee off alongside amateur partners to compete for a healthy prize purse. Interest in the event from the female professionals has been great, with players such as Jan Stephenson and Nadina Light already indicating they would like to play.
“Our girls have shown a strong level of interest in helping to make this event happen and are looking forward to exploring Phillip Island,” said Paul Melville, Operations Manager of ALPG Tour.
“We hope this is the start of long-running event that will grow bigger and bigger in the years to come and a long association with the club and the ALPG,” he added.
Saturday 19th March will see a field of 20 Legend golfers & celebrities pair up with the amateurs. Again strong support has been shown by Legend golfers, while the PGA of Australia is also backing the event.
“The PGA is very excited by the brand-new concept that the Phillip Island Golf Club have developed,” says Nick Dastey, Southern Division Tournament Co-ordinator at the PGA.
“To cover three different forms of professional golf with a Ladies, Legends and a regular Pro-Am in the one weekend is something that no other club in Australia has done before, and credit must be given to the club for developing a very exciting initiative. It will be a great weekend for all the players to bring down their families to what is a great venue and experience the many tourist attractions that the Island has to offer.”
The Order of Merit Pro-Am will take place on Sunday 20th March 2011, and it is expected that this field will include many of the top Von Nida Tour players. A range of celebrity players will also add a little more fun to the day. Previous winners of the event include Leighton Lyle, Heath D’Altera & Craig Scott.
Linfox and Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit have come onboard as naming rights sponsor for the tournament, and the event is hoped to enhance the many and varied attractions that Phillip Island has to offer whilst also promoting the game of golf in South Gippsland.
“Linfox and the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit are proud to be involved in this event, and understand the importance of events like these to the local tourism industry & community of
Phillip Island,” said Fergus Cameron, Managing Director of Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
“We are committed to developing professional tourism products like our Go Karts, Hot Laps and Guided Circuit Tours as well as our international and domestic motor racing events to continue to attract a wide market of people to Phillip Island. By supporting this ground-breaking Pro-Am, we are working collaboratively with other stakeholders like the Phillip Island Golf Club to achieve this goal.”
All players will be encouraged to take advantage of their time on the Island with special family tours being arranged to the various attractions and special accommodation rates being offered by Pro-Am partner the All Seasons Phillip Island Eco Resort, which is located only minutes from the golf course. This will mean professionals, celebrities and amateur players can all bring down their families for a weekend of entertainment.
“It is exciting for a small country golf club to be putting together what is anticipated to become one of country Victoria’s premium golfing events,” begins Scott McPherson, General Manager of Phillip Island Golf Club.
“To be able to offer families a chance to enjoy all the Island has to offer, rather than just be an event for golfers, is pleasing as we really want to encourage family participation in our sport,” he adds.
Long regarded as one of the finest layouts in regional Victoria, Phillip Island Golf Club is only a few minutes’ walk from central Cowes, and is within chipping distance of the beach. The 6003metre, par-72 championship golf course is a challenging track that features Couch fairways, superbly manicured Bent greens, abundant wildlife and scenic views at every turn.
For visitors to the event, or for those with holiday homes in the area, the club is also currently running a special membership offer. With a variety of affordable membership options, a reduced entrance fee for new members, Handicap management, golf insurance and some great food & beverage discounts on offer, it represents great value (See the advertisement below.)
For further information on the event, sponsorship opportunities or new membership offers, contact Scott McPherson on (03) 5952 2141 / 0434 942 280 or the Club Professional, Marcus Liberman, on (03) 5952 1121. You can also email the Club at manager@phillipislandgolfclub.com.au.
COURSE NOTES
Phillip Island Golf Club
34 – 44 Settlement Road, Cowes, Phillip Island, VIC 3922Open 7 days per week
Phone
Club house (03) 5952 2141
Golf Bookings (03) 5952 1121www.phillipislandgolfclub.com.au
(03) 5952 1121 / (03) 5952 2141
A four-time winner of the Australian Golf Media Awards, including Best Photojournalism, Best Opinion, Best Column and Best Photographic Presentation, Inside Golf Group Editor Richard Fellner is the quintessential Golf Tragic, having played the game for over 50 years (but has never gotten any better!) He has played and reviewed courses all over the world, and has interviewed many of the great players of the game (including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Greg Norman). Richard is a member of both the Australian Golf Media Association and the Golf Society of Australia, and has been a featured guest on many Australian "sports talk" radio shows and networks, including ABC Grandstand, SEN 1116, Melbourne Talk Radio 1377, 2GB and others.
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