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London Golf Club proves fitting venue for Match Play drama
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London Golf Club proves fitting venue for Match Play drama

Praise has poured in for London Golf Club, the jewel in the crown of the European Tour Properties network, after it successfully hosted the 50th edition of the Volvo World Match Play Championship last week.

Having staged the European Open in 2008 and 2009, it is the third time that London Golf Club has hosted a European Tour event since the joint-venture relationship between the north Kent venue and the Tour was launched six years ago.

According to the players, officials and the tens of thousands of spectators who streamed through the gates last week, despite receiving substantial rainfall in the build-up to the €2.25million tournament, London Golf Club proved itself an outstanding host venue for the event, which was won by Finland’s Mikko Ilonen.

Ilonen, who beat World Number Five Henrik Stenson 3&1 in a high quality final, said: “Everything about the London Golf Club was top notch. It would be nice if the tournament settled somewhere, so why not there? It was the perfect venue, and everything worked great last week.

“It was challenging in the beginning because of the rain, but the guys did such a great job to get the course ready and up to speed. I have to say the greens were absolutely perfect – definitely some of the best we played on all year.”

As part of its exclusive joint venture partnership with The European Tour, London Golf Club – which boasts two championship courses in the Jack Nicklaus-designed Heritage and the International, host for the Volvo World Match Play Championship – became the first ‘Destination’ in the Tour’s network of world-class venues.

David MacLaren, Director of Property and Venue Development for The European Tour, said: “The launch in 2008 of our unique joint venture partnership with London Golf Club and the establishment of the venue as the very first European Tour Destination marked the beginning of a multi-faceted and fruitful partnership, and one of which we are immensely proud.

“We strive to offer only the finest facilities and playing conditions to our professionals and venue customers, and in all these aspects London Golf Club consistently exceeds expectations.”

Located on the south-eastern reaches of the capital and within touching distance of Canary Wharf and the city, London Golf Club recently received planning permission to expand its operations to include a five star, 130-room hotel and luxurious spa development, a nine-hole European Golf Design introductory course and a European Tour Performance Institute, with a new academy and state-of-the-art driving range – all further testament to the club’s growth since the joint venture initiative was announced.

Charles Fairweather, Chairman of London Golf Club, said: “The vision for the future of London Golf Club is a bold one, with a five star hotel, new academy golf course and the UK’s first ever European Tour Performance Institute. Future plans include additional sporting pursuits of excellence which will further enhance the club’s reputation as one of the country’s leading sports and leisure destinations, situated just 17 miles from the centre of London. Our unique joint venture partnership with The European Tour enhances these ambitious plans and our position as a leading golf destination.”

Austen Gravestock, Chief Executive of London Golf Club, said: “As the first ever European Tour Destination and host to three Senior Tour Tournaments, two European Opens and now the Volvo World Match Play Championship, London Golf Club is a brand, like our partners, that is synonymous with quality golf.

“Despite the best efforts of mother nature last week, we were still able to show the golfing world, and more importantly a stellar field of 16 world-class players, just why our courses are renowned throughout the world for their condition.”

Mikko Ilonen

George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “We would like to commend Charles Fairweather and the venue team, led by Austen Gravestock and Peter Todd, who have overseen London Golf Club’s development into one of the country’s leading facilities. With the plans they now have in place, the club’s future looks very bright indeed.

“The joint venture partnership has been extremely beneficial for both London Golf Club and The European Tour, and we were delighted that our Members were so complimentary about the venue during the Volvo World Match Play Championship. It was a tremendous tournament, thanks in no small part to the quality of the course and the hard work and determination of the club’s staff. We should congratulate everyone at the club for the contribution they made to the event.”

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