ROYAL DORNOCH DUO HEADING FOR THE STATES
ROYAL Dornoch Golf Club will again be represented at the biggest trade show in world golf.
General manager Neil Hampton and captain Gary Bethune will be flying the flag at The PGA Show being held in Florida from January 21-24.
The duo is being joined under the VisitScotland banner by representatives fromNairn Golf Club, Cabot Highlands in Inverness and the Kingsmills Hotel Group at the event being held in Orlando’s Orange County Convention Centre.
Apart from when the pandemic struck, Neil has been a regular at the trade show since 2012, forging contacts among influential tour operators and PGA of America professionals.
“Some might wonder why the club is promoting ourselves when we are again looking forward to a busy season, with so many American visitors, in particular, determined to play our famous Championship Course,” he observed.
“But we can’t afford to rest on our laurels because rival markets in the likes of Ireland and Mexico and links courses in England and Wales are promoting themselves heavily.
“This is a very competitive sector and PGA golf professionals and tour operators can influence where golfing groups make for. Fortunately, the Highlands has a great deal to offer in terms of top-class golf and much more besides.
“The Highland Golf Links delegation can also highlight the range of first-class accommodation and restaurants, history, scenery, wildlife and, of course, the many distilleries which guarantee a memorable trip.”
Neil and Gary are being joined by Paul Mills, general manager at Nairn, Jeremy Matte, director of golf and operations at Cabot Highlands and Tracey Milton, sales manager with the Kingsmills Hotel Group.
They will be meeting key players in the US golf tourism industry, promoting the new clubhouse project and ambitious moves to further enhance the Struie Course.
“Anyone planning to attend the show is very welcome to pay us a visit at Stand 3773 within the Travel Pavilion’s West Concourse,” said Neil.
The general manager and captain head for Florida after hosting the annual dinner for Royal Dornoch members at The Dawson in New York on Saturday.
A golf day for US based Royal Dornoch and Nairn members has been lined up for the PGA National Palmer Course in the build-up to the three-day trade show.
Neil also plans to visit some Royal Dornoch members during the US trip, including Don Greenberg, who has been influential in supporting the Sandy PipeyYoung Masters, and Woody Morcott, whose generosity paved the way to the annual Morcott Challenge fixture between talented Royal Dornoch juniors and teenagers drawn from the Chicago area.