Princes Golf Course applauded by Amateur Championship players and organisers
By: Owen Davies | Tue 09 Jul 2013
Prince’s Golf Club, continues to impress on the biggest stages in golf following a successful co-hosting of the 118th Amateur Championship. During the opening two strokeplay qualifying rounds, the finest amateur golfing talent from around the world fought it out over the challenging Kent links to earn their place in the matchplay stages of the golf’s most historic amateur event. Whilst at Prince’s, the competitors and officials were unanimous in their praise for the expertly presented golf course that has undergone some considerable upgrades in the past few years, under the guidance of Troon and European Golf Design.
Commenting on behalf of Prince’s Golf Club, General Manager, John George noted, “We have been working tirelessly in the lead-up to co-hosting this prestigious event, so naturally it is extremely gratifying to hear so many positive comments from the players and our esteemed R&A guests. The enhanced course layout, fantastic new bunkering, exceptional conditioning and overall improved challenge are all testament to the combined effort of our greenkeeping team and Troon. We are striving to put Prince’s firmly on the international map and tournaments of this stature certainly help to showcase our first-class facilities on a global stage.”
The opening 36-holes of strokeplay at The Amateur Championship saw the Shore and Dunes nines present a real test of golf for the competitors, with newly revetted and re-positioned bunkering and pristine putting surfaces testing all facets of the elite Amateur competitors’ games.
Paul Baxter, The R & A Member in Charge for The Amateur Championship – Prince’s Golf Club, was full of praise for the course upgrades and overall presentation, “The delightful Prince’s course proved to be a great challenge to the world’s best amateur golfers competing in the 2013 Amateur Championship. This true links course, with its’ fast running fairways and firm greens, presented in first class order received praise from all the competitors. One always receives a warm and friendly welcome at Prince’s Golf Club and we look forward to our return.”
Most famous for hosting The Open Championship, won by Gene Sarazen in 1932, Prince’s Golf Club has long been a venue of choice for top-level amateur and professional golf tournaments, including The Curtis Cup, The British Ladies Open, The PGA Championship and more recently, Local Final Qualifying for The Open Championship. Feedback from the players last week saw the Kent links once again shine in the spotlight as positive remarks flooded in.
Brady Watt, the new World #1 Amateur commented, “Prince’s is a very welcoming club and an enjoyable links course that is both pleasant and brutal in the same breath.” Local player Michael Saunders continued by remarking, “Great course, very fair and good shots are certainly rewarded. The definition is first class, especially around the tees and green complexes - a big improvement over the last 4 years"
Just two hours’ drive from central London, Prince’s Golf Club is a popular choice for visiting golfers and societies. With the stunning new Lodge at Prince’s offering luxurious on-site accommodation, award-winning cuisine and magnificent views over the Bay of Sandwich, now is the perfect time to take advantage of a variety of great-value stay and play packages. For international clients, London Gatwick is just 1 hour 30 minutes’ drive and Kent’s International Airport, Manston is a mere 20 minutes’ away, providing excellent links from the continent via KLM who operate daily flights.
