(Kenny Smith, Kenny Smith Photography)
Scotland’s club golfers will have the incentive of ‘Turkish Delight’ when they tee up in this year’s Belhaven Best Scottish Club Handicap Championship – thanks to a ground-breaking new sponsorship deal set to boost the nation’s most popular event.
The Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort in Belek is to host 20 leading club pairings from clubs across Scotland – qualifying from the four Regional Finals this August – who will be flown out to Turkey next February courtesy of Turkish Airlines, another new partner for the event.
The finalists will enjoy four nights accommodation, a practice day on Friday 5 February 2016 ahead of the weekend 36-hole final on 6 – 7 February.
The championship is also being supported by GolfKings, the SGU’s official travel partner, who have helped broker the new deal.
It will be the first time the Scottish Golf Union has staged one of its championships overseas, with the move part of the governing body’s ongoing campaign to provide exclusive benefits to its member golfers.
The Belhaven Best Scottish Club Handicap Championship has been the country’s biggest participation event since its launch in 1999, with around 20,000 club members taking part in local qualifying each year.
Every club in Scotland is invited to host a qualifying event for golfers of all abilities this spring and summer, with the top two players based on nett scores earning the chance to represent their club at one of four Regional Finals. This year, the leading five club pairings at each regional final will book their place in the Grand Final, to be staged at Regnum Carya in February.
The 5-star Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort is one of Turkey’s premier golfing destinations and recently hosted a Ladies European Tour event, while Turkish Airlines have supported a number of events on the European Tour and Challenge Tour.
Speaking at the announcement in sun-kissed Dunbar this morning, SGU Marketing & Sponsorship Manager Ross Duncan said: “We are delighted to welcome Regnum and Turkish Airlines on board as our new partners, together with the support of GolfKings, all of whom will provide a major boost to the Belhaven Best Scottish Club Handicap Championship.
“We had been looking at ways to make the event more appealing to club golfers so when the opportunity arose to take the final to Turkey through the sponsorship, the timing was perfect. The relationship we have with Belhaven is our longest standing partnership and the move fits well with their ethos of giving Belhaven Best consumers unique golfing rewards.”
This year’s Regional Finals will be held at Uphall, Nairn Dunbar, Erskine and Downfield in August, with club qualifying events already up and running across the country.
Turkish Airlines General Manager for Edinburgh, Ahmet Serhat Sari, said: “With Turkish Airlines now having a permanent base in Edinburgh, we are delighted to be supporting the Scottish Golf Union for this fantastic event and investing in the game in Scotland. One of our added benefits for golfers is that golf bags fly for free with Turkish Airlines, which is great news for golfers taking trips overseas with us.”
General Manager for the host venue, Hakan Duran, added: “The Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort is delighted to be involved with the Scottish Golf Union and Golfkings and to host the first overseas Final of the largest handicap event in Scotland. Regnum recently hosted the Ladies European Tour and will be delighted to welcome club golfers from across the country in February.”
SGU affiliated clubs have until Friday 24 July to register their local qualifying event, with Regional Finals open to a maximum of 70 clubs per event. Regional Finals commence on Friday 7 August at Uphall Golf Club in West Lothian.
Graham Baird, Sales Director for Belhaven, welcomed the new partnership: “Belhaven Best has been the official beer partner of the Scottish Golf Union for 16 years, making it one of the longest standing sponsorships in Scottish sport. Golf clubs and golfers have been the foundation of our brand’s success and it’s fantastic to welcome Regnum and Turkish Airlines partnering the championship to help us take the event to another level.”
For more information on registering your Club for the Belhaven Best Scottish Club Handicap Championship, contact the SGU Events team on 01334 466477 or visit http://www.scottishgolf.org/events/listings/belhaven-best-scottish-club-handicap-2/
Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort www.regnumhotels.com
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