Costa Navarino is set to welcome the 2nd Aegean Messinia Pro-Am this autumn, headlining the golfing calendar at the Mediterranean’s sustainably-driven destination. After last year’s successful debut, the second edition of the international event will take place from September 13-17. 

Participants will have the chance to enjoy the sunny Messinian skies, mild temperatures and spectacular sea views, while playing across three of the destination’s signature courses – The Dunes Course, The Bay Course and the International Olympic Academy Golf Course, named as the ‘World’s Best New Golf Course’ at the 2022 World Golf Awards. Set amidst a lush landscape with centuries-old olive trees and verdant hills, each course offers a different challenge, while its development and operation are aligned with the destination’s sustainable practices.

Players and guests can choose among the ultra-luxury Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino which opens this summer, the recently-opened vibrant W Costa Navarino, as well as the authentic luxury setting of The Westin Resort Costa Navarino and The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort for their accommodation, with a range of four, five and seven-night pro-am tournament packages.

Sanctioned by the Confederation of Professional Golf and supported by the Hellenic Golf Federation and the PGA of Greece, the Aegean Messinia Pro-Am will feature a maximum of 75 teams, with each team comprising of one professional and three amateurs. The tournament’s total prize fund will reach €70,000.

Offering the opportunity to compete for an array of top individual and team prizes, the four-day event will also showcase a rich and engaging program of social events, featuring the new buzzing open marketplace Navarino Agora, which opens this summer.

Team registration for the 2023 Aegean Messinia Pro-Am is now open and is on a first-come, first-served basis. AEGEAN Airlines is offering special airline ticket prices for the tournament’s participants and complimentary air tickets (save taxes) to the participating professionals.

For more information on the 2023 Aegean Messinia Pro-Am visit https://cp.golf/2023aegeanmessinia

This article originally appeared on dpworldtour.com

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Wil Besseling and Lars van Meijel were on hand to support the running of a GolfSixes League event taking place in advance of the KLM Open as the popular format continues to be introduced to more and more young people.

Ahead of the 103rd edition of the Netherlands’ national open this week at Bernardus Golf, the two home stars joined a local coach on Tuesday in organising playing opportunities for youngsters with little golfing experience.

GolfSixes League started as a grassroots version of the short-form GolfSixes professional team event, which the DP World Tour created in 2017.

It has seen great success across Great Britain and Ireland where it is administered by the Golf Foundation, England Golf, Golf Ireland, Scottish Golf and Wales Golf.

Since last year, GolfSixes League, and its off-course version GolfSixes Mini League, has expanded to also run across a host of other European countries, including the Netherlands.

“This is a great way with the KLM Open to get [children] involved in golf,” said Besseling, who is among those flying the home flag this week.

“Hopefully it is a good start and can help to get them to play golf and have some fun together with other kids.”

Since its inception, the number of participants in Great Britain & Ireland alone has grown to over 6,000, from 524 clubs forming part of 117 leagues in 2023.

GolfSixes League pilots were run in the Netherlands in 2018 and 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic put a pause to them.

Reflecting on the interest of the short format, European Challenge Tour winner Van Meijel added: “18 holes is almost five hours these days and for kids it is not really appealing.

“But it is always really good to play with friends and have a group of kids that you grow up together with and play together. That is the reason I started playing golf.”

The programme is led by the PGA and supported by the Dutch Golf Federation in Holland ensuring the project has become a great success.

In 2022, GolfSixes was played in 5 regions in Holland with 25 teams, involving 170 children, with the aim of increasing that to 250 kids this year.

For more information on GolfSixes League please visit cp.golf/golfsixesleague

Final places for teams are available for The International Pro-Am, presented by the Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG] and Sports Travel Group [STG]/Golf Traveller as the event fast approaches from 28 June to 01 July 2023 at the stunning Lily Country Club in Oslo, Norway.

The event explores the very best in food and travel experiences and centres around Oslo and the chance to play on two of Norway’s finest courses, Miklagard Golf Club and Kongsvinger Golf Club, while staying at the five-star Lily Country Club.

Following on from the Pro-Am itself is then the optional add-on to venture north, to the Arctic Circle, and discover one of the world’s truly incredible places to play golf – Lofoten Links. Extension packages include further accommodation and travel, as well as 2 rounds of golf at Lofoten, with 1 midnight tee time for an experience you will never forget.

The Pro-Am itinerary includes a main event tournament played over two rounds, a light-hearted team tournament, a pro-shootout challenge and a final day matchplay format with its own prize pool.

Professionals travel for free when accompanied by three paying amateurs and are guaranteed €500 with additional prizes on offer for a top-five finish in the main event and the pro shootout.

The International Pro-Am was launched in Turnberry in 2019 with a unique offering that brought together the very best in golf and travel in a format that included numerous chances to win a variety of prizes including luxury travel experiences.

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For more information on The International Pro-Am visit https://cp.golf/2023international, to enter a team visit TheInternational.golf

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49 years old, Ascanio Pacelli has been a professional and a member of PGA Italiana since 1997. He worked as a teacher in various clubs in Lazio (Arco di Costantino Golf and Parco di Roma), playing 50 competitions between Challenge and Alps Tours in the same period. Since 2010 he began to follow the Terre dei Consoli (Viterbo) project and, with the opening of the club the following year, he assumed the role of General Manager. Under his leadership the club hosted Challenge and Alps Tour tournaments, as well as national championships. In 2015 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Club Managers Association of Europe [CMAE] for a four-year term.

He was a member of the Education Policy Board of the CMAE, following the training process by participating in four courses to become a Certified Club Manager (recognised worldwide) in 2017. He was a speaker at the Management World Conference in San Diego (2016) presenting the Ryder Cup Roma 2022 project, and in San Francisco in 2018. Since September 2020 he has sat on the Federal Council representing the Coaches. His career also includes television, radio and journalistic experiences.

“I am still surprised considering that the idea of the candidacy was born only 50 days ago during a phone call with my colleague Marco Durante,” said Pacelli. “I was lucky to have met in this short but intense journey people who believed in me and whom I thank. Compared to the others I will have to try to gain their trust. Four important years await us, we want to see the Association grow on the basis of what has been done up to now (even in the most challenging times of the pandemic), whilst also trying to take new paths.”

The new Board of Directors is made up of Paolo BATTISTINI, Stefano BETTI, Mauro BIANCO, Monica COSENZA, Nicola MAESTRONI, Matia MAFFIULETTI, Alessandro TRILLINI, and Andrea ZANI.

This article originally appears courtesy of the PGA of Italy – Find out more at pga.it

The popular GolfSixes format is continuing to expand and introduce even more young people to a shorter format of the sport following a successful pilot season in continental Europe.

Young people from 75 golf clubs participated in the 25 GolfSixes Leagues during the 2022 pilot season in Belgium, Germany, Holland, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the initiative is being developed further so that young people in Czech Republic, Finland, Malta and Slovakia can also participate in 2023.

In addition, a pilot of the GolfSixes Mini League will also take place in these participating countries. The Mini League is designed to bring GolfSixes into schools and other recreational settings without the need for a golf course.

Using soft equipment, GolfSixes Mini League is played across a temporary course comprising of six holes which can fit into the dimensions of a football pitch, making it perfect for non-golf facilities short on space or as an indoor activity during cold weather months. Children practice and play in teams which creates a fun and relaxed environment for them to enjoy their first experience of golf.

Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A said, “GolfSixes is a fun and accessible short-form of golf and we are pleased to see that the pilot in Europe attracted young people in good numbers last year. We want to build on that momentum by expanding its reach into new countries so that more young people have opportunities to enjoy golf and its health benefits with family and friends.”

Ian Randell, CEO of the Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG] added, “The success of the pilot activations in Europe has shown that GolfSixes League provides the perfect solution for young people to be able to progress on to the golf course in a fun and engaging way whilst enjoying the social and competitive enjoyment of playing as part of a team. We are extremely pleased that the collaboration internationally has worked so well, whilst national activities have also proven to show how great work can be done when PGAs and PGA Members, Federations/Unions, clubs, etc. all work towards the same goals.”

First launched in Great Britain and Ireland, GolfSixes League is a development initiative which introduces young people to golf in a fun and inclusive environment as they practice and play in teams, along with an added competitive element.

It enables young people to progress from using driving ranges or practice facilities as beginners to playing golf in teams of six over six holes using a two-person scramble format on courses adapted to their skill levels.

Along with the positive results seen in continental Europe last year, GolfSixes League continues to prove popular in Great Britain and Ireland under the administration of the Golf Foundation, England Golf, Golf Ireland, Scottish Golf and Wales Golf.

In 2022, more than 500 golf clubs participated in a GolfSixes League which resulted in a 47% increase in affiliated membership. Plans are in place to expand to more than 750 golf clubs in 2023.

Golf Sixes expansion into Continental Europe has been supported by The R&A, the Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG], the Ryder Cup European Development Trust (RCEDT), DP World Tour and Ladies European Tour – the leading bodies aligning in support of a development initiative for the first time.

For more information on GolfSixes League please visit cp.golf/golfsixesleague