Game changer! With the official opening of the Performance & Competence Center in Oberwaltersdorf, which is unique in Europe, a new era was heralded in Austrian golf.
With the ceremonial opening of the Performance & Competence Center of the Österreichischer Golf-Verband [ÖGV] / Austrian Golf Association in Oberwaltersdorf, which is unique in Europe, a new era begins for Austrian golf.
The CPG and ÖGV have also partnered to create the Continental European Headquarters of the CPG and the CPG Learning & Performance Institute that is based at the ‘ÖGV Performance and Competence Center’, opening a variety of international learning opportunities that will be launched in the future. CPG CEO, Ian Randell, and CPG Chairman of the Knowledge & Development Panel, Jonathan Mannie, were present to see the PCC officially launched.
Numerous well-known guests from politics, sport and business personally saw the groundbreaking facility in the former tennis hall in Fontana. Including active supporters and trailblazers. ÖGV President Dr. Peter Enzinger and General Secretary Robert Fiegl welcomed, among others, entrepreneurs and Fontana owner Siegfried Wolf, the section head in the Ministry of Sports Philipp Trattner, the former Burgenland state governor and now president of the federal sports organization Sport Austria Hans Niessl, Peter McDonald (President Sportunion), Herman Krist (President ASKÖ) as well as numerous representatives of other Austrian sports associations as well as the sports director of the German Golf Association.
A Shared Success of Sport
ÖGV President Peter Enzinger, one of the initiators of the project, praised the excellent cooperation between the individual players right from the start: “This project was very close to my heart from the start. The Performance & Competence Center represents our vision of taking golf in Austria to the next level. I am thrilled with the support and positive feedback we have received both nationally and internationally. A big thank you to everyone involved.”
Siegfried Wolf was also at the forefront of this project, and despite his entrepreneurial approach, profitability played a subordinate role in this project: “For this project, all financial reason has temporarily been suspended for me. But when you see what has been created here, we can all draw a very positive conclusion.”
It is particularly important to show young people what is possible and to create the best possible conditions so that they can emulate their idols: “There was a lot of discussion about this visionary idea beforehand. However, many who are here today have continually supported us. I would also like to thank everyone very much. We made it! The Performance & Competence Center is an international flagship of Austrian golf and it is almost impossible to get young people out of the facility. That’s why I put profitability aside. This is my contribution to Austrian golf.”
The project also received great support from politicians. On the one hand, to further develop competitive sport – in which little things make the difference – and, on the other hand, not to put any obstacles in the way of the next generation. “In sports infrastructure, the past catches up with you. Not just when it comes to golf. Infrastructure projects that were built in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s are no longer “up to date” today. But if we want to get our children moving, we need the infrastructure to do so. We as a sport have to address this together. We must gradually close these gaps. Step by step. We won’t be able to do this in all 60 sports associations overnight. Golf was now the next step,” said Philipp Trattner, head of the sports section at the Federal Ministry.
Of course, Austrian golf was also well represented at the opening. Led by the Austrian golf legend Markus Brier, the tour professionals Lukas Nemecz and Niklas Regner did the honors – including a demonstration of their impressive skills with the small white ball.
Innovation & Expertise
The facility is also tailored primarily to competitive sports and to enable up-and-coming young talent to make a professional transition from amateur to professional. Thanks to state-of-the-art technologies and year-round usage, Austria’s new “Home of Golf” offers Austrian competitive athletes unprecedented training conditions in order to best prepare for future challenges.
In a first phase, an indoor training center with a 1,300m² driving range including a 200m² practice green, warm-up & lounge area and a 750m² pitch & putt short game area was built in the former tennis hall of the Fontana golf course. The indoor training center is also equipped with the latest training technologies and analysis tools.
The mission of the project is to bring together all golf expertise in one location and extends beyond the borders of Austria. The ÖGV has also moved into new office space in Oberwaltersdorf. The location is also enriched by collaborations with institutions such as the PGA of Austria and the Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG]. Numerous European golf associations have already expressed their interest in cooperation.
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