One of the largest professional, pan-European golf events will return to the Algarve region of Portugal once more in 2013, with the Annual Congress and International Team Championship taking centre stage together at Hotel Vila Galé Lagos and Onyria Palmares Beach and Golf Resort from December 10th – 13th.

After an incredibly successful set of events in 2012, the Annual Congress and International Team Championship (ITC) will be hosted by the Associação Turismo do Algarve for the fourth consecutive year, marking a second year in Lagos.

The Congress and ITC will also once again be supported by clothing manufacturer Glenmuir, and the Ryder Cup European Development Trust.

The Annual Congress is the yearly opportunity for presidents and CEOs of national PGAs, along with leaders from Federations, the European Tour, and other golfing bodies from across the continent, to meet and discuss the state of play within their respective territories, as well as learn and share ideas with each other alongside fantastic speakers from not only the world of golf but wider industries as well.

The ITC will see teams from across the Confederation of Professional Golf 39 member countries play a 72-hole strokeplay competition with the best two individual scores each day from the team of three counting towards the overall team score. Competitors will be looking to emulate the 2012 winners, Scotland, who took their 7th ITC title in last year’s event.

“The Algarve Tourism Association have become fantastic partners to the Confederation of Professional Golf ensuring that our staff, delegates, players and Award winners are hosted at the finest facilities and greeted with the warmest hospitality,” said Ian Randell, Chief Executive of the Confederation of Professional Golf. “We can’t wait to make a return to Lagos in December, and look forward to inviting our friends from across Europe to join us.”

“We are delighted and proud to welcome the Confederation of Professional Golf Annual Congress and the ITC for the fourth time in the Algarve,” said Desidério Silva, President of Associação Turismo do Algarve.

“Golf tourism is of the utmost importance to the Algarve, with nearly one million rounds played per year. Such demand requires a wide variety of both golf courses and facilities, which the Algarve is proud to offer with golf courses designed by world renowned architects, various lay-outs offering different challenges and practice facilities that attract golf professionals either to bring their clients for golf clinics or to play themselves.”

The Vila Galé Lagos Hotel, situated on the Lagos seafront a mere five minutes from Lagos Marina, is a luxury resort, occupying an 85-thousand square meter area. The building faces the ocean and allows for an optimized view from the hotel’s rooms making it ideally placed for the Congress and its delegates.

Onyria Palmares Beach & Golf Resort was re-designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr. and continues to to become a ‘must play’ destination. The club’s challenging 27-hole layout has all the features of a links course with some parkland holes attached and attracts rave reviews from all of those who play it.

————————

For updates, information and news from the Annual Congress 2013, visit the Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/11EGYgM), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

For more information on the 2013 International Team Championship, visit the ITC Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/11EBSkF).

The 2013 Annual Congress & ITC are supported by Glenmuir, the Associação Turismo do Algarve, Hotel Vila Galé Lagos, Onyria Palmares Beach and Golf Resort, and the European Ryder Cup Development Trust. For more information on our partners, visit http://eur.pe/1aaFFgx.