Verdura Resort’s status as one of Europe’s elite golfing venues has received a major endorsement after becoming the latest addition to the exclusive European Tour Properties network.
The deluxe resort has joined the prestigious group as a European Tour Destination and is the second high-profile Italian venue to become a member, following Marco Simone Golf & Country Club Ð the venue for the 2022 Ryder Cup.
Opened in 2009, Verdura Resort, a Rocco Forte hotel, has quickly risen to become a leader in modern luxury golf and lifestyle destinations on the continent, and in May will host the European Tour’s Rocco Forte Open, five years after staging the 2012 Sicilian Open. Nestling adjacent to the Mediterranean in 230 hectares of stunning traditional Sicilian landscape, the resort’s golf facilities include two outstanding championship courses Ð the East Course and the West Course Ð and a par-three nine-hole course.
Sir Rocco Forte, chairman of Rocco Forte Hotels and a keen golfer, said: ÒIt’s a privilege to join the exclusive European Tour Properties network of clubs,Êidentifying Verdura Resort asÊone of theÊpremier golf destinations in Europe.ÊÒOur two 18-hole links golf courses are designed by Kyle Phillips with sweeping views of the Mediterranean from every hole.ÊOur visitors include some of the most famous names in European golf, and becoming a member is further confirmation of the great progress that Verdura has made in recent years in becoming one of the elite golf destinations on the continent.Ó
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: ÒVerdura Resort is a great addition to the European Tour Properties network. It also represents a double triumph of collaboration as we very much look forward to its hosting of the Rocco Forte Open Ð Verdura in May. ÒThe resort boasts fantastic facilities in a spectacular location and, with the support of our European Tour Properties team, I have no doubt it will remain a must-visit destination for all golf fans.Ó
Complementing Verdura’s outstanding golf courses are extensive golf practice facilities including a double-ended driving range and outstanding academy, which will be further enhanced in the new year with the installation of the latest Trackman launch monitor, 3-D motion force plates and SAM PuttLab technology.
In addition, guests can enjoy numerous other sports and leisure amenities including six tennis courts, an array of different watersports, a 170sqm fully-equipped gym and an award-winning 4,000sqm spa complex.
The European Tour Properties announcement caps an impressive 12 months for Verdura which has seen bookings increase substantially across its golfing sectors in 2016. The success on the course has been mirrored with the resort winning a number of top international accolades,Ê including being named as Italy’s number one golf venue in a recent Golf World list of continental Europe’s top 100 golf resorts.
Situated on Sicily’s southern coast between Agrigento and the fishing city of Sciacca, an 80-minute drive from Trapani and Palermo airports, Verdura Resort features 203 rooms and suites, all with a sea view.
Away from the fairways, the resort features an array of other luxury sports and lifestyle facilities while guests also have the opportunity to sample a taste of the gastronomy, wine, history and culture that has made Sicily famous across the world.
