European Tour set to unveil its first European Tour Design course in Moscow, Russia
Pitched in the suburbs of Moscow some 130 kilometres Northwest, the European Tour will be unveiling its ground breaking course design project this summer, all set to draw attention from the golfers all over the world.
The new course is already an award-winning project when it won the Best New Design in Russia 2011 accorded by the “Magazin”, Moscow's leading real estate magazine and has been designed as per the European Tour standards.
The designing firm, European Golf Design is a subsidiary of European Tour and envisions building international standard courses in distant European countries for the promotion of the sport.
Built within the 1,300-hectare Zavidovo Resort Community, the course features classic style turf picked by heather-clad bunkers and is also equipped with world class coaching facility and academy.
The course has been named “The PGA National” making it first-of-its-kind course to bear the celebrated tag of PGA. The course includes PGA National Golf Academy, consisting of a nine-hole golf course, putting and chipping greens, swing studios and teaching
area.
Dave Sampson, EGD’s Project Designer reminisced the difficulties they had to face to build the course in the rugged Pine Wood forest in the vicinity of Moscow.
He said, “When we first visited the site, which is surrounded by pine and birch forest, it was clear that a heathland style course would be appropriate. Although naturally beautiful, the landscape lacked strong physical features, but we were able to improve
the aesthetics and introduce a strategic element to the course by enhancing the streams and ditches running across the terrain”.
Apart from providing a world-class facility in Russia, European Tour also took special care to promote the course in the general masses that remain predominantly a tennis and football fan.
The PGA National Russia signed an agreement with the Russian National Golf Team and also pulled in the renowned Russian golfer Maria Verchenova as the ambassador of the course.
Verchenova is a mainstream Ladies European Tour player and has won many accolades for her homeland.
Jeremy Slessor, Managing Director of EGD lauded European Tour’s commitment towards the promotion of the sport.
He hoped that with the provision of world Class facility in the country, the course will be able to hold European Tour events in the future which will be a landmark for the promotion of the sport in this country.
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