Major golf event to tee up global TV coverage for Sligo area
Tourism boost as Castle Dargan hosts PGA tournament
Leo Gray Sports Editor Sligo Champion, Simon Higginbottom PGA Head of Golf Operations, Dermot Fallon Castle Dargan Resort Director and Noel Conlon General Manager Castle Dargan Estate at the Launch of the PGA EuroPro Tour 2nd to 4th June 2010. Credit: Photo: Colin Gillen
Wednesday March 03 2010
Sligo is in line for a €600,000 tourism bonanza following confirmation that a prestigious PGA EuroPro tournament is to be staged in the county. The three-day tournament, which is expected to attract two hundred professional golfers from all over Europe, will be hosted by the Castle Dargan Golf, Hotel and Wellness. Running from June 2nd to 4th, the event will not only generate a timely spin-off for the local economy but will also afford extensive global television exposure for Sligo.
Among the international broadcasting networks covering the tournament will be Sky Sports, the Golf Channels in America, Canada and Japan, as well as Supersports and ESPN Star in Asia.
Adding to the attraction of what promises to be a spectacular sporting weekend in Sligo will be a Pro-Am event at Castle Dargan golf course on June 1st and a full practice day, involving participants in the EuroPro tournament, on May 31st.
The tournament will bring in over 200 golfers and their entourage to the county and has the potential to attract huge numbers of visitors to the region. It is estimated that the event could be worth as much as €600,000 in tourism revenue.
'The Castle Dargan Golf Resort is a great addition to the 2010 PGA EuroPro tour schedule', said Danny Nickless, operations manager of the Tour. 'We are always looking to expose the players to new and exciting courses and Castle Dargan fits the bill perfectly -a challenging course in a fantastic setting'
Noel Conlon, General Manager at Castle Dargan Golf Hotel and Wellness Resort said the hotel was delighted to be involved with the PGA EuroPro tour and predicted that the course would provide a stern test for all the players, especially with its numerous risk and reward holes.
'We are really looking forward to hosting this showcase tournament for up-and-coming natio national and international professional golfers', he said.
Mr. Conlon also highlighted the economic benefits of the tournament.
'From a tourism and economic viewpoint, it is a huge boost to Sligo with over 2,000 bednights anticipated for accommodation providers, not to mention all the ancillary spend which will be created within the region', Mr. Conlon pointed out.
The 18 hole Castle Dargan Championship course was designed by Darren Clarke and features in Golf Digest's 2009 list of top golf courses in Ireland. It has hosted a number of GUI competitions since it opened in 2008.
- LEO GRAY
