The spanking new stunning Els Club Teluk Datai in Lankawi just won the “World’s Best New Golf Course’” and Asias Best New Golf Course awards.
When you are world-class the world notices pretty fast as this very new golf course in Langkawi found to its delight.
ERNIE Els is not just a world golf champion he is a world-class golf course designer! Now that’s what you call a master of golf.
To put it into even more perspective, the four-time Major winner’s Malaysian masterpiece, The Els Club Teluk Datai won its first two awards only two weeks after its official grand opening.
Not just any other award. The South African’s design won the club the “World’s Best New Golf Course’”at the inaugural World Golf Awards. The club also picked up the “Best New Golf Course in Asia” award, rounding off an incredible evening at Quinta do Lago, Algarve, Portugal.
“The Els Club Teluk Datai is such a distinct and scenic property that it is impossible not to be blown away by the stunning landscape within which it is set,” said Els, the winner of more than 60 professional tournaments worldwide.
The course’s Langkawi layout, which sits amidst a tropical rainforest stretching to the shores of the Andaman Sea, scooped the much-coveted accolades, voted upon by golf travel executives and members of the media.
The course was unveiled in the company of Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Hajjah Haminah.
“We knew that we had something special when we first set foot on the site and to see what we have been able to achieve fills me with a great sense of pride. The Els Club Teluk Datai has captured my attention, as I’m sure it will with golf lovers worldwide, and I certainly plan to spend time relaxing out there,” added Els whose nickname is The Big Easy.
The Els Club Teluk Datai is managed and operated by Troon Golf, the global leader in upscale golf management, which oversees operations at some of world’s pre-eminent golf resorts, and owned by Destination Resorts and Hotels (DRH), an investment arm of the Malaysian Government.
Tunku Datuk Ahmad Burhanuddin, DRH managing director, noted that the global golf media featured the course prominently in their publications, resulting in a sharp spike in business.
“Our hotel property, The Datai Langkawi, that sits adjacent to the course, has been a prolific award winner for the past 20 years, and it looks like now we have a golf course that is attracting the same international attention, making Langkawi a true international golf and leisure destination, “he added.
The Els Club Malaysia senior vice president, David Townend, who received both awards on Els’ behalf, is excited about the prospect of welcoming visitors who have been intrigued by the prospect of golf on the Peninsula.
“The island of Langkawi is one of world’s most idyllic unspoiled gems, and with the international recognition and reputation we are garnering can only enhance the appeal of the nation’s golf and resort industry, which will generate valuable tourism dollars for the economy, “ he said.
There are plans to expand the Els Club Malaysia business model soon with the opening of two sensational new properties in Johor, with the 27-hole Els Club Desaru Coast and the 18-hole Els Club Desaru Valley in 2016.
For more information visit www.elsclubmalaysia.com, and follow Ernie Els on Twitter at @TheBig_Easy.
