Catch it while you can

It's Wednesday; it's 5pm ... and while Crackerjack may be just a distant memory, there's something much better on Sky Sports Extra tonight.

The hour-long 2009 Disabled British Open (DBO) highlights programme is being aired tonight on Sky Sports Extra (channel 404), from 5pm.

The DBO was an event organised wholly by Azalea and we are immensely proud of our colleagues who were involved with it.

Here is a link to the DBO website, but if you don't want to know the score, look away now... LINK

BUNKY

We're movin on up now...

And the good news just keeps on coming out of Azalea Towers...

RECOGNITION FOR MALLORCA'S 'AUGUSTA'

Just two years after opening, Son Gual, Mallorca’s top golf course, is celebrating after making it into Golf World’s prestigious top 100 European courses list.

The 7,240-yard, Thomas Himmel-designed course is a new entry into the list at 91, a position which delighted managing director Andreas Pamer.

He said: “We have worked very hard to elevate Son Gual to be the best golf course on the island and one of the best in Spain. To achieve this recognition from such an influential magazine in such a short space of time is testament to the work put in by everybody here.

“But we will not sit back and congratulate ourselves; we will continue to offer the best golf possible and it is our intention to be regarded as the best course in Spain in time, and to continually improve our ranking within Golf World’s significant ratings.”

Son Gual was quickly recognised as a top course and was awarded the Mallorca Senior Open which it hosted for the first time in May, when former Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam compared the greens to those at Augusta National.

The 1991 Masters winner said: “It’s a bit like Augusta. There are a lot of slopes on the greens. You’ve got to get the ball on the right side of the hole – if you don’t you’ll be struggling. Miss it on the wrong side and you’re dead.”

Golf World’s description of the course said: “The course is laid out in two very distinctive halves, the front nine running along the extremity of the estate, with the second encompassed within its centre … making it one of the more spectacular courses in the Mediterranean region.”

The course’s reputation has been spreading far and wide with many celebrities taking time out to visit when on the island.

Liverpool winger Albert Riera, who used to live just down the road from the course, has gone on record to say it is his favourite course, and his fellow Mallorquine, tennis superstar Rafael Nadal, is also a regular visitor.

Golden Balls presenter Jasper Carrott and Sky Sports’ pundits Jamie Redknapp, Andy Gray, Alan McInally and Alan Smith are just some of the British celebrities to have been seen walking Son Gual’s pristine fairways in the last few months.

www.son-gual.com

ENDS

Information for journalists.

• Pictures of Golf Son Gual are available upon request

For further information on Golf Son Gual please contact Dave Bowers at the Azalea Group on 08700 330550, or email dave@theazaleagroup.com.

Lambda's international recognition

It's always great to be part of a new product and here at Azalea Towers we're delighted to be involved with Lambda & Omega, a Portuguese company launching a new range of golf shoes at Golf Europe, next week.

LAMBDA'S INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

With Lambda’s new Imperia golf shoe, your playing partners will be left in no doubt as to your nationality.

The Imperia – shown above carrying the Union Flag – is available in six different flag versions – and what’s more it’s environmentally friendly.

Lambda & Omega’s managing director, Paulo Freitas, said: “There is now a fashion in golf for national pride to be displayed at every opportunity. Naturally Britain’s Ian Poulter has been at the forefront of this with his Union Flag trousers, but you can also now get golf bags, pitchmark repairers and all manner of accessories carrying your national flag.

“Now, with the addition of the Lambda Imperia shoe, you can complete the ensemble. We currently offer a choice of six different flags – with more planned – which could make for some interesting fourballs…”

Combining the finest quality materials with the latest, innovative technology, Lambda’s classic-look golf shoes are functional and reliable, while remaining comfortable and fashionable – and are manufactured ethically.

While many big-name shoe brands outsource manufacture to Third World countries, all Lambda shoes are manufactured in Portugal, with materials sourced from within the European Union.

Freitas added: “Sourcing from within the EU enables us to manage the entire production process and ensure the highest quality from start to finish.

“At a time when we are all increasingly conscious of the need to cut down on the planet’s carbon footprint, we felt sourcing local materials and reducing the need for long-distance transportation of manufacturing materials and the finished product was essential.

“Hence the whole manufacturing process takes place here in Portugal.”

Such attention to detail is also reflected in the finished product which demonstrates the combination of tradition and innovation.

The hand-made Lambda range has a classic golf-shoe appearance, with fully treated water-repellent, Portuguese leather, but a special membrane inlay sole absorbs force to reduce the impact on knees, hips and back to make the game more enjoyable.

A unique treatment provides temperature-responsive waterproof protection and breathability, while the full leather lining produces superior comfort and an ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) insert and leather sock-liner provides shock absorption and cushioning.

• Prices for the Lambda golf shoe range start at €119 and the brand is on display at Golf Europe in Munich, September 27-29 in Hall 2, Booth A28.

ENDS

Information for journalists Issued by the Azalea Group on behalf of Lambda & Omega.

For more information or hi-res imagery contact Dave Bowers on 08700 330550 or email dave@theazaleagroup.com