Golfers using the burgeoning ClubstoHire.com service at Dublin, Faro and Malaga airports are now able to try out golf’s most talked-about new driver: the TaylorMade R11, pictured above.
The R11 has been a major buzzword since it was launched in late 2010 with glowing praise from tour professionals and amateurs and strong recognition from the golf industry. There is plenty of substance and technology lurking beneath the driver’s stylish white crown with options for the player to adjust loft and face-angle for maximum flight control.
Accompanying the iconic driver, a full set of R11 Burner woods and irons – complete with pristine white R11 stand-bag – are available for hire at all locations for only €55 for a full week.
With ClubstoHire.com experiencing its busiest month to date in March, the opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ is sure to be a popular draw.
Irish Ryder Cup hero Paul McGinley is a partner in the company, which offers travelling golfers a massive saving on airline golf bag charges – and complete peace of mind.
In a further development, all stores will soon be stocking Wilson Golf equipment, giving consumers an increased choice of leading brands with Callaway and MD Golf sets also available. Rentals start from as little as €35 per set, per week.
Golfers are already voting with their feet with more than 7,000 hiring sets in the past six months at Dublin, Faro and Malaga – a combined saving of €200,000 – and the company is on course to be established in several more European golf destination hubs by the end of 2011.
■ Bookings for Dublin, Malaga and Faro can be made online at www.clubstohire.com.
Teams are now able to enter the sixth annual Banks and Brokers Golf Championship which will culminate in a grand final in Spain in October.
The event – sponsored by Extrabet, the sports betting specialist – provides golfers from the financial services sector with the chance to battle for golfing supremacy among their peers.
A maximum of 18 teams of four will scrap it out in two qualifying events – at Brocket Hall on June 6 and East Sussex National Golf Resort & Spa on July 1 – for the right to jet off to Antequera Golf, near Malaga, during October, for a two-day final.
Unlike similar events where only the winning teams make it to the final, in the Banks and Brokers Golf Championship the winning team and the runners-up from both regional events qualify for the final in Spain.
And the captain of the first winning team, in 2006, is determined to be there to once again to capture the title his colleagues fought so hard to secure in the inaugural event.
David Heffer, from Tradition UK, said: “It’s a brilliant event – well organised, with a good buzz about it, and a great atmosphere among the teams. And it’s getting better year on year. We’ve played in every one and we’ve certainly got an eye on being on that plane down to Spain.”
With a one-in-nine chance of being on the plane for the complimentary grand final, and with a number of other fantastic prizes on offer – including golf holidays and the latest equipment – tournament organisers are banking on entries filling up fast. Teams can even enter both events to increase their chances of success.
Those lucky enough to win through to the Spanish final on October 16/17 will enjoy free flights and transfers; two rounds of golf; five-star accommodation at the impressive Hotel La Magdelena, a former convent; tapas lunches on both days and a three-course gala dinner in the Hotel La Magdelena.
The event also helps to raise funds for STAR4Africa, a UK-based charity dedicated to providing opportunities and support for children in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Plus, title sponsor Extrabet will be running a number of exclusive spread-betting promotions for competitors starting with one for next week’s US Masters. A spokesman confirmed: “Sell a player on finishing position and if your player wins, we’ll double your profits!”
Event organiser Jim Nicholson said: “This is a unique opportunity for people working in a high-pressure sector to unwind and take on their contemporaries in a friendly, yet competitive environment, while helping to raise funds for a very worthwhile cause. And of course there’s a great break to be had if you qualify for the final.”
The Banks and Brokers Golf Championship is open to all companies and individuals but is aimed primarily at corporations, individuals and other bodies operating in financial services and other related sectors such as energy, commodities and precious metals.
■ To find out more about the Banks and Brokers Golf Championship, visit http://www.banksandbrokersgolf.com/
