Verdura Resort, a Rocco Forte hotel in Sicily, is taking golf-swing analysis to new heights after becoming the first golf venue in Italy, and third in the world, to open a European Tour Performance Institute.
Golfers of all abilities have the unique opportunity to practice, learn and improve under Sicilian skies using tools and techniques developed by the European Tour’s medical and performance specialists.
Taking advantage of Verdura’s cutting-edge technology – including the latest Trackman, 4D Motion and SAM PuttLab technology – professionals and amateurs can use the same sports medicine platform enjoyed by Tour players to gain a more complete understanding of their golf swings.
Body and balance screening, posture and swing analysis, fitness and physiotherapy sessions and club fitting are among the services being offered by the resort’s skilled team of dedicated golf coaches and biomechanics specialists, while players can even receive expert advice on shoe fitting in a bid to improve performance on the course.
Antonio Castelo, Golf Director at Verdura Resort, a European Tour destination and home of the Rocco Forte Sicilian Open, said: “Golfers are always looking for ways to improve and what better way to do so than using the same methods and techniques as the best players in the world.
“We’re very excited to have been chosen as the venue for Italy’s first European Tour Performance Institute, and the new facility is another illustration of the world-class sporting facilities that our guests can experience at Verdura.”
Set in 230 hectares of stunning Mediterranean landscape on Sicily’s southern coast, Verdura Resort’s golf facilities include two outstanding 18-hole championship courses and a par-three nine-hole executive course – both designed by world-acclaimed architect Kyle Phillips – a double-ended driving range and a first-class academy. One of the 18-hole courses is currently being revamped to offer guests a new and enhanced experience.
Located between Agrigento and the charming fishing town of Sciacca, an 80-minute drive from Trapani and Palermo airports, Verdura Resort – a member of the exclusive European Tour Destinations network – features 203 rooms and suites, all with a sea view, including six villas which offer a perfect solution for family holidays, each with its own private swimming pool.
Away from the fairways, the resort offers an extensive array of other luxury sports and lifestyle facilities, while guests also have the opportunity to sample, on and off-site, a taste of the gastronomy, wine, history and culture that has made Sicily famous across the world.
For more information and to book, phone + 39 06 0328 88630 or email reservation.verdura@roccofortehotels.com
www.roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/verdura-resort/
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High-resolution images of Verdura Resort may be downloaded for editorial purposes from Verdura Resort
About Verdura Resort
Since opening in 2009, Verdura Resort, a Rocco Forte hotels resort, (www.roccofortehotels.com) has quickly established itself amongst Europe’s premier contemporary exclusive golf and lifestyle destinations.
The resort is set in 230 hectares of stunning landscape overlooking the Mediterranean with 1.8km of private coastline, and offers golfing guests and families an unparalleled modern five-star experience on the largest island in the Mediterranean. The resort is located on the southern coast of Sicily between Agrigento and the fishing city of Sciacca, an 80-minute drive from Trapani and Palermo airports.
Verdura features 203 rooms, suites and villas all with sea views, and is a paradise for golfers with its outstanding facilities. Players from all over the world come to enjoy the 18-hole championship course and nine-hole par-three course, with both links-style layouts designed by world-renowned golf architect Kyle Phillips and built to the highest specifications. A member of the exclusive European Tour Destinations network, Verdura was the host venue for the 2012 Sicilian Open and is home to the European Tour’s Rocco Forte Sicilian Open. The courses are matched by outstanding practice amenities including a double-ended driving range and excellent golf academy and Performance Institute.
Verdura’s other sports facilities include six tennis courts; a 60m two-tiered infinity pool; numerous watersports, one football pitch; a 170sqm fully-equipped gym and a collection of running trails through olive and lemon groves. The resort’s award-winning 4,000sqm spa complex includes 11 treatment rooms, gym, yoga studio, a 25-metre indoor lap pool, four outdoor Thalassotherapy pools, a double-height steam room, male and female saunas and a spa bar for healthy alternatives.
Guests can sample an authentic taste of traditional Sicily with an array of dishes at one of the resort’s four restaurants and five bars – with fresh, organic produce sourced straight from Verdura’s own garden. In addition, visitors can enjoy an array of cultural and culinary experiences where they can discover the secrets of Sicilian cooking, with menus inspired by celebrity chef Fulvio Pierangelini, and taste the many famous wines of the region. There is also plenty to keep the younger members of the family entertained with dedicated kids and teen clubs providing a variety of fun-packed activity programmes throughout the year.
Verdura Resort has received widespread international recognition and won numerous awards since opening. Among its most recent honours, it was ranked top in Italy and sixth in Golf World’s updated list of the ‘Top 100 Golf Resorts in Continental Europe’, second in National Club Golfer magazine’s inaugural list of the ‘Top 100 Golf Resorts in Continental Europe’, and named by Golf Digest as a recipient of an ‘Editors’ Choice Award for Best International Resorts’ in 2016, 2017 and 2018. In addition, the resort won the title of ‘Italy’s Best Golf Hotel’ at the 2015 World Golf Awards’; retained its place in Golf World’s benchmark ‘Top 100 Courses in Continental Europe 2017/18’ rankings and claimed a ‘Golden Award for Golf’ at the 2015 Voyages & Hôtels Readers Awards. It was also the only Italian resort to be named in Conde Nast Traveller magazine’s list of ‘The 14 Best Family Hotels in the World’ in 2018 and ‘Best Family European Golf Resort‘ by the 2011 Tatler Travel Guide, while it was the recipient of two accolades at the 2015 Spafinder Wellness Travel Awards in the ‘Best for Couples’ and ‘Wow Factor’ categories.
About Rocco Forte Hotels
Established by Sir Rocco Forte and sister, Olga Polizzi in 1996, Rocco Forte Hotels is a collection of 11 individual hotels and resorts. All of the hotels are landmarks, both old and new, occupying magnificent buildings in exceptional locations. Led by a family who has been in hospitality for four generations, the hotels are united by their distinctive approach to service ensuring guests experience the best of the cities and surrounding areas.
Rocco Forte Hotels comprises: Hotel de Russie, Rome; Hotel Savoy, Florence; Verdura Resort, Sicily; The Balmoral, Edinburgh; Brown’s Hotel, London; The Charles Hotel, Munich; Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt; Hotel de Rome, Berlin; Hotel Amigo, Brussels; Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg
Future openings: Rome in 2019, Shanghai in 2019, Puglia in 2019.
www.roccofortehotels.com
Media Enquiries Daniela Moore, Group Communications Manager Rocco Forte Hotels Email: dmoore@roccofortehotels.com