Market leader in golf travel to scale business through PGA TOUR assets
The PGA TOUR and Golfbreaks, announced last week a strategic partnership where the PGA TOUR has taken a minority shareholding in Golfbreaks Limited, the UK parent company. This investment marks the PGA TOUR’s entry into the global golf travel industry and underpins its commitment to fan engagement and growing the game of golf.
Founded in 1998, Golfbreaks’ relentless focus on choice, service, value, and loyalty, has enabled the company to become a market leader in golf travel. Following 21 consecutive years of revenue growth, Golfbreaks now looks to accelerate the expansion of its North American business and will do so under the ‘Golfbreaks by PGA TOUR’ brand.
“We opened our U.S. office in 2016 to provide the 30 million+ golfers with a one-stop travel service offering high quality, good value golf vacations,” said Andrew Stanley, Golfbreaks Chief Executive Officer. “Having achieved three years of double-digit growth, the time was right for us to find a strategic partner who was fully committed to help us scale this business. Combining the PGA TOUR’s credibility, reach and assets, with Golfbreaks’ market knowledge, existing business and intellectual property, creates a scalable platform to grow the business not just in North America, but across all geographies.”
Specifically, the PGA TOUR will contribute its brand and select marketing assets to raise the profile and visibility of Golfbreaks to the PGA TOUR’s global fan base. In addition, Golfbreaks will build tournament experience packages at high-profile events like THE PLAYERS and the FedExCup Playoffs, as well as unique “stay and play” vacations at prominent TPC properties such as TPC Sawgrass and TPC Las Vegas.
“Booking a golf vacation in the States can be an arduous process,” said Lance Stover, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President, New Ventures. “In partnership with Golfbreaks, we can help showcase a better solution. Highly skilled agents that simplify the discovery and planning process at a better value is an incredible proposition. We have been highly impressed with the way in which the Golfbreaks Team has successfully built its business and firmly believe that by adding our marketing reach and unique assets, we can help redefine what golf travel means to our fans.”
Golfbreaks will continue to be managed and operated by the existing and long-standing Golfbreaks leadership team. As a minority shareholder in the company, the PGA TOUR will also serve on the Board of the parent company, Golfbreaks Limited.
ENDS
About Golfbreaks
Golfbreaks, the market leader in golf travel, organises golf breaks, holidays and tournament experiences for over 230,000 golfers annually across 2,500 resorts and golf courses throughout the UK, Europe and Worldwide.
Founded in 1998 by its Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Stanley, Golfbreaks has built a highly skilled team of 175 individuals with a passion for golf and travel working across its Windsor, United Kingdom global headquarters and its Copenhagen, Denmark, and Charleston, South Carolina regional offices.
Golfbreaks delivers outstanding choice, value and service, with the reassurance and security of booking with a fully bonded travel company. Golfbreaks is the only golf travel company to reward customers for their loyalty through its innovative Breakpoints rewards program. An astonishing 99% of Golfbreaks’ customers that completed a post-trip survey by third-party review site, Reevoo, stated they would rebook with Golfbreaks.
About PGA TOUR
By showcasing golf’s greatest players, the PGA TOUR engages, inspires and positively impacts our fans, partners and communities worldwide.
The PGA TOUR, headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, co-sanctions more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Series-China. Members on the PGA TOUR represent the world’s best players, hailing from 28 countries and territories (93 members are from outside the United States). Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to 226 countries and territories in 23 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organised as non-profit organisations to maximize charitable giving. In 2018, tournaments across all Tours generated a record $190 million for local and national charitable organisations, bringing the all-time total to $2.84 billion.
Fans can follow the PGA TOUR on PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, on the PGA TOUR app and on social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
For all Media Enquiries, please contact:
James Somerside, Golfbreaks, 0044-1753-752900, jsomerside@golfbreaks.com
Chris Smith, PGA TOUR, 001-904-273-3379, csmith@pgatourhq.com