Last year’s winner of the inaugural Rocco Forte Open – Verdura, Álvaro Quirós, described the venue as “paradise” – and golfers keen to experience golfing nirvana for themselves, when the European Tour returns this year, can take advantage of some special VIP packages.
The 2018 version of the Rocco Forte Open – Verdura takes place at Sicily’s Verdura Resort from May 10-13, and there is an array of VIP packages available for visiting golfers – including the chance to tee it up alongside the continent’s best players.
The ‘Rocco Forte Open Experience’ packages start from €361 per person, per night, and feature a host of five-star privileges including the exclusive opportunity to play the special composite course being used for the tournament – either by participating in the Rocco Forte Open Pro-Am, alongside Europe’s top stars, or playing the course just 24 hours after the professionals on May 14.
Available to book on a minimum two or three-night stay between May 9-15, the breaks also offer access to the resort’s private Torre Bar lounge area with champagne reception and unlimited buffet and many other golf benefits.
Daily bed-and-breakfast accommodation is provided in a Deluxe Room including one bottle of Prosecco per room, per stay, while the packages, which are based on two people sharing a room, also feature free entry to Verdura Resort’s award-winning spa facilities.
The Rocco Forte Open – Verdura will be staged on one of the most spectacular and picturesque courses on the 2018 European Tour calendar, with the composite course combining the finest holes from the venue’s two award-winning 18-hole championship courses, the East Course and West Course.
Measuring 7,352 yards, the par-72 lay-out comprises nine holes from each of the two Kyle Phillips-designed courses and includes one of the most dramatic finishes in world tournament golf – with the final six holes running adjacent to the coast and set against the magnificent backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea.
Indeed, following last year’s tournament, European Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjørn said: “What a beautiful place and what a place to play golf...”
Nestling on the coast in 230 hectares of stunning landscape, warmed by the Mediterranean sun and refreshed by the sea breeze, Sicily’s Verdura Resort features two 18-hole links golf courses – the East and the West.
Designed by Kyle Phillips, the resort’s golf courses offer uninterrupted views of the azure waters from the undulating greens. The venue includes two 18-hole championship courses, a nine-hole, par-three layout and extensive practice facilities including a double-ended driving range and outstanding academy.
In addition to unlimited use of golf facilities, guests can enjoy numerous other sports and leisure amenities including six tennis courts, an array of different watersports, a 170sqm fully-equipped gym and an award-winning 4,000sqm spa complex with thalassotherapy pools. Verdura Resort’s knowledgeable concierge is also able to offer a range of excursions outside of the hotel, from vineyards to ancient temples.
Situated on Sicily’s southern coast between Agrigento and the fishing city of Sciacca, an 80-minute drive from Trapani and Palermo airports, Verdura Resort – a Rocco Forte hotel – features 203 rooms and suites, all with a sea view, as well as three new villas which offer a perfect solution for family holidays, each with its own private swimming pool.
Serving up a mixture of sunny skies, a temperate climate and breathtaking scenery, combined with a plethora of historical, cultural and gastronomic delights, Sicily has all the ingredients for a relaxing break, and Verdura Resort is the ideal base to discover this authentic part of the Mediterranean’s largest island.
ENDS
High-resolution images of Verdura Resort may be downloaded for editorial purposes from here.
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, a 80-minute drive from Trapani and Palermo airports.
Verdura features 203 rooms and suites, all with sea views, and is a paradise for golfers with its outstanding facilities. Players from all over the world come to enjoy the two 18-hole championship courses and a nine-hole par-three course, with all three links-style layouts designed by world-renowned golf architect Kyle Phillips, built to the highest specifications and playable all-year-round. A member of the exclusive European Tour Properties network as a European Tour Destination, Verdura was the host venue for the 2012 Sicilian Open and had the honour of staging the 2017 Rocco Forte Open - Verdura. The resort’s East Course is ranked as one of the finest in continental Europe while its beautiful West Course, also a par-72, provides the ideal complement and features one of the most memorable finishes anywhere in the world with the final four holes set alongside the Mediterranean. The courses are matched by outstanding practice amenities including a double-ended driving range and excellent golf academy.
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 fourth in Golf World’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 and 2017. 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 2015/16’ rankings and claimed a ‘Golden Award for Golf’ at the 2015 Voyages & Hôtels Readers Awards. It was also named ‘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; Assila Hotel, Jeddah.
Future openings: Rome in 2018, Shanghai in 2018