Dom Pedro Hotels & Golf Collection has inaugurated a new €120,000 golf academy at at its Pinhal course. The academy was officially inaugurated during a gala celebration on the eve of the Portugal Masters, including an exclusive golf clinic with the 2017 champion, Lucas Bjerregaard.
During the clinic Bjerregaard, a two-time European Tour winner, said, “All amateur golfers should consider custom fitting. Small changes can make a big difference. Adding 15 yards to your tee shots or reducing strokes from your round, something as small as two grams in weight can completely change your ball flight.”
Latest equipment on offer at the top-of-the-range facility includes TrackMan 4 to provide feedback during lessons and custom fittings within the new Titleist Regional Fitting Centre.
Golf lessons can be taken in small groups or individually. For those under 21, there will also be several weekly after-school classes as well as weekend tuition, in addition to a schedule of courses and programs run by the onsite PGA professionals throughout the year.
In addition, Dom Pedro has partnered with GolPhin to help drive participation in the region. Originally launched in Scotland, the brand develops equipment designed specifically for beginners aged three to 12 years.
The Dom Pedro Golf Academy will also be available for corporate groups and parties, where golf can be incorporated with instruction, tournaments and clinics “to strengthen employee relationships”.
Announcing the initiative, Dom Pedro Hotels & Golf Collection chairman Stefano Saviotti, “This is a major step in our strategy for the future of Dom Pedro. We have established ourselves as one of Europe’s premier golf destinations for the calibre of our courses, but now we can offer first-class tuition too. Better still, we can now encourage juniors into the game, whether tourists or local Portuguese kids. We cannot wait to get up and running – maybe we’ll even uncover a European Tour player of the future.”
Added head of golf operations Simao da Cunha, “We are committed to delivering a complete golf experience, no matter the standard of player, and our new academy is the latest step in that journey. Not only is it one of the best in the region, we hope it will one day be considered one of the finest in Europe, delivering an expert junior programme that grows the game in the Algarve and becomes a hub for everyone in Portugal.”
The Dom Pedro Hotels & Golf Collection is a Portugal-based, international brand of hotels and resorts in Portugal and Brazil. Its resort in Vilamoura comprises five championship golf courses, all within a three-kilometre radius: Victoria (which hosts the Portugal Masters on the European Tour), Old Course, Pinhal, Pedro Laguna and Millennium. The five golf courses are complemented by 634 hotel rooms and apartments at three four-star hotel properties: Dom Pedro Vilamoura, Dom Pedro Marina and Dom Pedro Portobelo.
Commitment to Sustainability
Earlier this year, Dom Pedro Hotels and Golf Collection installed an innovative new water management system that is 23 per cent more energy-efficient than before.
Working closely with Grundfos, a market leading supplier of water pump solutions, Dom Pedro is “saving water, energy and man hours – all while keeping the five championship courses in top shape”.
Called Whole-in-One by Grundfos, the new, more sustainable system controls how the water is collected in the lakes and, with the correct pressure, can irrigate the property using a fraction of the normal power.
The Algarve has plenty of leisure activities to enjoy away from the golf fairways. Check them out here.