Freedom for Cornwall Golfers!

ST MELLION, CORNWALL, UK .. The fifth gear on your car. Shops which open on Sundays. 200-channel television.

We used to view these as life’s ‘extras’, but we now take them for granted. Products change, as society changes.

In comparison, the sport of golf hasn’t always had a reputation for moving with the times. However, today’s announcement from one of the most prominent golf clubs in Cornwall might change that.

Despite the fact that it is one of the most popular participation sports in the country, with over 4 million golfers, less than 3% of the UK’s adult population are actually members of a golf club. So St Mellion International Resort has created ‘Freedom Play’ as a new way of joining a golf club, to encourage more golfers to take that step.

In Freedom Play, golfers pay a low annual subscription and get credits which they exchange for rounds of golf. Play at busy times and you use more credits: play when it’s quiet, and your credits go further.

“You can play in club competitions, get a golf handicap, and you belong to the club just like a full member” said the resort’s Golf Manager, David Moon. “It’s ideal if you’re one of the south west’s thousands of golfers who currently feel that they don’t play quite enough golf to justify a full annual membership.”

Local golfer Rob Hammett said this makes joining a golf club a more realistic option. “I think it’s a good way to get more involved at the club where you either already ‘pay and play’. £295 is a more reasonable price for someone like me who only plays around three or four times a month.”

St Mellion’s Freedom Play members can play on both of the resort’s 18-hole golf courses, the Nicklaus and the Kernow, and even get a 10% discount around the resort.

And the first 100 people who take up Freedom Play at St Mellion will get double credits when they join.

“It’s a flexible membership which is also perfect if you’re one of the many people who put their clubs away a few years ago, but fancy dusting them off!” said David Moon. “Freedom Play also suits golfers who live a little further away, but still want to join St Mellion as their second golf club”.

St Mellion has 36 holes winding through classic Cornish countryside, with both courses having hosted European Tour events. The sport’s greatest-ever golfer, Jack Nicklaus, designed the Nicklaus Signature Course at St Mellion, regularly voted ‘Best In The West’ by British golf magazines and renowned around the world for being one of Europe’s most memorable golfing challenges.

“If you get out to play golf more than once a week, it makes sense to take up a full membership at a club” said David Moon. “But if you’re playing less than that, Freedom Play at St Mellion gives you the flexibility to play when you want, without the feeling that you’re spending more than you need to on your golf. It’s a good balance, and fits the way many people’s life is at the moment.”

St Mellion International Resort is part of the Crown Golf group, the UK’s largest golf club owner/operator.

Ends.

CONTACT ST MELLION INTERNATIONAL RESORT: 01579 352006, David Moon, Golf Manager, stmellion-golfmanager@crown-golf.co.uk

www.st-mellion.co.uk

Winner of the Gold Award as Best Large Hotel in the Cornwall Tourism Awards 2011, and set in 450 acres of stunning Cornish countryside, the AA 4 Star-rated St Mellion International Resort offers a fresh, unexpected alternative to the more traditional hotel & resort accommodation in the West Country.

The Resort offers a contemporary 4-star hotel, which opened in 2009, in which guests can choose from three very different dining experiences, including fine dining, brasserie-style and a comprehensive bar food menu. An indoor leisure club with three pools, and an Elemis spa health & fitness club allows guests to be as active or as relaxed as they choose. Its combination of a superb, tranquil location, facilities unrivalled in the area, and wonderful hospitality makes St Mellion International Resort perfect for golf breaks, business conferences and meetings, weddings, leisure breaks and family holidays.

For golfers, St Mellion has it well and truly covered, with highly competitive rates and two European Tour courses making the Resort the ideal destination for corporate or society golf, as well as for a memorable golf holiday with friends. The resort was voted Best UK Golf Hotel by the users of Laterooms.com in 2013.

Its two stunning layouts – the Nicklaus Signature Course and The Kernow – can be toughened or relaxed to suit every level of golfer, from beginners to the elite player. The Nicklaus Signature Course, voted ‘Best In The West’ by readers of Today’s Golfer for the last two years running, celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2013. The spectacular course was the first design in the UK by Jack Nicklaus, 18-time Major winner and the most successful golfer in the sport’s history.

www.crown-golf.co.uk

The award-winning Crown Golf group has 25 UK golf facilities and 38 golf courses in its portfolio. With pride in customer service and innovation, Crown Golf (established in 1994) aims to provide an outstanding golf experience for its members and visitors, tailor-made to suit the lifestyles and needs of a wide range of golfers. The company’s flagship is the European Tour venue St Mellion International Resort, home to The Nicklaus Signature Course – the first in the UK to be designed by 18-time Major-winner Jack Nicklaus.