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2003 best golf destinations

In the golf tourism industry's annual International Golf Travel Market held in Biarritz (France), the three main awards went to :

Lisbon Golf Coast : Established Golf Destination of the Year,
South Africa: Emerging Golf Destination of the Year,
Wales: Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year.

The nominees and winner for the Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year were selected by the Golf Travel Writers Association. Criteria taken into consideration included: the extent to which the golf destination was considered to be undiscovered; qualities that make for an interesting golf destination; attractiveness of the region and of the courses; golf course quality & accessibility; standard of accommodation; friendliness of the staff; value for money; speed of play; climate.
For the Emerging and Established Golf Destination of the Year, IAGTO polled its own golf tour operator membership comprising of almost 140 operators in 27 countries. IAGTO operators gave every destination they featured marks out of 100, taking into consideration: customer satisfaction, quality of golf courses and accommodation, support from suppliers, tourist boards & airlines, and accessibility to tee-times. An average was applied in order to deliver 18 nominees in each category with a broad geographical distribution. The winner in each case being the destination with the highest score.

Accepting the award for the Established Golf Destination of the Year, Lisbon Golf Coast, Maria Manuel, Golf Product Manager for Estoril & Sintra Golf Coast, said: "We would like to thank all the operators for voting for the Lisbon Golf Coast to win this outstanding award. We look forward to working with all the operators in order to further develop golf tourism to the region in the coming years."
Thapedi Masanabo from the Paris Office of South African Tourism said: "Hosting IGTM 2001 in Sun City, which was a tremendous success, has helped in placing South Africa on the golfing map. I think this is a well deserved award and I would like to thank IAGTO Operators for selecting South Africa as the Emerging Golf Destination for 2003, and for continuing to support us. Their support contributes to changing the lives of South Africans, both black & white, and I look forward to welcoming their clients to South Africa."
Commenting on receiving the Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year Award, Wales Tourist Board. Roger Pride, Wales Tourist Board Marketing Director, receiving the award at the gala diner, said: "This is fantastic news for golf tourism in Wales and proves what we've been saying all along - that Wales is the next big thing in global golf. "This award is testament to Wales' success in winning the Ryder Cup in 2010, to the growing quality of the tourism product, to the commitment of the Welsh Assembly Government to growing golf tourism into Wales and to the collective team approach by all partners in this task."
Peter Walton added: "These annual awards have become a tremendous event for the golf tourism industry as they enable us to take a step back and look closely at what we are offering the golf traveller. Even though the three winners this year were worlds apart, each one achieved its success through the delivery of a really enjoyable golfing experience on great courses. Without doubt that is what makes for an outstanding golf destination."