Ernie Els’ Malaysian masterpiece set to compete for ‘World’s Best’ title after scooping prestigious prize at 2014 Asia-Pacific Property Awards.
Langkawi, Malaysia, May 16, 2014: The Els Club Teluk Datai has received the greatest possible endorsement of its highly-acclaimed redesign after being named the region’s ‘Best Golf Course’ at the 2014 Asia-Pacific Property Awards. The recently unveiled Troon-managed venue received the prestigious accolade from Lord Courtown, Chairman of Judging for the Architecture and Interior Design categories, in front of a distinguished assembly of developers, architects, interior designers and real estate officials at the Shangri-la Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. It will now go on to represent Asia-Pacific at the 2014 International Property Awards in Dubai later this year.
Designed by Ernie Els, the magnificent layout will compete against other regional winners from Africa, the Middle East, Europe, UK and the Americas at the glittering awards ceremony to find the ‘World’s Best Golf Course’.
Ken Kosak, General Manager of The Els Club Teluk Datai, was delighted that the golf course has received such significant recognition only weeks after its official opening in April, which also saw it collect the ‘5-Star Award’ as Malaysia’s top golfing venue. He said: “Anyone who is familiar with golf in the Asia-Pacific region knows that there is an incredible variety of golf courses of unerring quality here, so to be named the No.1 course in the region is an incredible achievement for The Els Club Teluk Datai.
“Our designer, Ernie Els, has created one of the world’s most captivating golfing challenges, taking advantage of the spectacular tropical landscape here on the island of Langkawi to create something truly unique, which has already received widespread critical and public acclaim. This prestigious award is testament to his vision and the expertise of his design team, as well as the unwavering conditioning and quality that can be found across Troon’s wide portfolio of leading golfing venues, and we’re sure this will be the first of many accolades to come in the future.”
Ernie last visited the golf course in October 2013. “The site here is one of the most unique I have come across anywhere in the world,” said Ernie, “and the end product is simply breathtaking. We thought long and hard about the location of our first Els Club in Asia and in DRH have found great partners to help create a course that will have worldwide appeal. The whole team is thrilled with this golf course and I’m excited to come back and play it some day soon hopefully, when my schedule allows.”
The first of two Els Clubs to open in Malaysia, Teluk Datai is without doubt one of the most intriguing golf course re-designs to open in recent times. Owned by the Malaysian Government-established Destination Resorts & Hotels Sdn Bhd (DRH), the course is nestled within an ancient rainforest featuring towering tropical foliage and blessed with unforgettable vistas overlooking the Andaman Sea.
The much-loved region of Teluk Datai is also home to the award-winning luxury resort, The Datai Langkawi, which is internationally recognised for its unsurpassed service excellence. Together with Els’ new masterpiece they will play an integral role in realising DRH’s vision for the development of luxury golf experiences. In addition, Els was selected by DRH to design The Els Club Desaru Coast, located in the southern region of Johor Bahru, completing The Els Club Malaysia portfolio.
Asia-Pacific has achieved considerable success at the International Property Awards in recent years, emerging as the best performing region at the ‘Oscars’ of the property and real estate industry, with an impressive 18 ‘World’s Best’ Awards in 2013. Stuart Shield, President of the International Property Awards, is confident of further success for the region at the year-ending ceremony. He said: “We will all now wait to see if Asia-Pacific can not only retain the title of best performing region of the world in the International Property Awards but also beat its own record for yet another successive year. Each region is highly competitive and with levels of excellence within the property industry rising annually, this makes the competition hugely exciting as it heads towards the final conclusion in December.”
Further information on The Els Club Malaysia is available at www.elsclubmalaysia.com.
Press Information and additional images are available from Jed Moore or James Lovett at Professional Sports Group. Email: jed@profsports.com / jamesl@profsports.com or telephone +44 (0) 1276 858930
More Information
The Els Club Teluk Datai Course, an 18-hole championship golf course is set in a beautiful island in the northern state of Peninsular Malaysia in Langkawi. Marked as one of the most incredible courses within The Els collection, The Els Club Teluk Datai Course is nestled within a centuries-old rainforest with towering lush tropical foliage, offering the finest golfing experience to avid golfers. It is also located adjacent to the award winning resort, The Datai Langkawi that promises subtle elegance with best-in-class services and amenities that will be a perfect accommodation for golfers to unwind and relax.
About Destination Resorts and Hotels (DRH)
Destination Resorts and Hotels Sdn Bhd (“DRH”) is a strategic owner and developer of world class premier destinations. Established by the Malaysian Government’s investment arm, Khazanah Nasional Berhad (“Khazanah”), DRH is a catalyst for the continued development of Malaysia’s luxury leisure and tourism sector by providing relevant expertise focused on investment, development, management and oversight of world-class premier resorts, hotels and attractions. Its current key investment portfolio comprises of Desaru Coast, the region’s first integrated luxury destination located at Johor’s Desaru coastline, Little Red Cube and Traders Hotel at the luxury waterfront of Puteri Harbour, Nusajaya along with Teluk Datai, Langkawi, a luxury eco-tourism destination surrounded by ancient rainforest and breathtaking views of the Andaman Sea, including the award-winning The Datai Langkawi. Working with world renowned and reputable partners that are the best in the industry, DRH is set to expand domestically and internationally as a premier luxury hotel, resort and residences investment, development and management company. For more information on DRH and its developments, please visit www.drh.com.my.
About Troon Golf
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, Troon Golf EMEA is committed to developing Troon Golf’s presence in Europe, Middle East and Africa. This rapidly expanding division now oversees operations at 38 courses in 14 countries including Dubai, England, Russia, and Spain with further expansion planned across all regions. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon is the world’s largest golf management company, overseeing operations at Troon Golf (daily-fee & resort) and Troon Privé (private) properties located in 31 states and 26 countries. Additionally, 47 Troon facilities enjoy a Top 100 ranking by national or international publications. Troon properties include The Grove, London, England; Classic Club, Palm Desert, Calif; Lumine Golf Club Tarragona, Spain; and Saadiyat Beach Golf Resort in Abu Dhabi.
About Teluk Datai, Langkawi, Kedah
Located to the north-west of Langkawi Island, set amidst centuries-old rainforest, sparkling limestone outcrops and serene beaches, is Teluk Datai. Aimed to be a premier eco-tourism destination, the Teluk Datai master plan includes the development of 6-star and 5-star luxury resorts and villas, cliff-top bungalows, golf-view and sea-view bungalows as well as 5-star condominiums and homes overlooking the Andaman Sea. DRH portfolio in Langkawi includes The Datai, an award-winning 5-star resort hotel that was awarded ‘World’s Best Luxury Island Resort’ at the 2012 World Luxury Hotel Awards and TripAdvisor’s 2012 Travelers’ Choice Award. Recent accolades include Country Winner for Best Luxury Destination Spa by the 2014 World Luxury Spa Awards and a nomination for the World Luxury Hotels Awards 2014 It offers world-class amenities, luxurious spas and boasts its own peaceful stretch of white sandy beaches overlooking the stunning waters of the Andaman Sea.
