Last year’s winner of the inaugural Rocco Forte Open, 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.
