Managing a modern fleet requires striking a delicate balance: having enough vehicles to capitalise on peak corporate demand without carrying excess capital tied up in buggies that may sit idle. On a standard day at a busy venue, buggies are frequently turned around and sent out twice. But the key operational question every venue must ask is: how many large corporate days do you host where you need an excess supply of buggies? Is it a handful of times a year or a core part of your business model? Finding that sweet spot is especially challenging for venues with more than one course, where fleets must be balanced dynamically across 36 holes or more, catering to different member and visitor demographics simultaneously. A prime example of this philosophy in action is London Golf Club, a long-term European Tour Destination with two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses. Josh Moses, who joined the club as Director of Operations in April 2026, oversees an operation that demonstrates exactly what is possible when fleet logistics are integrated seamlessly into the guest experience. London Golf Club hosts up to 300 corporate events annually, with roughly 90% of golfers opting for a buggy. Across approximately 50,000 annual rounds, their operational team breaks down every customer touchpoint, pairing premium buggy add-ons with automated fleet tracking to streamline set-up times and drive higher yield per vehicle. Whether delivering a seamless shotgun start – where guests are greeted, bags tagged, and groups guided out to their tees – or managing day-to-day turnarounds, London Golf Club has this operation down to a tee. Advancements in Technology The leap forward in battery management and connected fleet technology highlighted by Andy Bourke has transformed how our destinations operate. At London Golf Club, older fleets previously required overnight charging, forcing staging teams to rush vehicle prep on the morning of major shotgun events. With high-efficiency, long-lasting battery technology, teams can now set up fully charged buggies the evening before. Connected in-car screens have also evolved into vital operational and commercial engines. Beyond providing in-round upselling and sponsorship touchpoints, they give operations teams live control over pace of play, trimming 15 to 20 minutes off peak round times at venues like London Golf Club, all while protecting the course by digitally geofencing sensitive turf areas. The Operation Behind the Experience Ultimately, a world-class fleet is only as effective as the team and systems driving it. The benchmark for success is a clean, fully charged buggy ready for every arriving player. Achieving that consistently, especially on turnaround days, requires seamless communication between front-of-house hospitality and back-of-house staging crews. By leveraging real-time GPS fleet dashboards and digital dispatch, operations teams can maintain complete visibility of the course. If a group needs an afternoon buggy on short notice, the team can pinpoint buggies finishing on the 16th hole, coordinate a rapid turnaround and put that vehicle back out again. Implementing these rigorous processes and digital tracking systems is what unlocks a fleet’s true revenue potential, lifting annual rental yields

Having already launched a new portfolio of signature apartments as well a new signature restaurant in 2027, Palmares – which is managed by Details – Hospitality, Sports, Leisure, Portugal’s largest golf course operator – made a series of upgrades to its golf courses and practice facilities this summer to further elevate the playing experience being offered to members and guests. As part of the latest investment, all three of Palmares’ nine-hole loops have undergone significant renovation work to improve course conditioning, playing surfaces and landscaping. A new short game area and putting green have also been constructed while the resort has updated its fleet of greenkeeping machinery and is changing its course maintenance and irrigation practices, with the aim of reducing the total area it needs to water by 20 per cent. Nuno Sepulveda, co-CEO at Details – Sports, Hospitality, Leisure, said: “This investment is part of a much bigger vision for Palmares. As the management company, we took a hard look at the resort and it was clear this was what was needed to bring the golf course back up to the standards that a place like Palmares deserves. “After the renovations we’ve carried out across our golf portfolio, it made perfect sense for Palmares to be next. With its combination of parkland and links-style holes in an incredible coastal setting offering the best views in the region, Palmares is such a special place. This project will deliver improved playability, upgraded facilities and modernised infrastructure, while putting sustainability at the core of how the course is run.” Integrated into the natural amphitheatre of Bay of Lagos, Palmares’ 27-hole golf course was redesigned in 2011 by the renowned Robert Trent Jones Jr. of Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects (RTJ II) and is regarded as one of Portugal’s premier golf destinations. Featuring three distinct nine-hole loops – Alvor, Lagos, and Praia – the course gracefully descends towards the ocean, offering a unique and challenging experience for golfers of all levels, and the investment further elevates the golf experience and improves the resort’s green footprint. “We’ve increased the ‘fun factor’ for golfers of all skill levels by widening fairways and incorporating short grass as a defence instead of sand bunkers on many green complexes,” said Bruce Charlton, president, RTJ II.  “We’ve also updated tee surfaces and bunkers.” As part of the course improvement programme and using upgraded machinery, all the tees are being resurfaced with a grass more suitable and sustainable for the Algarve climate. Each bunker is being reconstructed and renovated with new sand installed to restore optimal performance, while selected bunkers are being strategically repositioned and refined in line with Trent Jones Jnr’s original design strategy. In addition, a new short game area and larger putting green are being installed to allow players to hone all aspects of their games while particular focus is being placed on modernising Palmares’ irrigation system to make the resort more sustainable. By concentrating using water on primary playing surfaces, the greenkeeping team

 In this video, Mireia Segura, Commercial Director, discusses: The Hills Course’s new wow factor INFINITUM Resort’s ambitions Her top three tips for resorts considering modernisation

When the Estonian Golf & Country Club opened its doors in 2005, hosting a professional tour event was always the mission. 21 years later, the club’s Sea Course welcomed 156 players for the first Infortar Estonian Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour. We went behind the scenes with Hanno Kross, the club’s CEO, to find out how it went, what it actually takes to host a professional event and the benefits it can bring to a venue. A first for Estonia The clearest sign of how the week went, according to Kross, came from the players themselves. “There have been more than a dozen emails from players sent personally thanking us for the tournament and the exceptional conditions,” he says. “One player, who has earned many millions across his career, thanked us we had created ‘a DP World Tour feeling,’ which was a very proud moment for a first-time host. “And the feedback wasn’t only about the golf course and the Estonian talent, but everything around the tournament: hospitality, organisation and the location. So it’s very positive.” What it took: partnerships and expertise “There are a lot of moving parts in tournament hosting,” Kross says. “But when you have the right people and the right processes in place, that’s when things come together.” Hosting a professional tournament isn’t something a venue does alone. For Kross, being part of the European Tour Destinations network for over two decades was central to making it possible at all. “When the Estonian Golf Association had their initial discussions with the European Tour Group, the Tour said, ‘Of course, we’re going to host it at the Estonian Golf & Country Club. They’ve been a part of us for 20 years’. “Everybody recognised the relationship we have with the Tour, so it made things a lot easier.” But it didn’t come without its challenges. Kross points to two in particular. “We had hosted the European Championships just three weeks prior. So that turnaround was down to a brilliant effort from the greenkeeping team,” Kross says. “And of course, the course was closed for another week after the European Championships. I was expecting some frustration from members, but I think they all understood. They were proud that it happened here and really got behind the event.” Measuring success: a national impact For Kross, the tournament’s most significant impact may not be measured this year at all, but in the next generation of Estonian golfers it inspires. “There were three Estonians who made the cut for the first time ever at this level. It doesn’t matter that all three guys were actually from another course. We’re one big golf family here in Estonia,” he says. “It’s fantastic to see the impact the tournament has on our younger golfers. As a 13-, 14- or 15-year-old kid, watching some of the best players perform here in Estonia will give them real encouragement and motivation that they can do the same in three or five years.” The long-term benefits of hosting “The