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Organized by 'Google Golf' partner AGL

Rounds in Terre Blanche and visits to famous chateaux

Swiss neighboring hotel, Europe's largest spa

French golf industry to visit Korea for high-level briefing session

French golf is coming.

On March 27, more than 30 representatives from the travel, golf, and airline industries, including representatives from domestic travel agencies such as Hana Tour, Hanjin Tour, Mode Tour, and Interpark Tour, gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, for the 'French Golf Product Presentation'.

The event was organized and hosted by AGL, a global golf technology company. The company made waves last summer when it partnered with Reserve with Google to launch a real-time booking service for golf courses around the world. When you search for your favorite golf course or a golf course near your destination in the Google search bar or on Google Maps, you will find a Book Online button and you can pay on the spot. Booking golf courses around the world is now as easy as booking a flight or hotel.

AGL, which has pioneered golf courses in Southeast Asia, Japan, and the United States, as well as across Europe, will introduce Korean golfers to a selection of high-end golf resorts in France, which are relatively unknown in Korea compared to the United States and the United Kingdom. The general managers of France's top 10 golf courses and representatives of Europe's leading golf tour agencies flew to Korea for the presentation.

France is well-known in Korea for its cultural heritage, gastronomy, wine, and luxury goods, but its golf courses are also a luxury item. We've heard a lot about Le Golf National near Paris, host of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2018 Ryder Cup (a U.S.-European men's professional golf competition), and Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, host of the Evian Championship, a major event on the Ladies Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour.

Mathieu Camison, general manager of Evian Resort Golf Club, has been at Evian since 2017 after working for Media Groupe Europe1. He says: “Evian, on the French-Swiss border near Geneva, is one of the most spectacular resorts in Europe. With more than 300 rooms in four hotels overlooking Lake Leman and Lausanne, Switzerland, across the water, we have the premium Hotel Royal, with 150 rooms, 30 of which are suites, and a Michelin-starred restaurant, as well as the 90-room Hotel Hermitage, which caters to all members of the family.”

The golf course is the same course where Ko Jin-young won in 2019, Chun In-gee in 2016 and Kim Hyo-joo in 2014. The 36-hole Champions Course is the host course of the Evian Championship. It boasts a natural setting of mountains and lakes. The other 18 holes are the Lake Course, which has a cozy charm. The golf course is also home to a 15-hectare (1 hectare = 0.01 km2) golf academy.

The Evian Championship is a popular event with 19 sponsors and supporters. Last year's tournament attracted more than 34,000 visitors. This year's tournament kicked off on July 10th. “The Evian Championship is the only major tournament on the European continent that combines the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour. “Our host, Evian Resort Golf Club, offers top-notch course management and a variety of uphill and downhill terrain that makes for a unique challenge,” said Mr. Camison. ‘When the tournament is over, the players always say, ’I can't wait to come back. With its theater and casino, Evian is the perfect place for Korean golfers to recharge their batteries.” Evian Resort Golf Club will soon be available for separate booking and payment through Google Booking, a system built by AGL. A round of 18 holes will be available for KRW 190,000 (including cart fee) on weekdays.

“In terms of course quality and service, the 'two top' golf courses in France are Evian Resort Golf Club and Terre Blanche near Nice in the South of France,” said Camison. Terre Blanche's general manager, Paul Amitage, is a French golf giant who worked at Le Golf National for many years. According to Amitage, Terre Blanche, a 30-minute drive from Nice, is a hotel, spa, and golf resort owned by a German family. “Our 3,500-square-meter spa is the largest in Europe, and we have four restaurants, including one Michelin-starred, to cater to the diverse tastes of our guests,” he says. Terre Blanche's values of relaxation permeate the 115 independent villas. The golf course is a DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) event host. There are two 18-hole courses and a DP World Tour-authorized academy.

North of Paris, Le Domaine de Banou Hotel-Golf & Spa is a 40- to 50-minute drive from the Eiffel Tower. General Manager David Moreau says: “Despite being so close to Paris, we are surrounded by dense forest and feel completely separate. It's a place where you can escape from everyday life and think only of relaxation.”

Olivier Odin, CEO of Private Golf Key, a local golf travel agency in Europe, said, “There are 550 golf courses in France and 11 private golf courses in the Paris area alone.” “The trip will be packed with golf and non-golf experiences, such as cooking with Michelin-starred chefs, visiting famous châteaux and wineries with vineyards, tasting different types of wines, and visiting museums and historic châteaux.”

“The three golf courses are members of the Tiger Prestige Club, AGL's premier club alliance. The prize includes seven nights in a luxury hotel, rounds on three courses and VIP access to the Evian Championship. The 'connectivity' of golf courses around the world through the TIGER GDS system has made such product plans possible,” said Mr. Lee. ”AGL, which took a leap forward by partnering with Google last year, will advance the era of connecting and distributing all 38,000 golf courses around the world.”

Source: SE Daily (https://www.sedaily.com)

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