Hellidon Lakes Will Stage Opening Event Of 2016 Shires Golf Tour

Hellidon Lakes Golf and Spa Hotel will stage the first of 12 qualifying events on the Shires Golf Tour, with 80 youngsters (aged between four and 21) from Northamtonshire, Leicestershire and Bedfordshire expected to participate on Sunday, March 13th.

Based on handicaps, the burgeoning tour features five divisions, with qualifying events scheduled to take place throughout this season at a host of other leading venues across the three counties. The players with the best seven combined Stableford scores in each division will then be crowned overall Order of Merit champions.

Joanne Hammick, general manager at Hellidon Lakes Golf and Spa Hotel, said: “The Shires Golf Tour is a wonderful initiative and we’re delighted to have been chosen to host the opening event of its 2016 schedule.

“QHotels is committed to encouraging as many children as possible to take up the game and everyone at Hellidon Lakes is looking forward to welcoming some of the region’s top young golfers to show off their skills in March.”

Nestling in the resort’s 220 acres of private grounds, Hellidon Lakes’ championship course will offer plenty of challenges for the juniors to overcome. Many of the holes feature water hazards, albeit with a choice of challenging carries over, or safer routes around, the numerous lakes.

And as an extra incentive for success on the 2016 Shires Golf Tour, QHotels will also be providing one of the star prizes next year, with a two-round, two-night break for a family of four at any QHotels golf resort up for grabs to one of the overall winners.

Shires Junior Golf Tour organiser Paul Bull said: “We’re delighted to have this opportunity to work with Hellidon Lakes and QHotels this year. It will be great to launch the new season with an exciting new venue, while I’m sure everyone will be working harder than ever to try to win the magnificent first prize that QHotels has kindly offered for one of our Order of Merit winners.”

The event is a further illustration of QHotels’ long-term commitment to growing the game and unearthing golf’s next generation of stars following the successful launch last year of QFairway – the country’s most flexible golf membership – which offers free memberships to juniors.

Available to children aged 15 and under, all juniors receive a free membership when they sign up to the enterprising new club at a resort, providing their parent or guardian also has adult membership at the same time.

Hellidon Lakes Golf & Spa Hotel belongs to the QHotels group of golf resorts, which offers tournament and championship-standard courses at an array of unique locations across England and Scotland.

n To discover more about Hellidon Lakes Golf & Spa Hotel, call 01327 262551 or visit http://www.qhotels.co.uk/our-locations/hellidon-lakes-golf-and-spa-hotel/golf/