Participants at the 2009 FCCA Golf Classic in St. Lucia pose with Minister of Tourism Allen Chastanet and President & CEO of MSC Cruises, Rick Sasso (far right). CREDIT: Raoul Bosque/FCCA

The Antigua Pier Group has returned as one of the sponsors of this year’s INET International Pairs Golf Tournament, and has invited the winning pair to play in the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association’s Charity Golf Tournament during the FCCA Conference and Trade Show in the Dominican Republic, October 25-29.

In addition to the winners of the Tournament, the Antiguan team, which will be hosted by a leading cruise industry executive, will include the CEO of Golf Experience Caribbean, Zorol Barthley.  The fun-filled shotgun style

“We are very pleased to be able to support both events,” says Avonelle Pole, Marketing Consultant for the Pier Group, “mainly because golf has immense potential as a tourism attraction in Antigua and Barbuda.  It might come as a surprise to most, that the Cedar Valley Golf Club hosted close to 5,000 golfers coming off cruise ships in 2009, so we are hoping that the Pairs Tournament,  as it grows and succeeds, will ultimately result in serious international exposure for the destination.  On the other hand, the FCCA Golf Classic provides additional opportunities for us to network, make connections and improve relationships with key cruise industry executives and decision makers. “
Pole says the Pier Group “also understands the significance of supporting the FCCA Foundation, which funds a range of humanitarian causes and programs in the Caribbean and Latin America through its Holiday Gift Project, the FCCA Online Auction, the Annual FCCA Gala, the Caribbean Special Olympics, The FCCA Essay Competition, and the Environmental Poster Competition.”
  
  
The 2010 INET International Pairs Golf Tournament, organized by Golf Experience Caribbean, will be held at the Cedar Valley Golf Club on Saturday, September 11. Golfers from across the twin-island state will be vying for the opportunity play against some of the best amateurs in the world, and two winners will represent Antigua and Barbuda at the International Pairs World Finals to be held October 6-8 in Loch Lomond, Scotland.

International Pairs Golf Tournament was conceived in the UK in 1998 to celebrate the millennium, and is now firmly established as the largest amateur event of its type in the world. Thousands of golfers take part each year, and the tournament is continuing to expand internationally with new countries becoming involved on a regular basis. More than 40 countries have been represented by their national champions since the inaugural World Final in 2004 and the title of International Pairs World Champions has been held by pairs from three different continents.  Golf Experience Caribbean holds the master franchise for the Caribbean.