BWI: Nicklaus Design to Sponsor the Indian Business Leaders Summit and Golf Tournament as the Leading Golf Course Designer

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: Exito Group
Friday, October 08, 2010 01:51 PM IST (08:21 AM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Entertainment, Lifestyle, People, Sports; Business: Advertising, PR & marketing, Business services, Construction, Hospitality, Real estate, Sports
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Nicklaus Design to Sponsor the Indian Business Leaders Summit and Golf Tournament as the Leading Golf Course Designer


Bangalore, Karnataka, India, Friday, October 08, 2010 -- (Business Wire India) -- Nicklaus Design, the golf course design firm founded by golf legend Jack Nicklaus and recognized globally as the industry leader, will be gold sponsors to the Indian Business Leaders Summit and Golf Tournament. The premiere golf event and business conference for top business leaders will take place on November 11-12, 2010, in Pune, India.

Nicklaus Design is the world leader in golf course design and its excellence is a testament to the legacy of Jack Nicklaus, his love and passion for the game, and his unwavering desire to grow the sport around the world. Nicklaus Design has been synonymous with prestige and creativity in golf course design, and the firm's courses are respected by both amateur and professional golfers alike. Nicklaus Design's Paul Stringer, the Executive Vice President with more than 26 years of experience in the golf business as a golf professional and as a brilliant businessman, will speak at the November event. Along with Paul, Nicklaus Design will also be represented at the summit by Shean Bedi. He is the Head of Business Development in Southeast Asia for the company, and not only has he assisted Nicklaus Design on several developments in Asia, Bedi was instrumental in enhancing the company's presence in India.

India is witnessing a surge in the growth of the game of golf, especially among the corporate and real estate sectors, and Nicklaus Design has created strategic plans to promote and design golf courses in India. Evolution Golf and professional-golfer-turned-golf-entrepreneur Shivas Nath has been Nicklaus Design's representative in India and has been in the forefront of promoting golf in India. Evolution Golf is proud to be associated with industry leader Nicklaus Design, and with the involvement of Nath, this event will not only take the business of the boardroom to the greens but will also help promote the game of golf.

Golf courses are the new trend to pair with real estate developments in India. Because of a strong corporate culture and a rising middle class, golf has become popular in both business and leisure. Property along golf courses not only caters to a select niche market, but also adds tremendous value to real estate. Since this recent increase golf's popularity, many golf course and real estate projects are underway in India, and it is critical for real estate developers to work with the best golf course designers. Nicklaus Design understands this and brings the best to golf course design. Since independent research began in the early 1990s, communities that feature a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course as an amenity have resulted in the highest real estate value, the highest average home price, and greatest velocity of home and lot sales.

Jack Nicklaus, recognized as the game's greatest champion and this century's most influential individual in the sport of golf, recognizes India's major growth potential within the game.

"We recognize India as one of the key markets globally for the growth of the game, and we are excited about our increasing presence in the country," said Nicklaus, who Golf Inc. magazine has named "The Most Powerful Person in Golf" for the last six years. "After the game of golf celebrated a victory of sorts a year ago by being added to the Olympic program for 2016 and 2020, we felt this could be a catalyst to global growth of the game. In countries and markets where the game is still relatively new, we feel this Olympic spotlight will aid in the game's credibility, awareness, and popularity. Countries that have traditionally supported their Olympic athletes will hopefully begin to earmark resources for the growth of the game. As this happens, it is not only important to introduce and growth the game by designing quality facilities, but it is our collective responsibility to grow the game properly at the junior level. At its core, golf teaches wonderful life lessons, including sportsmanship, honesty and integrity, and if the game is introduced and nurtured properly, we can produce good citizens and not just good golfers."

Nicklaus Design opened its first course in India in 1998, with the unveiling of Classic Golf Resort in New Delhi, which has played host to a number of Asian Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) events. Currently, Nicklaus Design has projects under development in Ahmedabad and Ludhiana, with a number of prospects spread across India, as Nicklaus Design continues to expand its presence in the Asia Pacific Region. Estimates have indicated there are approximately 500,000 golfers among India's 1.17 billion people, and the number is forecasted to grow at an annual rate of up to 30 percent for the next few years. In addition, more than 30 percent of the country's estimated 250 courses have opened in the last five years. Through this collaborative effort with Evolution Golf, and Nath, Nicklaus Design is positioning itself as the industry leader in India and will help guide quality golf development throughout the country.

"We our proud of our success in recent years throughout Asia," said Paul Stringer, Executive Vice President for Nicklaus Design. "But as part of Jack Nicklaus' desire to continue to grow the game worldwide and our initiative to enhance our on-the-ground personnel and representatives in key markets such as China, Korea and now India, we felt it was important to bring in an experienced and forward-thinking person like Shivas Nath and Evolution Golf. Shivas has a great passion and vision for golf in his home country."

With Nicklaus Design already involved with several golf course projects underway in India, the Indian Business Leaders Summit and Golf Tournament will be one of the main catalysts that continue to push the growth of golf in the country.

About Exito Group - Exito Group is a business solutions company that constructs tailor-made solutions and content by designing a platform that provides new business opportunities and business solutions to clients. Exito Group merges entertainment and business through research and analysis to create congresses, forums, exhibitions and conferences to inform world markets, and be the meeting point for the world's buyers and sellers.



CONTACT DETAILS
Alem Young, Exito Group, +91 (80) 42039851, alem@exito-e.com

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, ENTERTAINMENT, LIFESTYLE, PEOPLE, SPORTS, MARKETING, BUSINESS SERVICES, CONSTRUCTION, HOSPITALITY, REAL ESTATE

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