Presented by Conte of Florence
Fifteen professional golfers representing as many nations, three floating greens, a bridge symbolic of a magical city unite together to create a unique event: The Ponte Vecchio International Approach Championship. To be played in the city of Florence, December 15 and 16, this golf competition offers the pleasure of experiencing the history and the culture of Italy’s Art capital, not to mention its architectural beauty, the food and wine and of course all the Christmas shopping opportunities that Florence has to offer, combined with an exciting golf competition featuring well know players from around the world.
Back in 1997 Conte of Florence created the idea of bringing golf to the heart of its city, showing off champions such as Costantino Rocca and Federica Dassù, who hit shots from the Ponte Vecchio bridge to a rowing boat anchored in the River Arno. The success, judged from the reaction of the public and the media, plus the positive feedback of the players, convinced Romano Boretti – chairman of Conte of Florence – of the event’s great potential and a new unique golf tournament was born.
The Competition
With a wealth of experience gained over the past six years, the Ponte Vecchio International Approach Championship has been created, involving players from 15 separate nations.
Decided by Match Play each player has six balls to hit to the three greens anchored in the River Arno. The greens are at varying distances from the bridge with each having a points value reflecting its degree of difficulty. Green 1, nearest the bridge, has a Points value of 2. Green 2, a little bit further out has 4 points and Green 3, the farthest, has a points value of 7. Players must land their ball on the green, and it must stay on the green for the points to be earned. The player with the highest points wins the match and goes forward to the next round.
The Players
Just the first three names from the list of contestants are enough to gauge the competitive pulse of the Ponte Vecchio International Approach Championship. Mounting the tee-off platform located under the central arch of the Ponte Vecchio bridge will be, among others: Bernhard Langer from Germany, winner of 41 titles around the world – including two US Masters – and captain of the 2004 winning European Ryder Cup team who annihilated their American adversaries by 18.5 to 9.5; Swede Robert Karlsson, winner of the 2005 Ponte Vecchio Challenge, currently ranked number 3 in Europe and one of the European Ryder Cup team members; And, Raphael Jacquelin from France, winner of the Madrid Open last October and the best French player currently on the European tour. There will also be one woman in the field specially invited by Conte of Florence: Diana Luna, who will represent Italy.
Side events
Prize money of 125,000 Euro and a Breitling watch for the player who scores the most points overall will add spice to the inaugural Championship. But, the competitive element is just one of the many ingredients of the Florentine pre-Christmas weekend, organised by Conte of Florence in collaboration with Mediavip, with contributions from IMG – who helped give the event a new format – and the patronage of the City Hall and the Italian Golf Federation.
The international golfing greats are not the only leading players in this event: during the interval between the various phases of match-play, the tee-off platform will also see celebrities from the world of show business, TV and sport, competing in a pro-am competition: soccer stars such as Daniele Massaro and Beppe Dossena will play, together with many other celebrities.
The Ponte Vecchio Challenge is a chance for players, guests and TV viewers to discover – or rediscover – Florence with its architectural treasures, its hospitality and those brands which are a synonymous of luxury, glamour and good taste which have contributed to the worldwide meaning of "made in Italy". Sightseeing trips are being arranged to view Florentine art and handcraft and an exclusive visit to the famous Museo Bardini which is presently closed to the general public.
Fundraising
Undoubtedly one of the more important aspects of the event is its fundraising, where a donation from the event proceeds will be made to a fund set up by the Office of Monuments and Fine Arts for the restoration of the Ocean Fountain, one of the best known symbols of the Boboli Gardens.
For the Public
Jumbo TV screens will be set up both at the Ponte Vecchio bridge, as well as at other locations around the city, enabling the public to follow the progress of play. The Italian Golf Federation will set up a driving range in Repubblica Square with instructors giving free lessons to anyone wanting to try their hand at the game.
European Tour Productions will produce a high-standard TV programme of the event which will be broadcast around the world to over 110 millions homes. The Italian channel Sky Sport 3, as usual, will be broadcasting the highlights of the two days on December 25, with commentary by Mario Camicia.
Vip Lounge and Gala Dinner
The Florence Rowing Club will be acting as an elegant "Parterre du Roi" for the duration of the event. Special areas will be set up in a heated outdoor setting along the banks of the River Arno where guests will have a front row view of the Championship from one of the most striking locations in Florence.
A Gala Dinner will take place on Saturday 16 december at Palazzo Corsini, in the elegant heart of Florence.
The partners
The partners, together with Conte of Florence, will be: UNA Hotels & Resorts, with UNA Hotel Vittoria and UNA Poggio dei Medici Golf & Resort; Baglioni Group Hotels with Bernini Palace: both hotel chains have prepared a special package for guests, and the same did Viva Hotels, as in the past years. The locations of the event will be furnished by Unopiù and the logistic will be guaranteed by Bartolini, express deliveries; Breitling will be the ‘Official Time’ as it has been for the past two years. The Bridge and the stands in Repubblica square will be prepared by Giovanetti Grandi Spazi while the grass and the plants are from Garden Zelari: everything will be under the control of Corpo dei Vigili Giurati di Firenze. SEON is responsible for finding young volunteers who will help with all the aspects of organization, while food and beverages for the Gala Dinner and the Club House are by Bachini & Bellini. Visconti, producer of luxury fountain pens, has created a special model just for the tournament and it will go on the market in the following months. Agusta Westland and its helicopters will fly players and guests; Volvo Italia will introduce its new model and will be official car of the event.
In addition, the following Companies are supporting the event: EZGO will provide golf carts, Bayer, Nobile Profumi, Ristorante Celestino, Hotel Golf; media partners Il Giornale, Golf & Turismo, Radio Toscana Network, Mediakey.
Contact: