Gary Player has called it one of his favorite golf courses that he has ever designed and a course that embodies the spirit of Africa, making the Lost City Golf Course the perfect venue for this year’s Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola.
This sweeping par-72 course at Sun City will serve as the home of one of the most successful charity series in the global game for the next three years, with the Gary Player Invitational having travelled to the United States, Europe and China before arriving in South Africa from 14-17 November.
Framed on the one side by The Palace Hotel and on the other by the majestic Pilanesberg mountain range and Southern Africa’s third largest game reserve that is home to the ‘Big Five’, the Lost City Golf Course has proved itself as a world-class layout over the years.
Lost City has been regularly featured on both the Sunshine Tour and European Tour calendars as a host of professional tournaments, and now it will take its place amongst some of the finest golf courses in South Africa that have previously staged the acclaimed charity event.
As the second golf course designed by Gary Player for the Sun City entertainment complex, the Lost City Golf Course offers its own unique challenges by utilizing the surrounding African bush and indigenous vegetation. The infamous par-three 13th offers its own unique hazard as the signature hole shaped like the continent of Africa is surrounded by seven greenside bunkers and a water hazard featuring numerous crocodiles.
At nearly 7000 metres in length, the Lost City Golf Course is more than capable of withstanding the technology and skill in the modern game.
For Player there is a sense of coming full circle as he’s able to host his charity series on a golf course that remains close to his heart.
“I’ve always felt that the Lost City Golf Course is special and unique in its character, but seems to have always rested in the shadow of the Gary Player Country Club,” said the Grand Slam champion.
“The bushveld atmosphere gives it such a great feel and you are in no doubt that you are playing golf in Africa. I think it’s a golf course that all our guests will enjoy.”
“To be able to play our Gary Player Invitational at Lost City is such a delight. It seems like only yesterday that I was asked to design the first golf course at Sun City, and to have been involved in two such great golf courses for Sun International is truly an honour.”
For more information on the event, visit www.garyplayerinvitational.com and follow @GPInvitational on Twitter.
ISSUED BY SPLASH PR & MEDIA CONSULTANTS
ON BEHALF OF THE GARY PLAYER INVITATIONAL
FOR FURTHER INFO CECILY MCLANE
079 763 1852
cecily@splashpr.co.za
FOR COMMENT MARC TUDHOPE
+27 21 021 448 7777
marc@garyplayer.co.za
Gary Player Invitational 2013 Series
United States – Georgia
Dates: 14-15 April 2013
Champions Retreat, Augusta
United Kingdom – England
Dates: 22 July 2013
Wentworth Golf Club, Surrey
China – Shanghai
Dates: 4-5 November 2013
Shanghai Links
South Africa
Dates: 14-17 November 2013
The Lost City Golf Course, The Palace Hotel, Sun City
About The Player Foundation
The Player Foundation was established in 1983 by Marc Player. What began as an effort to provide education, nutrition, medical care and athletic activities, for a small community of disadvantaged children living on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa has now blossomed into an organization that circles the globe bringing aid to underprivileged children and impoverished communities.
The Foundation is funded primarily by four Gary Player Invitational events presented through Black Knight International. Pairing celebrities and professional golfers from the PGA and Champions Tours with businessmen and international sports figures, the annual tournaments are staged in the United States, China, Europe and South Africa. The proceeds of these tournaments and other special events provide funding for an ever- expanding number of institutions around the world, including the Blair Atholl Schools in South Africa, the Pleasant City Elementary School in Palm Beach, the Masizame in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, and AIDS infected children in Baoshan, a drug-infested city located on the China-Burma border. Since its establishment, The Player Foundation has donated over $50 million dollars to the support of children’s charities, the betterment of impoverished communities and the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the world.
Gary Player, acknowledged as a world class humanitarian, believes that the strength of our future depends upon the abilities of our children. “I have found that the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others does not thrust itself upon us,” Player says, “But we do not need to look hard for it either. When you spot the chance to give back to the world, act on it. You will have made life better, for others, and for yourself.”
The Gary Player Foundation is a non-profit 501 C (3) organization managed by Black Knight International in Palm Beach, Florida.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world’s most valuable brand, the company’s portfolio features 15 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, Vitamin Water, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, it is the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy its beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, the company is focused on initiatives that reduce its environmental footprint and which support active, healthy living; as well as creating a safe, inclusive work environment for its associates; and enhancing the economic development of the communities where it operates. Together with its bottling partners, the company ranks among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700 000 system associates. For more information, visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or visit our blog at www.coca-colablog.com
ABOUT THE BENEFICARIES:
Wings and Wishes
Wings and Wishes was started by staff at the Coca-Cola Sabco bottling company in Port Elizabeth to collect air-miles to transport critically ill children to receive super-specialist medical care.
Wildlands Conservation Trust
The Wildlands Conservation Trust has networks in 35 communities transforming the lives of South African waste-preneurs and tree-preneurs who grow over 600 000 trees and hand-collect over 3 million kilograms of recycled waste annually. The waste and trees are bartered for bicycles, building materials and food as part of the Wildlands’ vision to restore the ecosystems that underwrite the welfare of these communities.
Contact:
Grace Lipscomb-Vine
Archivist/Media Coordinator
Gary Player Group, Inc.
635 Garden Market Drive
Travelers Rest, South Carolina 29690
United States of America
Tel: + 1 864 477 2720
Fax: + 1 864 477 2721
Cell: + 1 864 430 4011
grace@garyplayer.com
www.garyplayer.com
