The Scottish golf industry’s top honours have been announced at a glittering awards ceremony held in St Andrews.

(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED KINGDOM - November 4th, 2011 - The Scottish golf industry’s top honours have been announced at a glittering awards ceremony held in St Andrews. The annual Golf Tourism Scotland’s Gold Standard Awards is the sector’s blue-ribbon event where the very best of Scottish golf tourism is celebrated.

Hosted by Fairmont St Andrews, this year’s gala evening saw the presentation of 11 awards including the Special Achievement Award which was received by the former secretary of Prestwick Golf Club Ian Bunch. This year’s Young Industry Person of the Year was presented jointly to Simon Redmond from Macdonald Rusacks Hotel in St Andrews and Valerie Houston formerly of the Royal Golf Hotel in Dornoch.

The prestigious Golf Course of the Year award went to Kingsbarns Golf Links which beat off competition from the likes of Castle Stuart and North Berwick. In the accommodation provider category, this year’s hosts Fairmont St Andrews were named the country’s top resort, while Macdonald Rusacks Hotel was awarded the Large Hotel accolade.

Crail Golfing Society received the Golf Secretariat award and St Andrews Executive Travel was named Transport Operator of the Year. Elsewhere, Old Loans Inn at Troon received the Small Hotel/Guesthouse award while Meldrum House in Aberdeenshire was named Scotland’s best country hotel.

“This year’s awards reflect a busy year of events that have showcased the breadth and depth of Scotland’s golfing sector,” noted GTS chairman Lee Derrick. “Many of the world’s leading amateur and professional players battled it out over courses across Scotland providing great opportunities to show the world what we do best. The industry as a whole benefits from these occasions, so with more high profile events scheduled for next year, including the Seniors Open at Turnberry, The Scottish Open returning to Castle Stuart and The Curtis Cup at The Nairn Golf Club these are undoubtedly exciting times for golf in Scotland.”

Other winners of the GTS Gold Standard Awards included Martin Roy of Carnoustie Golf Links who clinched the Caddiemaster of the Year accolade and Golf Scotland which picked up the Golf Tour Operator of the Year award.

The full list of winners is as follows:

GOLF COURSE OF THE YEAR. Nominations for this category were open to any golf course in Scotland that offers tee-times to visitors. And the winner is:

Kingsbarns Golf Links

GOLF SECRETARIAT OF THE YEAR. Nominations for this category were open to any golf club/course whose administration provides a service to visitors and/or the travel trade. And the winner is:

Crail Golfing Society

CADDIEMASTER OF THE YEAR. Nominations for this category were open to any caddiemaster providing a service to visitors and/or the travel trade. And the winner is:

Martin Roy, Carnoustie Golf Links

HOTEL OF THE YEAR (Small hotel/guest house category). Nominations for this category were open to accommodation providers with 20 or fewer bedrooms that provide services to golf visitors. And the winner is:

Old Loans Inn, Troon

HOTEL OF THE YEAR (Country house hotel category). Nominations for this category were open to hotels and exclusive-use properties operating in rural areas that provide services to golf visitors. And the winner is:

Meldrum House County Hotel, Aberdeenshire

HOTEL OF THE YEAR (Large hotel category). Nominations for this category were open to hotels with more than 20 bedrooms which provide services to golf visitors. And the winner is:

Macdonald Rusacks Hotel, St Andrews

HOTEL OF THE YEAR (Resort hotel category). Nominations for this category were open to resort hotels with golf course(s) attached. And the winner is:

Fairmont St Andrews

GOLF TOUR OPERATOR OF THE YEAR. Nominations for this category were open to any tour operator bringing golfers to Scotland. And the winner is: 

Golf Scotland

TRANSPORT OPERATOR OF THE YEAR. Nominations for this category were open to any business providing transport services in Scotland including rail, road, air and sea. And the winner is:

St Andrews Executive Travel

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. And the winner is:

Ian Bunch

YOUNG INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE YEAR. And the winner is:

Simon Redmond, Macdonald Rusacks Hotel and Valerie Houston, formerly of the Royal Golf Hotel in Dornoch

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Media notes1) Golf Tourism Scotland (GTS) was formed in 2005 with the aim of raising the standards of Scotland’s golf tourism in areas of product development, marketing, training and research.2) GTS has around 130 members involved in almost every area of Scotland’s golf tourism.3) The GTS Gold Standard Awards was held at Fairmont St Andrews on Thursday 3 November 2011.4) For more information visit www.golftourismscotland.com. 5) To join GTS, visit www.golftourismscotland.com/Membership+Fees

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