IPA Terminates Golf Course Architecture & Golf Development Categories

There is a noticeable change when you register for the current cycle (2017) of any of the local or regional awards by the International Property Awards which include: the Asia Pacific Property Awards, Arabian Property Awards, the African Property Awards, The European Property Awards, The UK Property Awards, the American Property Awards and the Canadian Property Awards. Several categories seem to no longer be available, this includes Golf Development and Golf Course Architecture.

These categories have typically been less active in recent years so the move is not unexpected in any way. We had predicted this at the end of the 2016 cycle and it is unarguably an excellent move by the International Property Awards to ensure their awards remain competitive and relevant.  Projects with a Golf Course component can opt for the 'Leisure Development'  and the 'Leisure Architecture' categories.

However, the 'Leisure' category is a broader one with a wider criteria set and more rules and regulations to take account of. This makes it much more competitive as opposed to being in a category that works for a very specific niche. The leisure category encapsulates developments with Spas and other extraordinary features or components such as resort or park concepts or even more outlandish ones that are a part of a theme park or tourist attractions. Developers will have to account for how their Golf development measures up against other leisure experiences that competing projects have to offer and in the coming years they will have to reinvent the experience they are creating as much as the product they are offering.