Costa Navarino to Launch ‘Olazábal & Friends Charity Pro-Am’ Golf Event

Costa Navarino, the prime sustainable destination located in Messinia, Greece, has teamed up with two-time Masters Champion José María Olazábal to launch the “Olazábal and Friends Charity Pro-Am” this autumn.

Scheduled to take place during November 24-27, the inaugural golf event will give participants the exclusive opportunity to join Olazábal and his professional friends in an up-close experience, playing at the two new courses at Navarino Hills.  The two new courses were designed by the Spanish legend and opened in February.

“Costa Navarino is thrilled to be partnering with one of the most famous and respected names in world golf on such an exciting event. José Maria and his team have crafted two unique golf layouts at Navarino Hills, and I can think of no better finale to what has been a landmark year for Costa Navarino,” said Nuno Sepulveda, general manager of Costa Navarino Golf.

Featuring a maximum field of 18 teams, with each team comprising one professional and three amateurs, the event will include a practice round and two separate 18-hole competitions on the world’s first International Olympic Academy Golf Course and the Hills Course.

Social events, a prize-giving lunch and a golf clinic are also included, with all proceeds of the event being donated to Sport Mundi, a Spanish non-profit organisation chaired by José María Olazábal, which supports children in need.

José María Olazábal

“I am thrilled to continue to be a part of the Costa Navarino story with our new event. Our goal is clear: we want to give back and raise as much money as we can for underprivileged children,” Olazábal said.

The tournament will also support the “Clean Messinia” initiative, led by the Captain Vassilis & Karmen Constantakopoulos Foundation and Costa Navarino, which aims to support and engage local communities in a more sustainable way of waste management.

Situated over 125 hectares overlooking the historic Bay of Navarino and the Ionian Sea, the International Olympic Academy Golf Course and the neighboring Hills Course, measuring 6,366m and 6,280m respectively, made their debut at the start of the 2022 golf season.

Providing the ideal complement to the destination’s two existing signature golf courses, The Dunes Course and The Bay Course, players of all levels can now enjoy the challenge of four signature 18-hole golf courses within a 13km maximum distance.