Eduardo Ruiz is looking forward to writing an exciting new chapter in La Manga Club's prestigious golfing history after being named as the new director of golf at Europe's premier sports and leisure destination resort in Murcia, south-east Spain.

Ruiz has a proven pedigree and growing reputation in the golf resort industry having worked at a number of the leading venues in Spain including Finca Cortesin, La Quinta and, most recently, 1997 Ryder Cup host Valderrama – reguarly rated as the top course in Spain – where he was operations manager.

The Spaniard took up his role at the start of this month (April) and joins a list featuring some of the most famous names in the game to be associated with La Manga Club including South African legend Gary Player (the resort's first director of golf), the 'King of Golf' Arnold Palmer (winner of the 1975 Spanish Open and re-designer of its South Course) and the late Severiano Ballesteros – the resort's touring professional from 1980-85.

A five-time host of the Spanish Open, La Manga Club added to its first-class golf facilities, which include three 18-hole championship courses, by opening a new Leadbetter Golf Academy last autumn – the only one of its kind in mainland Spain – and Ruiz is relishing the opportunity to help lead the award-winning resort into a progressive new era.

Ruiz said: “It is a great honour to have been chosen to join the best resort in Europe, and a venue that is famous across the world for its golf and sporting heritage.

“La Manga Club is a place that I've always admired and respected. I've been privileged to have worked at some of the best golf venues in Spain where I have gained some invaluable knowledge and experience, and I'm looking forward to the new challenge and playing a key part in the continued success of Europe's top golf, and sports, institution.

“With the new golf academy and practice facilities, number of new and established golf events that we're holding and improving the level of service to our customers even further, we have some very exciting times ahead.”

La Manga Club is widely regarded as Spain's flagship resort and, as well as being named as Spain's leading golf complex at the 2014 World Golf Awards, was recently handed the accolade of 'Best Golf Resort in Spain' by UK readers of Today's Golfer magazine for an impressive fourth year in a row.

In addition, the resort's position as Europe's premier golf destination has been further enhanced this spring after staging the 2nd PGAs of Europe La Manga Club Pro-Am and and 2015 Spanish International Senior Ladies Amateur Championship, while its will also stage the 19th running of the popular Footballers' Golf Classic in June.

Boasting three 18-hole championship golf courses, La Manga Club's extensive facilities also include a 28-court tennis academy, a new High Performance Sports Centre and 2,000m² spa and fitness complex, a five-star hotel, four-star serviced apartments and townhouses and more than 20 bars and restaurants.

For more details on La Manga Club, visit www.lamangaclub.com.

ENDS

Information for journalists

Press release written and distributed on behalf of La Manga Club by the Azalea Group.

La Manga Club
La Manga Club – www.lamangaclub.com – is an unrivalled sports and leisure paradise which sits between the low hills that separate the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor Sea, just 20 minutes from Murcia airport and an hour from Alicante.

Set out over an area of some 560 hectares (approx. 1,400 acres), it enjoys a mild year-round Mediterranean climate and offers visitors a prestigious five-star hotel, luxury vacation apartments and extensive sports facilities, including three championship golf courses, a new Leadbetter Golf Academy – the only one in mainland Spain – a 28-court tennis centre and eight grass sports pitches. The resort is also home to innumerable leisure facilities, such as the 2,000m2 Spa La Manga Club with its 13 luxurious treatment rooms, comprehensive fitness centre and 25m indoor swimming pool; meeting, banqueting and incentive facilities, and more than 20 restaurants and bars.

As well as hosting both Davis and Fed Cup tennis matches, La Manga Club has signed a long-term deal to be the overseas training resort of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) until 2016. It has also staged the Spanish Open golf championship and regularly attracts professional and international football teams to the first-class year-round training facilities which are also used by rugby and cricket sides.

As a result of more than 40 years of continued investment, innovation and commitment to excellence, La Manga Club is widely recognised as Spain's flagship resort and as one of the finest sports and lifestyle destinations in the world. Evidence of this is provided by its numerous awards and accolades.

La Manga Club was the proud recipient of a 2013 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel website, for the facilities and service on offer at its five-star Hotel Principe Felipe. The resort has been voted 'Best Golf Hotel/Resort in Spain' by UK readers of Today's Golfer magazine for the last four years and was named 'Best Golf Hotel in Spain' at the 2014 World Golf Awards. La Manga Club has long been a staunch supporter of women's golf, being the official overseas resort partner of the English Women's Golf Association for three years as well as hosting the Ladies European Tour (LET) Qualifying School from 2009-12. La Manga Club was also the venue for the Ladies Murcia Open, an LET Access Series event, and regularly hosts top women's amateur events and teams.

• High-resolution images of La Manga Club may be downloaded for editorial purposes from http://goo.gl/uOtE2Y

For more information on La Manga Club contact Pete Simm on 01730 711920 or email petes@theazaleagroup.com