Amateur golfers searching for the ultimate playing experience have the chance to line up alongside former major champions, Ryder Cup captains and stars of the stage and sporting world as the Alliance Series and Celebrity Series return for the 2023 Legends Tour season.
Since its inception, the Alliance Series has been a universal success. The format provides an exclusive opportunity to live the life of a golf legend as everyday players play alongside two professionals in a team event format, as well as in an individual tournament against other Alliance competitors, in front of crowds and TV cameras.
The aim is to give amateur players the opportunity to experience what it is like to compete at the highest level under the pressure of competition as they play on some of the world’s best courses alongside some of the world’s finest golfers – former Ryder Cup captains and Major winners including Paul McGinley, Paul Lawrie, Michael Campbell, Ian Woosnam and Thomas Bjorn all competed on last year’s Legends Tour.
The Celebrity Series also offers amateurs the chance to play with a golf legend and a star-studded field of celebrities during a pro-am experience.
Former England cricket captain Sir Andrew Strauss, 1996 Formula One World Champion Damon Hill and broadcaster Dan Walker are just some of the famous faces to have competed in the Celebrity Series.
A highlight of the 2023 Legends Tour season comes with the introduction of a new venue for the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, with the spectacular Trump International Golf Links Aberdeen the venue between August 23-27.
To take part in the Celebrity Series event in Scotland, players will have to pay £2,500, while the Alliance Series – which includes three rounds and the extra Celebrity Series round – will cost £12,000 with four nights’ accommodation at the official tournament hotel.
The first Alliance Series and Celebrity Series events in the calendar will take place at the La Moye Golf Club in Jersey between June 8-11 as the Tour returns to the island.
Priced at £8,000 per person, those playing in the Alliance Series will get to play three rounds of golf – one in the Celebrity Series and two in the Alliance Series – while also staying three nights in the official tournament hotel, receiving a bespoke gift pack and invitations to all exclusive functions.
At £2,500 per person, the Celebrity Series event in Jersey can be purchased individually or in teams of two and will see players line up alongside a celebrity and a professional. Those taking part will receive access to tournament facilities, breakfast alongside the stars and bespoke gifts.
Seapoint Golf Links – a rising star in the ranks of Irish links courses and located on the East coast just an hour north of Dublin – will also host both Alliance Series (€10,000 per person) and Celebrity Series (€2,500 per person) events. Another first-time Legends Tour venue, the events will coincide with the Irish Legends between June 22-25 as the course hosts a major international professional event for the first time.
As part of the Alliance Series, participants will receive two rounds alongside the Legends Tour players, with the top 15 playing the Championship Sunday prior to the professionals. Amateurs here will also receive a spot in the Celebrity Series and will be given accommodation for four nights at the four-star D-Hotel in Drogheda.
Constance Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius will once again host an Alliance Series event at the season-ending MCB Tour Championship, held between December 8-10. For £6,000 per person, amateurs can play in four rounds with a Legends Tour professional, while receiving exclusive function invitations and the bespoke gift package.
Phil Harrison, chief executive officer of the Legends Tour, said: “The Alliance Series and Celebrity Series events are the ultimate experiences for amateur golfers, and we are delighted to be able to give people the chance to play at such incredible golf courses.
“There has never been a more exciting time than now to sign up and take part in the Legends Tour events, so why not sign up to walk the fairways with ‘Legends’ of the game and experience first-class hospitality in stunning destinations.”
The 2023 Legends Tour season will feature at least 18 tournaments with a record-breaking prize fund – with final numbers set to be released shortly - which will be a significant increase on the 2022 campaign.
The JCB Championship will return from August 3-5 after a glorious debut in 2022, when a host of superstars including Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Darren Clarke and Paul Lawrie descended upon the spectacular Uttoxeter venue.
Among the other returning highlights on the new-look schedule are July’s Swiss Seniors Open at Golf Club Bad Ragaz, the WINSTONgolf Senior Open in Germany in September, the Italian Senior Open in October and November’s Farmfoods European Senior Masters in Spain.
The Legends Tour is the brainchild of entrepreneur Ryan Howsam, who bought a majority stake in the then-named European Senior Tour and set about rebranding the Tour in 2020. A prestigious competition featuring some of golf’s finest players aged 50 and over, the reimagined Legends Tour became a fan favourite and promises to be better than ever in 2023.