Breaking News

RCGA Welcomes InterContinental Hotels Group as a Corporate Partner with the RCGA Golf Card

Oakville, Ont. (RCGA) – The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is pleased to announce a partnership with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) that welcomes one of the World’s largest international hospitality group as a corporate partner of the RCGA Golf Card golfer loyalty program.

“I am very pleased to welcome the InterContinental Hotels Group as one of the corporate partners
for the RCGA Golf Card golfer loyalty program” said Ron Gardner, managing director of the RCGA Golf Card Program.  “The goal of the RCGA Golf Card is to get more people golfing at a variety of courses
and this partnership with IHG is an ideal vehicle to promote the card at the variety of IHG locations surrounding our many member clubs.”

The partnership will allow for the RCGA Golf Card to be utilized as a promotional tool vehicle by participating Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express® and Crowne Plaza® hotels.  The RCGA Golf Card will also be utilized as a corporate promotional tool at trade shows, golf tournaments and for corporate accounts.

“The RCGA Golf Card will be a valuable tool that will help further establish our brand with many golfers across Canada,” said Gopal Rao regional vice president, Sales & Marketing, IHG. “We are always looking for additional ways to reward our valued clientele and we feel the gift of free golf is a great value add for the avid golfer or those looking to take up the game.”

The RCGA Golf Card is a web-based rewards program designed specifically for golfers.  The program rewards golfer loyalty at participating golf courses as RCGA Golf Card members receive a free round of golf with every five rounds paid.  They also receive one 50% off trial voucher for every participating golf club in the program.  In addition, RCGA Golf Card members can redeem their AIR MILES® reward miles to purchase rounds of golf at any participating course.

The RCGA expects to have more than 150 courses across Ontario and Western Canada participating in the RCGA Golf Card golfer rewards program this year.

For more information about the RCGA Golf Card and its corporate partners, visit the Royal Canadian Golf Association website at www.rcga.org and click on the RCGA Golf Card banner.

ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing 377,000 members at 1,600 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sports Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, the RCGA’s mission is to grow participation in and passion for the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. The RCGA conducts programs and services to help shape the future of golf in Canada. High performance athlete development, Rules of Golf and amateur status, handicapping and course rating, turfgrass and environmental research, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum and CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program, are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. In addition, the RCGA conducts Canada’s most prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women’s Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while regional junior and national amateur championships showcase the best in Canadian golf.

For further information on what the RCGA is doing to support golf in your community please visit www.rcga.org.   

ABOUT IHG   
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms.  IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, almost 4,000 hotels and more than 590,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world  The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with over 37 million members worldwide.

IHG pioneered the travel industry’s first collaborative response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The environment and local communities remain at the heart of IHG’s global corporate responsibility focus. We’re the first major hotel group to have measured our environmental and carbon footprints and we’re in the process of setting reduction targets.
 
With more than 1,600 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG needs to find around 150,000 people over the next few years to meet its global expansion plans.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media.

-30-

Stephen Boggs
Sr. Manager, Corporate Communications
IHG
Office: 770-604-5793
Email: stephen.boggs@ihg.com
Office: 770-604-5793

Terry Lenyk
Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
Royal Canadian Golf Association
Office: 1-800-263-0009 ext. 335
Mobile: (416) 407-3893
Email: tlenyk@rcga.org