Christie's International Real Estate to Sponsor 2012 Tavistock Cup

Golf’s Most Intimate Tournament Reaches More Than 120 Million Households Worldwide

Christie’s to Auction the Most Important Collection of Golf Art and Memorabilia on May 30 in London

New York, New York—Christie’s International Real Estate is a proud sponsor of the 2012 Tavistock Cup to be held March 19 and 20 at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida. This PGA TOUR event, which features the top touring professional members of Albany, Isleworth, Lake Nona and Queenwood Golf Club, is played each year for prize money, hole-in-one prizes, charity, and the title of World Golf and Country Club Champion.

The two-day tournament will be televised on the Golf Channel in the U.S., Canada, China, and Japan. Skysports and other international affiliates also air the live broadcast in the United Kingdom, Australia, Latin America, and South Africa. Tavistock Cup’s live coverage, re-airs, and highlights reach nearly 120 million households in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The first-ever broadcast advertising from Christie’s International Real Estate will air four times during this year’s Tavistock Cup telecast. The commercial will also be posted on the company Web site the day it premieres, March 19. 

The Tavistock Cup has become one of the most unique golfing events of the year as tickets are not sold to the public. Only club members, sponsors, designated charities and invited guests are able to attend. Once in, there are no ropes separating the world’s best players from the spectators. Since the first matches were held in 2004, Tavistock Cup has donated more than US$6.5 million to local, national and international charities. 

“From its early origins on the east coast of Scotland, golf is now one of the most popular sports in the world,” says Neil Palmer, Chief Executive Officer. “An invitation-only gallery, worldwide exposure to a highly qualified audience of golf enthusiasts, and proven support of charitable foundations makes the Tavistock Cup an ideal event with which to associate our global portfolio of luxury properties.” 

The Tavistock Cup began as a friendly cross-town rivalry between the golf club communities of Isleworth and Lake Nona, both exclusive Affiliates of Christie’s International Real Estate. In 2011, the Tavistock Cup introduced a four-way competition for the first time in its history by bringing in two new clubs, Albany and Queenwood.

Albany is a new luxury resort community in the Bahamas, and Queenwood is a classic Surrey heathland course outside of London. These four clubs represent the highest concentration of top-ranked golfers, collectively winning more than 860 worldwide victories, including 62 major championships. 

Christie’s International Real Estate is wholly-owned by Christie’s, the world leading art business. On May 30 at London’s King Street saleroom, Christie’s will auction the world’s most important private collection of golf art and memorabilia passionately assembled over 25 years by Jaime Ortiz-Patiño, the founder of Spain’s world-famous Valderrama Golf Club.

This historic collection includes some of the rarest and most valuable treasures representing the history of the sport as well as its most notable personalities, from its earliest references in the 15th-Century to a program for the inaugural Masters Tournament held in 1934. Presenting an unprecedented selection of historic clubs, balls, paintings, ceramics and books, the collection will offer approximately 400 lots and is expected to realize in excess of US$3 million.