Updated August 27, 2022

The Place to See!

By Shana Devleschoudere
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As we saw two weeks ago, Le Zoute is a golfer's paradise. And, as the summer season draws to a close, there's one event you won't want to miss...
In the second half of August, the vacations are drawing to a close. At Le Zoute, as elsewhere, everyone is preparing for the start of the new school year. But many wouldn't miss the "Zoute Approach Day" (ZAD, for those in the know) for the world before heading home.
This event, organized by our company High Level Communication (HLC) for 11 years now, revolves around a simple yet ingenious idea: to bring together friends of Zoute... and their friends.
But these friends aren't just anyone: they include locals, media stars, aristocrats, businessmen and women, company bosses and executives, famous sportsmen and women, major cultural figures, ... in short, all those whom Zoute attracts and who return the favor!
How does the event work in practice? The participants (between 300 and 400 people, after all!), invited by HLC and its dedicated magazine - "Zoute Paper, le magazine du center du monde" - play approach golf. This concept, which is similar to traditional golf, has a few notable differences: instead of the usual 18 holes, the ZAD here is limited to 12. What's more, the holes are between 60 and 80 metres long. It's a cross between mini-golf and traditional golf, but on a grass course owned by Compagnie Het Zoute. And after sport comes comfort. Everyone gathers for a "Lunch on the grass" and, at the prize-giving ceremony, for a "Cocktail on the green". It's the last opportunity of the season to get together and network. All in an enchanting setting, without taking ourselves too seriously, right in the heart of Le Zoute.
Another original feature: each of the twelve holes is sponsored by an iconic brand and, in the event of a hole in one, the brand offers a handsome prize. Three talented players have been awarded this honor.
Of course, you can't have a day like this without sponsors. And here too, there were a number of sponsors, including ING Private Banking, a loyal partner since the beginning of the event. The bank took part in the prize-giving ceremony, accompanied by the Echevin du Tourisme, Anthony Wittesaele. Also supporting this original event were Punta Cana Resort & Golf, AG Real Estate, Interparking, DS Automobiles, the Thaï Café chain (which has an establishment on the Albert beach breakwater) and Champagne Comtes de Dampierre.
To round off the day with a bang, a cocktail party was organized to celebrate the end of the event. It feels a bit like the start of a new school year, but as we're having trouble saying goodbye, we're reminded of the original event organized on the Compagnie Het Zoute property, just a stone's throw from the approach golf course. Teams had to piece together the cover of Zoute Paper (the magazine from the center of the world) as quickly as possible! Béatrix Bourdon's team (from BRAFA) completed the challenge in less than 1'30. Quite a feat when you consider that the average time taken by the other teams was around 4 to 5 minutes.
So, if you'd like to find out more about how Zoute's Approach Day brings friends together, check out Zoute Paper magazine's page-turner.
As I write this newsletter, I find myself talking for the first time about our baby: High Level Communication(www.highlevelcom.be). This, like Approach Day, undoubtedly brings me closer to you, our gentle readers.