New Courses You May Have Missed #2

I last posted about new course openings way back in January, so it's high time I did it again. Here are three projects worthy of note:

Russia. Sorochany Ski & Golf Resort has been angling to become a true four-season destination for years, and it’ll take a giant step forward in 2011, when its nine-hole, Howard Swan-designed golf course is scheduled to open. The 775-acre resort, located about 35 miles north of the Moscow’s Ring Road, offers the longest ski trails of any resort in the capital area (there are three others) but not much in the way of accommodations. To alleviate that problem, Sorochany aims to build several hundred villas and vacation units, a 240-room hotel, a spa, and a recreation center. It may also add nine holes to the golf course, as the property's original master plan called for an 18-hole track. In a press release issued last year, Swan said that the golf facility will introduce golf “to more than just the richest” and nurture “the country’s potential as a golfing nation.”

Panama. Cielo Paraiso opened the first nine holes of its Michael J. Poellot-designed golf course in 2009, and it was supposed to open the second and final nine in early 2011. The 750-acre gated community is taking shape in Boquette, in the highlands of western Panama, which is said to be emerging as a retirement enclave. Colleen Lal, the president of Gladstone Corporation, began developing Cielo Paraiso –- Spanish for “paradise in the sky” –- with her husband, Raideep, a decade ago. Raideep recently died of a heart attack, but Colleen plans finish the 147-house community on her own. Poellot, who has two other courses in the works in Panama, said in a press statement, “I sincerely believe that we have created one of the most visually stunning courses in all of Central/South America.” A spokesman for Gladstone says the course is “challenging, yet fun for golfers of all abilities and handicaps.”

Cambodia. Cambodia’s fifth golf course, the centerpiece of Grand Phnom Penh International City, is hoping to open its full 18-hole course this year. The 650-acre “new town” is being co-developed by Ciputra, an Indonesian firm, and YLP Group, a Cambodian company. At build-out, the partners expect to erect more than 4,000 houses, a hotel, office space, shopping areas, an “international-standard” school, and a “world-class” hospital. The community’s course, a product of Nicklaus Design, opened its first nine in April 2010. It’s the second course in the city of Phnom Penh (the other is Royal Cambodia Phnom Penh Golf Club), although there’s another (Cambodia Golf & Country Club) in a nearby suburb. There are also two courses in Siem Reap, Cambodia’s major tourist destination. An undated note on Grand Phnom Penh's Facebook page says that the developers “are currently doing our best to finish the golf course this year.” The community's “fancy driving Range and VIP restaurant” are open, though.