The Pipeline, october 17, 2014

     A coastal stretch of southern Ithaca Island -- the place that served as the mythological home of Odysseus, a hero of the Iliad and the Odyssey -- may soon become one of the largest resort communities in Greece. Ithaca, a small island in the Ionian Sea that’s been described as “a virgin area” and “completely unspoilt,” may eventually become the home of Iliad Resort, which is to feature more than 1,000 villas, condos, and hotel rooms, a marina capable of berthing 200 mega-yachts, a waterfront village, and an 18-hole, Greg Norman-designed golf course. Portfolio International Holdings, a group led by Ian and Chris Meredith, is developing the Iliad for Smenter Limited. Ian Meredith and Norman are long-time colleagues, as Meredith formerly served as a vice president of the U.S. arm of Medallist Developments, a company jointly owned by Norman and Macquarie Bank. A construction schedule for the Iliad hasn’t been set, though the parties involved claim to be eager to begin “as soon as possible.”

     A resort-style golf course may be among the attractions at the first Disney resort on mainland China. The course would be among the attractions at Shanghai Disney, which is taking shape on roughly 975 acres in the Pudong District of Shanghai. Shanghai Disney is scheduled to open in December 2015. Its attractions will feature “classic Disney storytelling and characters,” according to the company, but with “authentic cultural touches and themes tailored specifically for the people of China.” Disney’s global development team is discussing golf possibilities with Brian Curley of Scottsdale, Arizona-based Schmidt-Curley Design. On his own or with “signature” partners, Curley has helped to design dozens of golf courses in the People’s Republic, including the gigantic Mission Hills resorts in Shenzhen and on Hainan Island.

     The original version of the preceding post first appeared in the June 2014 issue of the World Edition of the Golf Course Report.

     The farm that served as a setting for scenes in Something To Talk About, the mid 1990s film starring Julia Roberts and Robert Duval, may soon sprout a golf course. Davant Plantation, one of South Carolina’s grand old plantations, occupies more than 2,000 acres outside Gillisonville, northwest of Hilton Head Island. The developer has been identified as Mike Mola, who I believe is the pro at Diamond Creek Golf Club in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Mola hopes to break ground on the 18-hole track next month.

     A Chinese investment group has unveiled plans for Singulari, a mega-resort in Antigua & Barbuda that will include a 27-hole golf complex. Yida International Investment Antigua, Ltd. has signed a memorandum of agreement to develop resort, which will occupy 1,517 waterfront acres on Antigua and other islands. Singulari will be the largest development venture in the region, reportedly 50 percent bigger than the soon-to-open Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas. In addition to the golf complex, it’ll feature a casino, 1,300 houses, five hotels (1,060 total rooms), a conference center, a marina, a retail/commercial area, and other attractions. The property was originally to be developed by R. Allen Stanford, a U.S. financier who established a fraudulent banking empire in Antigua and operated it until 2009, when he was arrested for running a Ponzi scheme. Stanford, who was convicted in 2012, is now serving a 110-year sentence for his crimes.

     The original version of the preceding post first appeared in the July 2014 issue of the World Edition of the Golf Course Report.

     A Gurgaon-based developer hopes to build a waterfront resort community in a place once called “the French Riviera of the East.” Vatika Group aims to build the to-be-named community on 200 acres outside Puducherry, a city along the Bay of Bengal in southeastern India. The community is expected to consist of villas, a boutique hotel, and a golf course (most likely a nine-hole layout) designed by Robin Hiseman of European Golf Design. These days Hiseman also has a project closer to home, as he designed the 18-hole track that JCB, Ltd. is building at its headquarters in Staffordshire, England.

     The original version of the preceding post first appeared in the June 2014 issue of the World Edition of the Golf Course Report.

     Europe’s most successful Ryder Cup captain of all time has agreed to design a par-3 “championship” golf course in Buckinghamshire, England. Tony Jacklin’s 18-hole track will complement the existing course at Magnolia Park Golf & Country Club, which seeks to become what it calls “a real golfing destination.” The club, in the town of Boarstall (it’s just outside Oxford, roughly 50 miles northwest of London), currently features an 18-hole, regulation-length layout designed by Jonathan Gaunt. “I have been an advocate of par-3 golf for many years,” Jacklin said in a press release. “I believe it is the future of golf.” Jacklin, who’s based in Bradenton, Florida, has designed a handful of golf courses around the world, among them San Roque Golf Club in Cadiz, Spain; Klassis Golf & Country Club in suburban Istanbul, Turkey; and Bouskoura Golf Course outside Casablanca, Morocco.

     An oil company is proceeding with plans to build a golf-focused resort in “the Switzerland of Kazakhstan.” KazTransOil-Service JSC aims to build Borovoe Village Resort on 256 acres along Lake Shuchye in the nation’s Borovoe region, a vacation spot that’s been described as being “more beautiful than a fairy tale.” The resort, which has been in the works since 2011, will feature cottages, a hotel, a spa, a beach club, a water park, a marina, and a Peter Harradine-designed 18-hole golf course. In 2011, when Harradine received the commission, he said the track would “offer the possibility of holding international tournaments” but would also be “easy to play.” KazTransOil hopes to open the golf course next year. The company owns a sanatorium in southern Kazakhstan, as well as an 18-hole golf course at SaryAgash Golf Club.

     The original version of the preceding post first appeared in the June 2014 issue of the World Edition of the Golf Course Report.

     In an attempt to ensure its future, the oldest golf club in Queensland, Australia has decided to downsize. Townsville Golf Club, which has had a 27-hole complex since the late 1980s, has sold part of its 180-acre property -- nine holes’ worth -- to a home builder. With the proceeds from the sale, it plans to build a new clubhouse and create what it’s called “a sustainable, regional-level golf course.” Karrie Webb, Australia’s best-known and most successful female golfer, will serve as a consultant to the redesign, but the architectural heavy lifting will be done by Bob Harrison, the former lead designer for Greg Norman’s firm. The club is located in Rosslea, outside the city of Townsville, on Queensland’s northeastern coast. It was established in 1893 and moved to its current location in 1924, and it’s been losing members for a decade. Its downsizing has been in the works since the mid 2000s.

     The original version of the preceding post first appeared in the August 2014 issue of the World Edition of the Golf Course Report.