Conceived with golf professionals and enthusiasts in mind, there are very few destinations in the Middle East that offer the prestigious facilities and serene surroundings provided by Ayla. Designed by legendary golfer Greg Norman, the 18-hole championship course is situated at the heart of Aqaba’s newest waterfront development. Offering a range of holes to challenge all abilities, it has been designed in accordance with environmentally-friendly principles.
Ayla’s world-class golfing facilities stretch over 120 hectares of lush and sandy landscapes and offer stunning views of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba and mountain ranges in the East and West. Ayla boasts a par-72 championship course, a nine-hole par-three practice course, maintenance facility, Golf Academy and a welcoming club house. Etched out from the desert, the grass was carefully selected to allow for year-round excellent play. The golf course follows the natural terrain in the area and incorporates the native landscape of Aqaba with plenty of bunkers to challenge. Water also forms an integral part of the facility and moves throughout the course – changing in presentation as it transitions from open water bodies to waterfalls.
Golfers’ skills will be tested on hole 6, a Par 3 measuring around 220 yards. Due to its challenging location – it sits on the waters’ edge and is exposed to wind – hole 6 ensures only the most composed swings can find the green.
Whilst the finishing hole at Ayla is an uphill 470-yard Par 4, which plays into the prevailing northern wind, featuring bunkers down the left of the fairway with lagoons and a creek down the right. On this hole, a par will feel like a birdie.
To mark this historical launch, this October Ayla Golf Club will host the seventh edition of the MENA Golf Tour, building on its aim to become the premier destination for golf in both Jordan and the Middle East.
For those who golf, Royal Jordanian, the Hashemite Kingdom’s flagship carrier, allows up to two golf clubs per person on-board their flights at no extra cost and the airline’s new connecting flights from London Heathrow to Aqaba, started 31 March 2017, further facilitates tourism towards this magnificent destination.
Dr. Abed Arabiyat, Managing Director of the Jordan Tourism Board, said: “We are very much looking forward to the launch of Ayla Golf Course after years of hard work and determination from all of those involved. We hope this great addition to the Gulf of Aqaba will further attract visitors and welcome golf enthusiasts and professionals from all over the world. The launch of our first golf course adds another dimension to Jordan’s tourism offering and marks a significant phase in increasing the profile of Aqaba with British tourists.”
Managing Director of Ayla Oasis Development Company, Sahl Dudin said: “Ayla Golf Club, one of the country’s most ambitious and exclusive projects, is an absolutely breath-taking and distinctive professional course set amongst stunning scenery. We pride ourselves on providing our patrons with the most exclusive golfing experience in the region, with impeccable service, ideal playing conditions and perfectly manicure fairways, all set in the beautiful environment overlooking the water placing Aqaba firmly on the professional golf circuit.”
With some of the best snorkelling and diving in the world, Aqaba has long been considered a destination in itself, as well as a gateway to the desert of Wadi Rum and the rose-red ancient city of Petra, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Both attractions are easily accessible from Aqaba as a day trip. The seaside resort is currently experiencing a tourism revival thanks to an increasing number of cruise ships and direct weekly European flights.
Ayla Golf Club http://www.ayla.com.jo/golf-amenity/
Jordan tourist information www.visitjordan.com