The European Institute of Golf Course Architects brought golf resort development to the fore with its 2023 Annual Conference in Belek, Turkey from April 17-21.
This year’s meeting brought together over 100 EIGCA’s members, corporate partners and patrons for three days of golf – played this year at Carya and Montgomerie Maxx Royal – and a one-day conference, which saw speakers from Troon International, HKS Inc and WATG deliver their professional insights.
Speaking about the choice of venue for the conference, Tim Lobb, EIGCA’s Immediate Past President, said: “Turkey is one of the most popular golf destinations of the moment, and the highest density of golf resorts in Turkey are found in and around Belek. It was the perfect venue for our annual gathering. Developed to increase hotel occupancy and tourism to the region, there are 47 major hotels along the Belek golf strip of 14km, serving 11 pay-to-play golf courses with 207 golf holes to keep the golf tourists entertained.”
Ben Martin of HKS talked about the trends shaping the hospitality centre and how they can be applied to the development of golf resorts, including climate impact, wellbeing, story-making opportunities, elevated experiences, immersive experiences and appealing to emotions.
Mark Chapleski of Troon International addressed the audience about what the future of golf looks like in terms of player expectations. From paying in advance for a round, to the use of technology on the driving range to analyse shots, and the increase in demand for off-course participation such as golf entertainment venues and standalone driving ranges. Mark also talked about the need to use the least amount of water to maintain the turf on courses and the potential for the application of artificial intelligence in agronomy.
Dan Hinch of masterplanners WATG was the final external speaker. He talked about what else can be included in the land available that will broaden appeal and draw in a wider community to use the facility. This could be homes, hotels, holiday accommodation, fitness classes, restaurants, business facilities, and ways to connect people with land such as nature trails.
EIGCA Member Dave Sampson gave an insight into the design process he followed for the golf course at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, venue for this year’s Ryder Cup. While Ken Moodie closed the conference with an update on the Design Guidance project EIGCA is doing with The R&A which comes in three stages: Compact Courses, Golf for All and Golf for people with a disability.
